View Full Version : Valerie Harper dies: Emmy-winning Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda star was 80


TMC
08-30-2019, 07:52 PM
https://abc7.com/entertainment/actress-valerie-harper-dies-at-80-family-says/5503817/

Harper, who died this morning a week after her 80th birthday, won four Emmys and one Golden Globe playing the neurotic Rhoda Morgenstern on Mary Tyler Moore and spinoff Rhoda -- three Emmys for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy and one Emmy for lead actress in a comedy. The cause of her death wasn't immediately disclosed. In 2009, Harper was diagnosed with lung cancer. In 2013, she was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. But she was able to beat the odds and compete on Dancing with the Stars in 2014. Last month, a GoFundMe campaign was established (https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/07/18/valerie-harper-gofundme-created-ease-medical-costs-amid-cancer-fight/1764860001/) to help Harper and her husband, producer/actor Tony Cacciotti, take care of medical bills. "A beautiful woman, a wonderful actress, a great friend and with balls bigger than mine," tweeted Ed Asner (https://twitter.com/TheOnlyEdAsner/status/1167571396811083776), Harper's Mary Tyler Moore co-star. "Her brilliance burst through and shined its light upon all of us. Goodnight beautiful. I’ll see you soon." Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal (https://twitter.com/PhilRosenthal/status/1167576913080008705) added: "One of our all-time favorites has passed. Wonderful, funny, lovely, supportive and a huge influence on and off stage, we love you, Valerie."

Sonny Carson
08-30-2019, 07:59 PM
https://abc7.com/entertainment/actress-valerie-harper-dies-at-80-family-says/5503817/

Harper, who died this morning a week after her 80th birthday, won four Emmys and one Golden Globe playing the neurotic Rhoda Morgenstern on Mary Tyler Moore and spinoff Rhoda -- three Emmys for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy and one Emmy for lead actress in a comedy. The cause of her death wasn't immediately disclosed. In 2009, Harper was diagnosed with lung cancer. In 2013, she was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. But she was able to beat the odds and compete on Dancing with the Stars in 2014. Last month, a GoFundMe campaign was established (https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/07/18/valerie-harper-gofundme-created-ease-medical-costs-amid-cancer-fight/1764860001/) to help Harper and her husband, producer/actor Tony Cacciotti, take care of medical bills. "A beautiful woman, a wonderful actress, a great friend and with balls bigger than mine," tweeted Ed Asner (https://twitter.com/TheOnlyEdAsner/status/1167571396811083776), Harper's Mary Tyler Moore co-star. "Her brilliance burst through and shined its light upon all of us. Goodnight beautiful. I’ll see you soon." Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal (https://twitter.com/PhilRosenthal/status/1167576913080008705) added: "One of our all-time favorites has passed. Wonderful, funny, lovely, supportive and a huge influence on and off stage, we love you, Valerie."
She was excellent on ‘Mary Tyler Moore’, great on ‘Rhoda’, and the tv show ‘Valarie’ was much better with her on it, R.I.P.!

JSP
08-30-2019, 08:15 PM
R.I.P. :(

TMC
08-31-2019, 08:12 PM
Deep down, Valerie Harper's Rhoda Morgenstern knew she was cool (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2019-08-30/valerie-harper-rhoda-morgenstern-cool-appreciation)

"Rhoda was, ostensibly, Mary’s sad-sack neighbor turned friend, but that was just a ruse," says Mary McNamara in an appreciation of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda star, who died Friday at age 80 after battling cancer. "Mary, the career gal come to the big city, may have been the lead, but Rhoda had all the best lines — 'Rhoda, chocolate solves nothing.' 'No, cottage cheese solves nothing; chocolate can do it all.' — a deadpan delivery, killer cheekbones, a wardrobe to die for and a bedroom, crowned with an 'etc.' plaque, that any young woman would (still) envy. Urban Outfitters, if I am not mistaken, bases at least 80% of its women’s apparel and decor selections on the fashion of Rhoda Morgenstern. (Seriously, check out Rhoda’s clothes rack.) Rhoda was frank, she was loyal, she was smart, and she was hilarious. One of the great door-openers of TV’s last golden — and very dependent on door-opening — age, she often entered a scene with some tale of wry woe. Her job, her love life, her mother, 'that Phyllis' (Cloris Leachman). Her life was a mess, a punchline. Whaddya gonna do? But if Rhoda’s jokes were often at her own expense, Harper told them in a way that made it clear Rhoda was only stating the facts and the facts didn’t really bother her that much. An imperfect life was OK too, and if you keep your expectations low, anything good is a wonderful surprise. Deep down, Rhoda knew she was cool."

ALSO:

James L. Brooks, who co-created The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda, honors Valerie Harper (https://twitter.com/canyonjim/status/1167832296575004673): "Valerie Harper could be in a room, at the height of it all, with people wanting to pay her tribute, and she would automatically find and go to anyone who seemed to be lonely or uncomfortable & engage them thoroughly & honestly," he tweeted. "Such was her basic humanity always. Bless her soul."
Inside Valerie Harper's friendship with Mary Tyler Moore (https://people.com/tv/valerie-harper-friendship-with-mary-tyler-moore/)

lakesgirl
09-02-2019, 12:09 PM
RIP Valerie Harper. :(

Lee
09-30-2019, 10:01 PM
I was not aware that Valerie had died until I saw a video of celebrities who died in August
2019 on Youtube. Rest in peace, Valerie!