Nicolai Haugsted
Groundbreaking TV actress Louise Lasser dies peacefully at 87.
Hollywood has lost one of its most distinctive television and film performers.
Louise Lasser, the Emmy-nominated actress best known for starring in the groundbreaking television series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, has died at the age of 87. According to multiple U.S. outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter, she passed away peacefully at her home in Manhattan on Monday.
Her longtime friend Susan Charlotte confirmed the news.
Career spanned decades
Lasser built a career that stretched across more than half a century, earning widespread recognition for her portrayal of Mary Hartman in the satirical 1970s series that became a cultural phenomenon and brought her an Emmy nomination.
Although television made her a household name, her résumé extended far beyond one role.
Moviegoers also saw her in productions including Frankenhooker, The Night We Never Met, Mystery Men and the acclaimed medical drama St. Elsewhere. Her final screen appearance came in 2022 with the film Funny Pages, according to IMDb. Several years earlier, she appeared in three episodes of Lena Dunham’s HBO series Girls, portraying the artist Beadie.
Marriage to Woody Allen
Lasser married filmmaker Woody Allen in 1966.
The marriage lasted four years before ending in divorce, but their professional collaboration continued afterward. Between 1966 and 1980, she appeared in five of Allen’s films, including Take the Money and Run (1969) and Bananas (1971), helping establish herself as a familiar face in his early body of work.
Throughout her career, Lasser became known for her unconventional screen presence and ability to move effortlessly between comedy and drama.
Her performances left a lasting mark on both television and film, while her work continued well into her eighties.
