Tributes for Linda Lavin pour in after the Tony-award winner and star of Alice dies at age 87

Sarah Paulson and Patricia Heaton were among those to pay tribute to Broadway star and sitcom actress Linda Lavin following her death at the age of 87.

Paulson, 50, who starred opposite Lavin in Collected Stories on Broadway, posted a slew of selfies accompanied by sweet messages about the star.

“I love you forever,” she wrote alongside a photobooth shot of the duo.

She also included a photo of them taking their bows after a Collected Stories performance. “One of the greatest honors of my life,” Paulson noted. “(I wasn’t that good, she was brilliant),” she added.

One of the photos Paulson shared appeared to be taken at her recent 50th birthday party, which was attended by Lavin. She dated the photo on December 14, 2024.

“I love you so much,” Paulson wrote in the photo of her, Lavin and another friend.

Paulson added that Lavin “always showed up for me” when she shared a photo taken earlier this year.

Heaton, 66, starred opposite Lavin in the 1987 sitcom A Room For Two, praising the actress as a “true friend” and “total force of nature” as she went to X to mourn the loss

While A Room For Two, which Heaton described as her “first big TV” role, only lasted two seasons, their friendship endured and they even had dinner together a few months ago.

“I’m here in my basement looking through some old photos and came across some pictures of me and my dear friend Linda Lavin,” she said in the video. “She was such a legend. The first major role I played on television was playing her daughter in a short-lived but wonderful show called A Room For Two. She was my mentor, my guardian angel.

‘She really took care of me and taught me a lot. Not just about acting, but about life. And we had dinner a few months ago when I was in LA. And she was as sharp, funny and energetic as she always has been.

“And she died today,” she said before taking a long pause. ‘I’m going to miss her. She was a good friend.’

She posted the clip to Totally unexpected, even at the age of 87. A true friend and a total force of nature.”

Producer Liz Feldman, who worked with Lavin on No Good Deed and 9JKL, also paid tribute.

She shared a selfie of her with Lavin, followed by a No Good Deed cast photo and a long, sweet message praising the late star.

‘Oh sweet, brilliant, talented, beautiful @linda_lavin. It was an honor and a pleasure to ever work with you,” she captioned the post. ‘All those years ago I loved writing for you on 9JKL. I just loved YOU. Being near you. In your magnetic orbit. The fact that we were allowed to participate in No Good Deed again was simply a gift. You were, as always, incredibly kind, completely hilarious and perfect. Ready to play and full of life.

‘Your warmth and kindness were second to none. I just loved you. We all did that. I’m so glad I saw you at the premiere a few weeks ago and was able to introduce you to my parents. They were happy to meet you. And my dad made it very clear to me that you were his favorite part of No Good Deed. He wasn’t the only one who thought this way. Thank you for letting me into your amazing orbit. And that I could play with you for a while.’

Actor Joe Mantegna posted a selfie with Linda as he paid his respects.

“One of life’s rarest gifts is making a ‘new’ old friend. Linda Lavin was that for me and my family. Rest in peace, dear Linda,” he said.

Publicist Danny Deraney posted Alice’s pilot intro, as the actress recalled.

‘God’s Speed ​​Linda Lavin. I’ve always loved Alice and the theme song beat is amazing,” he tweeted.

Lavin, a beloved Broadway star and television actress, died unexpectedly due to complications from recently diagnosed lung cancer Term.

The news came as a shock as Lavin was still working this month.

Lavin was known for her award-winning and illustrious acting career in both arenas of Broadway and on television.

She is perhaps most recognized for her role in the 1976 sitcom Alice.

For her performance as the titular character over nine seasons, she was recognized and nominated for an Emmy Award.

She next starred in the 1986 play Broadway Bound and won a Tony for her performance.

Lavin’s entertainment career dates back to when she worked as a child theater actor.

She later performed on Broadway beginning in the 1960s, appearing in the musical It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman and in the play Last of the Red Hot Lovers.

For her performance on the latter Broadway stage, she earned her first of six Tony Award nominations in 1970.

She then took home her first win for her performance in Broadway Bound in 1987.

Her most recent Tony nomination was in 2012 for her performance in The Lyons.

Since her breakthrough on stage, she has continued to jump between performances on Broadway and in Hollywood.

Lavin appeared in television series from 1975 to 1976, including Barney Miller, as a roadside waitress.

She also portrayed a young widowed mother in the 1976 comedy series Alice, which ran for nine seasons and 202 episodes on CBS.

Over the past decade, she has had other major roles on television, appearing regularly on the NBC comedy series Sean Saves the World and on CBS’ 9JKL and B Positive.

This year, she stayed busy and guest-starred on CBS’ Elsbeth, had a recurring role on Netflix’s No Good Deed, and also worked on the upcoming Hulu show, Mid-Century Modern.

She filmed her most recent episode of the comedy series just a few weeks ago, per Deadline.

She made her last public appearance earlier this month when she walked the red carpet for the premiere of No Good Deed in Hollywood on December 4.