Mary Tyler Moore, TV trailblazer in slacks, dies at 80
MARY Tyler Moore, the comedy actress who revolutionised the role of television housewives, died yesterday aged 80.
The acclaimed comedienne captured the hearts of millions of viewers in the 1960s sitcom The dick Van dyke show and the eponymous The Mary Tyler Moore show in the 1970s.
Moore emerged on screen at a time when actresses were traditionally cast as housewives – but with her fashionable trousers and Jackie Kennedy-style hair, she became heralded by Time Magazine as one of women who ‘changed television’ for ever.
The American actress fought a long battle with illness, having being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes aged 33 in 1966, the same year of the last season in which she played Laura Petrie on The dick Van dyke show.
she went on to play the groundbreaking role of Mary richards on The Mary Tyler Moore show from 1970 to 1977, where she portrayed a single career woman working in a Minneapolis TV newsroom determined to make a success of herself. it won 29 emmys, a record that stood for a quarter century until Frasier broke it in 2002.
The actress died in a connecticut hospital in the company of friends and her third husband, robert Levine, her publicist Mara Buxbaum announced, adding: ‘Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile.’
stars were quick to pay tribute, including veteran talk show host Larry King who tweeted: ‘Mary Tyler Moore was a dear friend and a truly great person. A fighter. rest in peace, MTM.’ George Takei, who played Mr sulu in star Trek, called her a ‘role model’.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Moore moved to Los Angeles when she was eight years old and started her career in showbusiness as a dancer aged 17. her first TV job came when she played an elf in a 1955 hotpoint advert.
That same year, the aspiring actress married 27-year-old dick Meeker, a cranberry products salesman. For Moore, the marriage was a ticket out of an unhappy household where she had a devoutly catholic father, an alcoholic mother and a neighbour who sexually abused her when she was young.
in 1961 Moore’s career began to take off as she landed the role of Laura Petrie, the suburban New York wife. she was only 23, but the chemistry with Van dyke made her millions of fans who loved their humorous portrayal of a married couple.
After that show ended, in 1967 Moore played opposite Julie Andrews in the film musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. Then came the Mary Tyler Moore show, which began in september 1970 and earned Moore five emmy awards over its seven-year run.
it was described as being ‘revolutionary’ in the way that women were portrayed on the small screen. Mary richards was a single woman who was not divorced or widowed, but ‘determined to make it on her own’.
While onscreen she had found a way to play the happy housewife and mother, in real life she was stalked by tragedy and persistent health problems.
The Tony Award-winning star was open about her fight against diabetes. she had several laser surgeries to help treat her deteriorating vision, and also had brain surgery in 2011 to remove a benign tumour.
she outlived her only child, a son called richard from her first marriage, who died aged 24 of a selfinflicted gunshot wound.
After her early marriage to Meeker ended in 1961, she married NBc programmer Grant Tinker, but later said he was more a father figure than a husband.
in 1978, the actress’s 21-year-old sister died from an overdose of drugs and alcohol.
in 1980 she earned rave reviews and a best actress oscar nomination for ordinary People, directed by robert redford, in which she played a cold mother coping with an unhappy family. redford said the performance had allowed her to show her ‘dark side’. in 1983 she married robert Levine, a cardiologist 18 years her junior. Battling what she called ‘a social drinking habit’, she checked into a Betty Ford clinic in 1984.
despite the challenges, she threw her energies into supporting animal rights, and was a long-time vegetarian. in 1995 Moore revealed that cosmetic surgery helped her cope with life, saying: ‘i like to think of (the surgery) as staying fit. And if it can keep my face up where it belongs, then i will go to a doctor and get his assistance.’
she declared in 1997 that it was a ‘great feeling’ that her shows had been so revered, adding: ‘i have no children now, but i know i touched lives in a very strong way, both comedically and aesthetically.’
When she found herself unable to sleep, she would sometimes watch old episodes of her own shows, saying: ‘They have a lesson, small ones and happy ones. They give you hope that there’s a better future.’
Last night tributes from celebrity fans flooded in, with some praising her role in changing the portrayal of women on screen.
Timothy hutton, her co-star in ordinary People, said: ‘i am deeply saddened by the news of Mary’s passing. she was a truly amazing person, a great friend, and an inspiration to all.
‘i will always be grateful for her kindness and thankful beyond words for knowing her. she will be missed greatly.’
TV host ellen deGeneres tweeted: ‘Mary Tyler Moore changed the
‘Determined to make it on her own’ ‘Give you hope of a better future’
world for all women. i send my love to her family.’ Fellow actor Ben stiller wrote: ‘i loved Mary Tyler Moore on so many levels it was confusing. such a huge part of our culture and consciousness. sending love to her family.’
Film director Kevin smith praised her campaign work, tweeting: ‘TV [and] film star, tireless defender of animals, and scourge of diabetes. Truly she turned the world on with her smile.’
And Matt sharp, founding member of rock band Weezer, who mentioned the actress in their hit song Buddy holly, tweeted: ‘Never met her, but Mary Tyler Moore sent each one of us a signed pic at Buddy holly’s peak. it was as sweet as it was surreal.’
in 2012, dick Van dyke said working with the ‘beautiful, bright and talented’ Moore was ‘an effortless piece of cake’.