It’s a sad day for Hollywood as one of its veteran actresses, Elaine Stritch, has died at age 89.
Stritch died at her home in Birmingham, Michigan, on Thursday, The New York Times reports. The 30 Rock actress had been struggling with her health in the last year and opted to leave her fabulous life and home at Madison Avenue’s Carlyle Hotel, New York, to move back home and be closer to her family.
30 Rock finale: The gang moves on… kind of >>
Stritch was even declared a Living Landmark in 2003 by the New York Landmarks Conservancy. And while she enjoyed years of success as an actress, she became a household name in her 80s when she landed the role of Colleen Donaghy, the sharp-tongued mother of Alec Baldwin’s character Jack Donaghy in the hit TV series 30 Rock — a role that led to four Emmy nominations and one win.
Beloved for her boisterous roles, Stritch had plenty of TV and film credits, including roles in Law & Order and the Woody Allen films Small Time Crooks and September. However, Stritch’s first love was the stage and she starred in several plays, including Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s Pal Joey and On Your Toes, and Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? among many others.
Alec Baldwin says he offered to take a pay cut to save 30 Rock >>
Not only was she a talented actress, Stritch also had a serious set of lungs on her and showed off her voice in “I Never Know When” from the 1958 musical Goldilocks. The theater was her home, and Stritch won four Tony awards and four Drama Desk awards over the course of her career, the Guardian reports.
Our thoughts are with Stritch’s friends and family during this sad time. She will be missed by many.
One of those who will certainly not forget Stritch is Girls creator Lena Dunham, who took to Twitter to pay tribute to the late actress.
Ditch the Plus 1: Four prime time stars going stag to the Emmys >>
“Here’s to the lady who lunched,” Dunham wrote, referring to a Broadway song Stritch was known for, “The Ladies Who Lunch”.
“Elaine Stritch, we love you. May your heaven be a booze-soaked, no-pants solo show at the Carlyle. Thank you,” she continued.
Here's to the lady who lunched: Elaine Stritch, we love you. May your heaven be a booze-soaked, no-pants solo show at the Carlyle. Thank you
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) July 17, 2014
Leave a Comment