Beloved Alice star dies at 87

Sad news for the world of television today, as beloved actress Linda Lavin has passed away at the age of 87.

The news comes as a shock to fans, as Lavin was more active than ever in the weeks leading up to her death.

In addition to promoting his recent Netflix series No good deedLinda was filming another sitcom, Mid-Century Modernfor Hulu.

Linda Lavin's cause of death revealed

According to sources familiar with the matter, Lavin died Sunday after a short battle with cancer.

The first report of his death came thanks to Deadline. The outlet revealed that Linda “died unexpectedly due to complications from recently discovered lung cancer.”

News of Lavin's death instantly made her name a trending topic on X (formerly Twitter), where she received thousands of tributes from co-stars, friends and a legion of adoring fans.

An epic career

Although best known for her work as the title character on the 1970s sitcom AliceLinda has racked up dozens of notable film and television roles over nearly 60 years in the industry.

She was also a favorite of theater directors, winning a Tony in 1987 for her work in Neil Simon's play. Broadway bound.

More recently, Lavin has had regular roles on a number of network sitcoms, including Sean saves the world, 9JKLAnd B Positive.

But for millions of fans, Linda's most indelible work will always be her role in Alice.

One of the most beloved sitcoms of the 70s and 80s, the series was based on the Martin Scorsese film. Alice no longer lives here.

The success of Alice derived largely from Lavin's ability to make the audience laugh while bringing enormous amounts of heart and humanity to her role as a widowed single mother who takes a job at a restaurant.

And based on the tributes from those who knew her best, Linda Lavin brought the same warmth and humor to her personal life as well.

Everyone loves Raymond Star Patricia Heaton summed up the feelings of so many others when she tweeted:

“I just heard the news of the passing of my dear friend Linda Lavin. Totally unexpected, even at 87 years old. A true friend and a total force of nature.

Our thoughts are with Linda's loved ones during this extremely difficult time.