LOS ANGELES (NewsNation Now) — American actress Cloris Leachman, who won eight Emmys for her work on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and other television programs as well as an Academy Award for “The Last Picture Show,” died on Wednesday at the age of 94, her representatives said.
Leachman’s publicist said in a statement that the actress died of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California.
“It’s been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time.
There was no one like Cloris. With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh till the tears ran down your face. You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic.
She loved her children and her grandchildren ferociously. A lifelong vegetarian, she was a passionate advocate for animal rights. The family requests that any donations in her name be made to PETA or Last Chance for Animals.”
Leachman’s manager Juliet Green in a statement to NewsNation
Leachman, who appeared in three of Mel Brooks’ comic movies, kept acting regularly well into her 90s. She was a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars” at age 82.
She was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1926. After graduating from Northwestern University she competed in the 1946 Miss America pageant before launching her acting career.
Leachman is survived by three sons and a daughter. She was preceded in death by her son Bryan in 1986.
Reuters and NewsNation affiliate WHO-TV contributed to this report.