TV icon Mary Tyler Moore dies
Television great Mary Tyler Moore, the beloved star of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, died Wednesday in Connecticut, her publicist confirmed. She was 80.
The vivacious brunette performer transformed the image of women on television first as Van Dyke's sexy, vulnerable wife Laura Petrie and then as single career girl Mary Richards in her own series. Her work in the two series brought Moore five Emmy Awards, in 1965, 1966, 1973, 1974 and 1976. She won another Emmy for 1993 TV special “Stolen Babies”. She combined wholesomeness and sex appeal with cracker-jack comedic timing. In many ways Moore was a throwback to Hollywood golden era leading ladies like Myrna Loy and Jean Arthur, but with a decidedly updated twist.
Moore was also a powerhouse producer via her MTM production company with then-husband Grant Tinker.
Her role as Laura Petrie, the suburban wife of comedy writer Rob Petrie, also represented a step forward for the portrayal of women on television. Though they maintained separate beds, the Petries otherwise shared an active, romantic marital life. The series made Moore a star, and she worked on films under contract at Universal. With the exception of “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, in which she played third fiddle to Julie Andrews and the scene-stealing Carol Channing, the studio's attempts to fashion her in the Doris Day mold was unsuccessful. Moore also tried her hand at the Broadway stage, co-starring with Richard Chamberlain in David Merrick's musical version of Truman Capote's “Breakfast at Tiffany's”.
With the help of her second husband, producer Tinker, and creators James L Brooks and Allan Burns, she fashioned a new series, “Mary Tyler Moore”, which debuted on CBS in 1970 and revolutionised the sitcom. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” won the Emmy for comedy show three years in a row, was named as one of the most influential TV shows of all time on numerous lists, and was one of the first shows to tackle issues including equal pay for women, divorce, infidelity, homosexuality, premarital sex, and infertility.
On TV, she carved a niche for herself in TV movies, most notably the breast cancer tale “First You Cry” and the miniseries “Lincoln”. She drew Emmy nominations for both. There was also “Finnegan Begin Again,” “Heartsounds” and “Just Between Friends”, which brought her good reviews and award recognition. Moore continued in TV movies during the 2000s, including the sentimental “Miss Lettie and Me,” and guest-starred on series including “That '70s Show”, “Lipstick Jungle” and “Hot in Cleveland”.
Moore received the SAG lifetime achievement award in 2012 from Dick Van Dyke.
Source: Variety