Cloris Leachman, of Mary Tyler Moore Show, DWTS & more dead at 94
Today, the television industry lost one of its biggest icons, and a performer who stayed in the business for a full seven decades. Cloris Leachman, according to a report from Deadline, has died at the age of 94. She reportedly passed of natural causes from her home in Encinitas, California.
It is hard to even know where to begin with Leachman’s career, as she famous for a wide array of iconic TV and film roles. Think in terms of Young Frankenstein or The Last Picture Show, or her famous turns on The Facts of Life or The Mary Tyler Moore Show. All of her credits are impressive, as are her accolades — Leachman received an Academy Award, multiple Emmys, and a Golden Globe throughout her illustrious career. It will take you longer to read her IMDb page than almost any other actor out there.
We were also blown away consistently by Cloris’ love of acting and longevity in the business. She appeared as recently as 2019 in the revival of Mad About You, and before that was a recurring presence on American Gods. She was a series regular less than a decade ago in the comedy Raising Hope, which she is pictured for above.
As fantastic as she was as an actress, we also remember her vividly from her stint on Dancing with the Stars many years ago alongside her partner Corky Ballas. We’d never known that much about her as a person, and this was a delightful introduction to her sense of humor and personality. She was never the best dancer, but her presence and personality allowed her to last multiple weeks into the competition. You can watch one of her performances below. (Fun fact about Cloris on DWTS; over the course of the season, she advanced further than the likes of Jeff Ross, Kim Kardashian, and Toni Braxton.)
We don’t think that Leachman is someone who can be tributed properly in just a day or even a week; the best way to do this is to just sit back, watch her work, and relish in how much she seemed to enjoy every single second. She will be missed dearly, and our thoughts go out to all who love her.