Jessica Walter, the Emmy Award-winning actress known for starring roles in “Arrested Development” and “Archer,” has passed away, her daughter said in a statement Thursday. She was 80.
“With a heavy heart, I confirm the death of my beloved mother Jessica,” her daughter Brooke Bowman said in a statement. “A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure has been to bring joy to others through her stories both on and off the screen.”
Walter played a variety of roles throughout her career and received an Emmy Award in 1975 for her portrayal of a young California detective in “Amy Prentiss.”
Starting on Broadway stages, in productions of Nightlife, Photo Finish and Advise and Consent, Walter received critical acclaim as a television and film actress and received three other Emmy nominations over the course of her career . along with two Golden Globe nominations.
She has been praised for portraying Lucille Bluth in “Arrested Development,” a rich and untrustworthy matriarch who is forced to deal with her children and the loss of her fortune. She shared three Screen Actor’s Guild Award nominations with her castmates for the show.
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David Cross, who played Lucille’s son-in-law, called the portrayal one of TV’s greatest characters.
“I just heard the bad news about Jessica Walter, an absolutely brilliant actress and amazing talent,” Cross tweeted“I consider myself a privileged and very happy experience working with her.”
Tony Hale, who played Lucille’s son, Buster, called Walter “ a force ” in a moving farewell message. “Her talent and timing were second to none,” Hale tweeted Thursday. “Rest in peace, Mama Bluth.”
Walter leaves behind her daughter Brooke and a grandson.