‘Cheers’ Cliff Clavin’s Mom Dead: Frances Sternhagen Was 93

Legendary actor Frances Sternhagen has died at 93. The Tony-winning actress, best known as Cliff Clavin’s mother, Esther, on the popular sitcom , died of natural causes, her son, John Carlin, announced on Instagram. “Frannie. Mom. Frances Sternhagen,” Carlin began. “On Monday night, Nov 27, she died peacefully at her home, a month and a half shy of her 94th birthday. I will post more soon, but for now I just want to give thanks for the remarkable gift of an artist and human being that was Frances Sternhagen.”

“She was beloved by many,” Carlin continued. “I’m very lucky I was able to call her my mom, my friend, my song and dance partner. We were together last week, and we spoke Monday afternoon, said how much we loved and missed one another. I was about to board a plane for London when I got the news, and am there now. Set to perform some new songs (one of which was inspired by her) this weekend. She always encouraged my writing, and enjoyed my singing. I’ll fly back very early the next day.”

Born on Jan. 13, 1930 in Washington, D.C., Frances Sternhagen made her acting debut on the anthology drama Westinghouse Studio One in 1956. Throughout the years, she appeared on Love of Life, The Doctors, Law & Order, The Simpsons, and Parenthood. Along with Cheers, Sternhagen portrayed Millicent Carter, Dr. John Carter’s grandmother, on the medical drama from 1997 to 2003. She also did multi-episode stints on Sex and the City and The Closer, among many, many others. On the film side, Sternhagen appeared in Independence Day, Misery, Doc Hollywood, Raising Cain, The Mist, Dolphin Tale, and And So It Goes, which was her last acting role in 2014.

Along with her TV and film roles, Sternhagen was also a force to be reckoned with in theater. She starred in over two dozen on- and off-Broadway shows, including The Skin of Our Teeth, A Doll’s House, The Cocktail Party, All Over, Enemies, On Golden Pond, You Can’t Take It with You, Steel Magnolias, Seascape, and The Madrid.

She won two Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a Play; she won in 1973 for The Good Doctor and again in 1995 for The Heiress. She won a Saturn Award in 1981 for Best Supporting Actress for sci-fi thriller Outland. Sternhagen had a number of other nominations for the Tony Awards, Saturn Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and Primetime Emmys.

As John Carlin ended his Instagram post, “Fly on, Frannie. The curtain goes down on a life so richly, passionately, humbly and generously lived.”