‘Arrested Development’ Star Jessica Walter Dies At 80

Jessica Walter, the award-winning actress best known for her role as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development and the voice of Malory Archer in Archer, passed away Wednesday in her sleep at home in New York City.

She was 80.

Walter is survived by daughter Brooke Bowman, who is SVP Drama Programming at Fox Entertainment, and grandson Micah Heymann.

According to a statement from CNN, Bowman said, “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica. A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class, and overall joie de vivre.”

Born in New York City, Walter was a force on both stage and screen. She began her career appearing in numerous Broadway productions including Advise and Consent, Neil Simon’s Rumors, A Severed Head, and Photo Finish, for which she earned the Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Newcomer.

She worked at New York’s Playwright’s Horizons and Los Angeles Theatre Center, where she starred in Tartuffe opposite the late Rob Leibman, her Emmy- and Tony-winning husband, and also starred in the Broadway revival of Anything Goes, which she picked up several Tony Awards.

Walter went on to play roles in films like Grand Prix and Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play Misty for Me, and appeared in several television series over the years, including Trapper John, M.D., Streets of San Francisco, and Amy Prentiss, which all earned her Emmy nominations.

It was her recent roles as Lucille Bluth and Malory Archer that expanded Walter’s fanbase.

Tributes to Walter poured in on social media after the news of her death broke.

“This is so incredibly sad,” Director Paul Feig tweeted. “I loved Jessica so much. She was so funny and marched to the tune of her own drummer. A true original whom I had the honor of working with several times. So much love to you, Jessica. Rest In Peace.”

This is so incredibly sad. I loved Jessica so much. She was so funny and marched to the tune of her own drummer. A true original whom I had the honor of working with several times. So much love to you, Jessica. Rest In Peace. ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/Sm0tqvE4Os

— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) March 25, 2021

Arrested Development co-star Jason Bateman tweeted, “R. I. P. Jessica Walter. What an incredible career, filled with amazing performances. I will forever remember my time with her, watching her bring Lucille Bluth to life. She was one of a kind. All my love and thoughts to her family.”

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

Photos Courtesy of Social Media