Linda Lavin

Biography

Linda Lavin was an American actress and singer who built a long career on stage and television. Born in Portland, Maine, she began performing as a child and later studied acting at HB Studio before joining the Compass Players in the late 1950s. Her Broadway work included a Tony Award for playing Kate in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound in 1987, along with several further Tony nominations. On television she became known as the title waitress in the CBS sitcom Alice, which ran from 1976 to 1985 and brought her two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy nomination. Later she had recurring roles in The Good Wife and B Positive. Her film debut came in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), and she also appeared in See You in the Morning (1989), The Back-up Plan (2010) and Being the Ricardos (2021). She died in 2024.

87years old at death

Born October 15, 1937Portland
Died December 29, 2024Los Angeles
Star sign: LibraThe sign runs September 23 to October 22

Movie Career

Films: 14
Career span: 38 years1984 to 2022

Genres

Comedy64%, 9 films
Drama50%, 7 films
Romance36%, 5 films
Crime21%, 3 films
Family21%, 3 films

First and latest

Photos

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Beyond film
Off-Broadway work kept Lavin busy: she was in the revue Wet Paint in 1965, then in the musical The Mad Show a year later, where she introduced the cabaret standard "The Boy From...", written by Stephen Sondheim and Mary Rodgers.
First role
In the summer of 1958, Lavin took a lead role in The Common Glory, an outdoor drama by Paul Green staged at an amphitheater on campus. By the time she graduated from college, she already had her Actors' Equity Association card.

Linda Lavin movies on Netflix

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules2022IMDb rating 5.2as Barb (voice)
Being the Ricardos2021IMDb rating 6.5as Madelyn Pugh - Older (70's)
Naked Singularity2021IMDb rating 4.9as Judge Cymbeline
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase2019IMDb rating 5.7as Flora
Betty White: First Lady of Television2018IMDb rating 7.8as Himself
How to Be a Latin Lover2017IMDb rating 6.0as Millicent
Manhattan Night2016IMDb rating 6.2as Norma Segal
My Bakery in Brooklyn2016IMDb rating 4.6as Isabelle
The Intern2015IMDb rating 7.1as Patty
A Short History of Decay2014IMDb rating 5.8as Sandy Fisher
Wanderlust2012IMDb rating 5.6as Shari Selman
The Back-up Plan2010IMDb rating 5.3as Nana
See You in the Morning1989IMDb rating 5.8as Sidney
The Muppets Take Manhattan1984IMDb rating 6.9as Kermit's Doctor

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Intern2015 Comedyas Patty
IMDb rating 7.1315K votes
Being the Ricardos2021 Biography, Dramaas Madelyn Pugh - Older (70's)
IMDb rating 6.548K votes
Manhattan Night2016as Norma Segal
IMDb rating 6.215K votes
Wanderlust2012as Shari Selman
IMDb rating 5.683K votes
How to Be a Latin Lover2017as Millicent
IMDb rating 6.019K votes
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase2019as Flora
IMDb rating 5.76.0K votes
The Back-up Plan2010as Nana
IMDb rating 5.355K votes
Naked Singularity2021as Judge Cymbeline
IMDb rating 4.93.4K votes

Worked with

Linda Lavin shares three films with Michaela Watkins, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Michaela Watkins

Robert De Niro

J.K. Simmons

Jeff Bridges

Nicole Kidman

Edward AsnerNancy MeyersDirector, 1 film

David WainDirector, 1 film

Alan PoulDirector, 1 film

Films together

Michaela Watkins3 films together, 2010 to 2017
Michaela Watkins's page
- How to Be a Latin Lover2017IMDb rating 6.0Lavin as MillicentWatkins as Gwen
- Wanderlust2012IMDb rating 5.6Lavin as Shari SelmanWatkins as Marisa Gergenblatt
- The Back-up Plan2010IMDb rating 5.3Lavin as NanaWatkins as Mona
Robert De Niro1 film together, 2015
Robert De Niro's page
- The Intern2015IMDb rating 7.1Lavin as PattyNiro as Ben
J.K. Simmons1 film together, 2021
J.K. Simmons's page
- Being the Ricardos2021IMDb rating 6.5Lavin as Madelyn Pugh - Older (70's)Simmons as William Frawley
Jeff Bridges1 film together, 1989
Jeff Bridges's page
- See You in the Morning1989IMDb rating 5.8Lavin as SidneyBridges as Larry Livingstone
Nicole Kidman1 film together, 2021
Nicole Kidman's page
- Being the Ricardos2021IMDb rating 6.5Lavin as Madelyn Pugh - Older (70's)Kidman as Lucille Ball
Edward Asner1 film together, 2022
Edward Asner's page
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules2022IMDb rating 5.2Lavin as BarbvoiceAsner as Grandpavoice
Nancy MeyersDirector, 1 film, 2015
All films by Nancy Meyers
- The Intern2015IMDb rating 7.1Lavin as Patty
David WainDirector, 1 film, 2012
All films by David Wain
- Wanderlust2012IMDb rating 5.6Lavin as Shari Selman
Alan PoulDirector, 1 film, 2010
All films by Alan Poul
- The Back-up Plan2010IMDb rating 5.3Lavin as Nana

Awards

Seven awards and honors from 1965 to 1995, four of them major.

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Linda Lavin's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Golden Globes
1980	Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy	Alice	Won
1979	Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy	Alice	Won
1978	Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy	Alice	Won
Tony Awards
1987	Best Actress in a Play		Won
Other honors
1995	Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress		Won
1965	Theatre World Award		Won
	Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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