Netflix is paying tribute to Jessica Walter after the beloved actress and Arrested Development star died Wednesday at the age of 80 in her sleep at her New York City home. Daughter Brooke Bowman announced her mother’s passing in a statement Thursday, saying Walter will be remembered for her “wit, class and overall joie de vivre.”
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica,” her statement reads, as per Deadline. “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.”
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Netflix chimed in with its own remembrance of the star as “unmistakable” with an “undeniable” talent. “Rest in peace, legend,” the streaming giant concluded its tribute. The tweet was met with similar sentiments from Walter’s fans: “This one really hurts my heart,” one person wrote, as another replied, “LEGEND. I am so heartbroken. Jessica Walter was amazing.” Other users shared GIFs and images from her roles as Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development and Malory Archer on Archer.
Her voice was unmistakable. Her talent was undeniable.
Thank you for sharing your gifts with us Jessica Walter. Rest in peace, legend. pic.twitter.com/cleCoiXCCL
โ Netflix (@netflix) March 25, 2021
Walter’s career spanned more than 60 years and included everything from her standout role in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play Misty for Me, and The Flamingo Kid to her Emmy-nominated performances on Trapper John M..D. and Streets of San Francisco. Walter was also nominated for another Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role as the Bluth family matriarch on the cult comedy Arrested Development and won an Emmy for her starring role in Amy Prentiss, the Ironside spinoff which followed a young police detective in the mid-1970s. Stretching her voice acting talents, Walter also starred opposite H. Jon Benjamin in FXX’s animated series Archer as the titular character’s overbearing mother.
Walter’s Arrested Development co-star Tony Hale, who played Buster Bluth, paid tribute to his on-screen mother on Twitter after news of her passing broke, calling her a “force” in every way. Walter’s family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
She was a force, and her talent and timing were unmatched. Rest In Peace Mama Bluth. pic.twitter.com/wJeOeJleR3
โ Tony Hale (@MrTonyHale) March 25, 2021