Linda Lavin, best known for her nine-season run as the titular character in the CBS sitcom *Alice*, died on Sunday, December 29, at the age of 87. The Hollywood Reporter reported her passing, concluding an impressive career in entertainment. Lavin will be remembered not only for her iconic role as Alice but also for her significant contributions to women’s rights activism. In a 2012 interview with Steve Adubato, she explained her commitment to understanding the struggles of working women and single mothers, stating, “I knew it behooved me to learn about single mothers and working women…So I went to Gloria Steinem…and she hooked me up with writers and columnists and newspeople who were writing about working women. I learned that Alice represented 80 percent of all the women who work in this country who were still struggling at 69 cents to the dollar that men were making for the same quality of work. Suddenly, I had a rhetoric, I had a commitment.”
Lavin’s impressive career spanned stage, television, and film. She won two Golden Globes and received an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Alice Hyatt. Her work in live theater garnered six Tony nominations and one win (for *Broadway Bound* in 1987). Between 1962 and 2022, she appeared in nearly 30 films, cementing her status as a true icon. Her most recent role was in the Hulu series *Mid-Century Modern*, slated for release in 2025. Beyond acting, Lavin was a dedicated activist, marching for the Equal Rights Amendment and joining the National Commission on Working Women. She often used her platform, sometimes even wearing her *Alice* uniform, to advocate for the causes she championed.
A PR representative confirmed to Deadline that Lavin died unexpectedly from complications due to recently discovered lung cancer. The showrunners of *Mid-Century Modern*, David Kohan, Max Mutchnick, and Jimmy Burrows, released a joint statement expressing their profound sadness and acknowledging her lasting impact on them and the production.
Linda Lavin’s talent may have been inherited. Her mother, Lucille Lavin (nee Potter), was an opera singer and local radio host, according to the Jewish Women’s Archive. Lucille gave birth to Linda on October 15, 1937, in Portland, Maine, with her husband, furniture business owner David J. Lavin.
At the time of her death, Celebrity Net Worth estimated Linda Lavin’s net worth to be $6 million. She owned homes in Manhattan and Toluca Lake, California.