Jan 25, 2017: TV Legend Mary Tyler Moore Dies at 80
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Mary Tyler Moore
She could turn the world on with her smile. And so much more. Mary Tyler Moore, one of the most respected and influential actresses in television history, died January 25, 2017, in Connecticut. Moore, who rose to fame in The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66) and then with her own groundbreaking sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77) was 80. The cause of death was cardiopulmonary arrest due to pneumonia.
The seven-time Emmy winner had long battled diabetes and underwent brain surgery in 2011.
A representative issued this statement: “Today, beloved icon, Mary Tyler Moore, passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr. S. Robert Levine. A groundbreaking actress, producer, and passionate advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile.”
Mary Tyler Moore, who always used her birth name professionally, was born December 29, 1936 in Brooklyn, N.Y. She grew up first in Flushing, Queens, and then Los Angeles, where her family moved when she was 8 years old. Moore’s first show business experience came as a dancer—she got work on TV commercials in the 1950s, and minor roles on TV programs until, in 1961, she began gaining the attention of casting agents and the TV appearances rolled in.
That year, Carl Reiner cast Moore in The Dick Van Dyke Show as Laura Petrie, the wife of Van Dyke’s character Rob Petrie, a writer for a TV sitcom.
Van Dyke tweeted this tribute…
There are no words.
She was THE BEST!
We always said that we changed each other’s lives for the better.
I… https://t.co/Xm8OBbQQ8j— Dick Van Dyke (@iammrvandy) January 26, 2017
Related: Carl Reiner died in 2020
The program was a huge hit, winning Moore stardom and an Emmy, but Reiner decided to call it a day after five seasons.
#marytylermoore I shall miss you. We had remarkable & unforgettable experiences along with @carlreiner & @iammrvandy. Rest well my friend. pic.twitter.com/GfIPdHrqEs
— Rose Marie-Official (@RoseMarie4Real) January 25, 2017
Related: Later that same year, Rose Marie also died
Moore was far from finished though: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a half-hour sitcom that revolved around her life as a single woman with a career in a TV newsroom, was groundbreaking, portraying its lead character, Mary Richards, as an independent single working woman more than able to stand up to her gruff boss, Lou Grant (played by Ed Asner).
A great lady I loved and owe so much to has left us. I will miss her. I will never be able to repay her for the blessings that she gave me.
— Ed Asner (@TheOnlyEdAsner) January 25, 2017
Related: Asner died in 2021
Mary Tyler Moore in the ’60s
Other stars on the program, including Betty White, Ted Knight, Valerie Harper, Gavin MacLeod and Cloris Leachman, saw their own fame skyrocket due to their involvement with the show. Some later starred in their own spinoff shows based on their MTM Show characters, including Asner, whose Lou Grant continued the newsroom motif.
Related: Betty White was mourned when she passed just days before her 100th birthday
The Mary Tyler Moore Show became one of the most successful, influential and critically acclaimed sitcoms in television history, winning 29 Emmy Awards in all, including three consecutively for Outstanding Comedy Series (1975–77). By its final year, however, the program’s ratings had begun to slip. The show was canceled and although there were specials and reunions later on, it was never fully revived.
Moore remained active throughout the rest of her life, starring in other shows that attempted to rekindle the success of The Mary Tyler Moore Show but could not. She appeared in several Broadway plays and in films (she had once co-starred with Elvis Presley, playing a nun in 1969’s Change of Habit).
Watch the trailer from Change of Habit, which co-starred Moore alongside Elvis Presley
Watch Joan Jett perform “Love is All Around,” the theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Watch the opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
It was her performance in 1980’s Ordinary People that finally brought her serious recognition as a film actress; she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the drama.
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationThe ratings did not decline in the last season. The show won Emmy award for Best Comedy Series. Mary Tyler Moore decided to end the series; the show was not cancelled by CBS.