Jessica Walter, the award-winning actress whose career spanned five decades, passed away in her sleep at home in New York City on Wednesday, March 24. She was 80.
Walter is survived by daughter Brooke Bowman, who is SVP Drama Programming at Fox Entertainment, and grandson Micah Heymann.
Bowman said in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica. A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.”
Walter’s career included everything from an outstanding performance as the stalker in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play Misty for Me, to The Flamingo Kid and her Emmy-nominated turns on Trapper John M..D. and Streets of San Francisco. For her performance as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development, she earned an Emmy nomination (Outstanding Supporting Actress) and two SAG nominations.
Walter appeared in numerous Broadway productions including Advise and Consent, Neil Simon’s Rumors, A Severed Head, Nightlife and Photo Finish, for which she earned the Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Newcomer.
Walter won an Emmy starring in Amy Prentiss in the 1970s Ironside spin-off about a young San Francisco police detective.
She also appeared in The Benefactor Factor episode of Big bang Theory in 2011. Walter was the voice of Malory Archer in Archer (2009-2019) and Meteora Heinous in Star vs The Forces of Evil (2015-2018)
Walter served as 2nd National Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild, and was an elected member of the SAG Board of Directors for over a decade.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.