2 Broke Girls star Beth Behrs paid tribute to Rhoda star Valerie Harper on Friday, following the news of Harper’s death. Harper died on Friday morning after a battle with a rare form of brain cancer. Behrs called working with The Mary Tyler Moore Show legend one of the highlights of her career.
View this post on Instagram
“Getting to share the screen with Valerie Harper on [2 Broke Girls] was one of the highlights of my career so far,” Behrs wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo with Harper. “Not only was she hilarious on camera and off, I’ll never forget our talks off camera about love and life and the power of our minds and natural healing to overcome medical illness. Thank you for touching my life so deeply [Valerie Harper]. You will be forever missed here on earth, but I know the angels are dancing in heaven tonight.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
One of Harper’s last on-screen roles was on 2 Broke Girls. Two years after she was diagnosed with brain cancer, Harper appeared in the 2015 Season 4 episode “And the Great Unwashed,” playing Nola Anderz.
One of Behr’s Instagram followers wrote about being in the studio audience when the episode was filmed.
“I was there in the audience for the taping of that episode. It was so fun, she was awesome and a dream to see her in person,” the fan wrote, adding a heart emoji.
Harper’s family told ABC7 the four-time Emmy winner died at 10:06 a.m. The cause of death was not immediately available, but Harper battled both lung cancer and leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a rare cancer complication.
Harper was originally given three months to live in 2013, but beat all expectations. She appeared on Dancing With The Stars that same year and continued working until her death. Aside from 2 Broke Girls, she also made cameo appearances on Childrens Hospital, Hot in Cleveland, Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Drop Dead Diva in recent years.
Harper won three Emmys for playing Rhoda on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and a fourth for the spin-off Rhoda. She also won a Golden Globe for Rhoda in 1975.
“A beautiful woman, a wonderful actress, a great friend and with balls bigger than mine,” Ed Asner, who worked with Harper on Mary Tyler Moore, wrote on Twitter. “Her brilliance burst through and shined its light upon all of us. Goodnight beautiful. I’ll see you soon.”
Harper is survived by husband Tony Cacciotti and daughter Cristina.
Photo credit: Amanda Edwards/WireImage/Getty Images
