This is a sad news.
Valerie Harper, the actress best known for playing outspoken neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern from 1970 to 1978 on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff Rhoda, died Friday.
She was 80.
The news came from Harper’s husband Tony Cacciotti was posted on Twitter by their daughter, actress Cristina Cacciotti.
My dad has asked me to pass on this message: “My beautiful caring wife of nearly 40 years has passed away at 10:06am, after years of fighting cancer.
She will never, ever be forgotten. Rest In Peace, mia Valeria. -Anthony.”
— Cris (@cristicacci) August 30, 2019
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According to The Wrap, Harper had been battling brain cancer since 2013.
She was best known for portraying groundbreaking sitcom character Rhoda Morgenstern, Mary Richards’ witty, edgy and loving neighbor on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the early 1970s, before starring in Rhoda, the sitcom’s spinoff which ran from 1974 to 1978.
Rhoda was considered a feminist at the time. On Mary Tyler Moore, she was a single woman trying to balance her career (window dressing) and love life. Rhoda would find love and marry on her sitcom, but her on-screen marriage would collapse and end in divorce.
Along the way, Rhoda dealt with issues like weight and self-confidence. Harper won four Emmys for the role.
In addition, Harper starred on the hit NBC sitcom Valerie for two seasons. After the 1987 season, Harper left due to a salary dispute. She was replaced by Sandy Duncan and the show’s title was changed to Valerie’s Family.
Harper would go onto sue and win a 1.4 million judgment against production company Lorimar, which she donated to charity.
The show was eventually renamed again as The Hogan Family, and lasted 6 seasons, ending in 1991.
Harper was an activist in real-life and a vocal advocate of the Equal Rights Amendment.
She is survived by her husband Tony Cacciotti and their daughter, actress Cristina Cacciotti.
Source: The Wrap
