Jessica Walter passed away in her sleep today at the age of 80. “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica,” her daughter told Deadline. “A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on-screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.”
Walter began her career in 1960, and never stopped acting. Throughout most of her career, she guest-starred on some of the biggest shows of our time like Marcus Welby, M.D., Hawaii Five-0, Trapper John, M.D., Murder, She Wrote, The Big Bang Theory, and so many more. Then in 2003, she landed a role that finally made her a household name. Of course, that role was Lillith Bluth in Arrested Development. A role she reprised for the Netflix revival. However, that was not the only role she was doing at the time. She was also the voice of Mallory Archer on the FX animated show Archer.
Those are her two most infamous roles, but I always loved hearing her voice on Dinosaurs as the loving mom Fran Sinclair. However, a new generation will remember from 90210. Other people knew her from the movie Play Misty for Me. No matter what you knew her from, you always knew who she was. That is because she brought class to whatever role she took. She oozed it, and we are going to miss that about the actress.
She might no longer be with us, but we can still watch and enjoy her work from the last 60 years. Therefore, let’s all make some time to watch something she did to her beautiful light alive.
There is just one more thing I must add. She and George Segal played a married couple on the TV Land sitcom Retired at 35. It is crazy that they both retired to heaven within two days of each other. RIP to two legends.
