Mary Tyler Moore, star of the Mary Tyler Moore Show and co-star of the Dick Van Dyke Show, has passed away from pneumonia-related cardiopulmonary arrest, according to her representative and her family. Moore was 80 years old.
Moore’s starring role in the venerable Mary Tyler Moore Show, as television producer Mary Richards, ran for seven seasons. Although the Mary Tyler Moore Show was certainly a fun sitcom, it also paved the way for the Tina Fey vehicle 30 Rock, where Fey played a similar character. Moore also played Laura Petrie, the wife of Dick Van Dyke’s character in the Dick Van Dyke Show. Her performance of Petrie was memorable and sharp, as much the focus of the show as her co-star, the eponymous Dick Van Dyke.
Before I was allowed to watch television produced after the 1980s, I remember watching both of Moore’s larger roles, both of which consistently entertained me and my family. Her body of work and comedic stylings will continue to be a much-needed beacon for women looking to break into television comedy.
After news of Moore’s death was made public, celebrities, politicians, and brands took to social media to eulogize the iconic comedienne and her work. Female entertainment icons like Joan Jett and Viola Davis memorialized Moore, and her efforts to pave the way for women in Hollywood.
Thanks for the first real image of a woman being independent, funny & vulnerable. Thank you for changing the face of TV, #MaryTylerMoore! pic.twitter.com/3rZbPczSnF
— Viola Davis (@violadavis) January 25, 2017
She was a six-time Emmy winner, a three-time Golden Globes winner, and a two-time Tony Award winner, as well as a four-time Emmy nominee, a six-time Golden Globes winner, and a one-time Academy Award nominee. Between this and Carrie Fisher, I’ve had to call my mom with condolences far too many times this past few weeks.
