Jessica Walter, ‘Arrested Development’ Star, Dead at 80

Actress Jessica Walter has died at age 80, passing away in her sleep at her home in New York City on March 24, Deadline reports. Walter’s death was confirmed by her daughter, Brooke Bowman, who is SVP Drama programming at Fox Entertainment. Walter is also survived by her grandson Micah Heymann.

“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica,” Bowman said. “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.” Walter is known for her roles in a number of films including Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut Play Misty for Me and Grand Prix and shows like Trapper John M.D., as well as her role as Lucille Bluth on the sitcom Arrested Development. She also voiced Malory Archer on FX’s animated series Archer.

Walter was born in Brooklyn and studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. She began her career on stage, winning the Clarence Derwent Award in 1963 for Outstanding Debut Broadway Performance for Photo Finish, before earning roles in a number of television shows as well as movies. Fans today most likely know her best from Archer or Arrested Development, which premiered in 2003 and starred Walter as scheming matriarch Lucille Bluth.

“I’m nothing like Lucille. Nothing,” she told Entertainment Weekly in 2005. “My daughter will tell you. I’m really a very nice, boring person.” Explaining that good comedy is born from truth and desperation, Walter said she doesn’t “even question half the things Lucille does, because if that’s how desperate she is, it makes perfect sense,” adding, “there’s a lot of love in our show. If there weren’t, I don’t think it would be palatable.”

She was nominated for Emmy Awards for her work on Trapper John M.D. and Streets of San Francisco as well as Arrested Development, for which she also earned two SAG Awards nominations. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her work on the short-lived television series Amy Prentiss.

Walter was married to Ross Bowman from 1966-1978, and the couple shares daughter Brooke. In 1983, Walter married actor Ron Leibman and they remained married until his death in 2019. In lieu of flowers, Walter’s family asks that donations be made to Guide Dogs for the Blind.