Carlin Glynn, the Tony Award-winning actress best known for her work in Sixteen Candles and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, has died. She was 83. Glynn’s daughter, Mary Stuart Masterson, broke the news that her mother had died on July 13 following a battle with dementia and cancer, sharing a throwback photo with her late mother on Instagram.
“On Thursday, July 13th, my mother, Carlin Glynn Masterson, passed away. I was with her. I will always be grateful for those last moments, no matter how hard. Death is like birth in the oddest way. From my first breath to her last. This thread is as fragile as it is strong,” Masterson wrote alongside her post. “She was the most graceful clumsy person you would ever meet. Strong, smart, silly, intuitive, kind, generous, passionate and a deep listener. She was devoted to my father and to the enormous circle of students and collaborators who were considered her chosen family.”
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Masterson’s post also included a photo of a poem and a picture of her mom and brother at Glynn’s 80th birthday party. “The stanza is from Seamus Heaney’s poem, Clearances,” she continued. “The last photo is from her 80th birthday party, before the worst of dementia and cancer took their toll. She never lost her sense of joy or wonder. The silly guy pictured with her is my dear brother @seppisigh Rest in peace, mommy.”
The Good Wife‘s Julianna Margulies was quick to offer her sympathies in the comments. “So very sorry for your loss!” she wrote. “When I lost my dad a friend told me that it doesn’t matter how old you are when you [lose] a parent, you feel unmoored for a while and you have to find your anchor. I loved that analogy. Sending you much love.” Broadway’s Norbert Leo Butz chimed in, “I’m so sorry Mary Stuart. I only met her a couple of times but her light was radiant. She was an incredible actor. Sending so much.”
Glynn made her on-screen debut in the 1975 film Three Days of the Condor before making the move to Broadway, where she played Mona Stangley in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Glynn would go on to win a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress for her performance in 1979 before ultimately going on to reprise the role on Broadway with husband Peter Masterson at the helm as the director in the 1980s.
Glynn is perhaps best known for her role in the 1984 hit film Sixteen Candles, in which she played Brenda Baker, the mother of Sam Baker, Molly Ringwald’s character. Glynn also had a number of other roles on Law & Order Criminal Intent, Mr. President, and A Woman Named Jackie. The actress is survived by her three children, Mary, Peter and Alexandra.ย
