In the wake of Mary Tyler Moore’s death on Wednesday, friends, former co-stars, and fans online celebrated the life of the television icon. Moore died in a Connecticut hospital at age 80, surrounded by friends and her husband, her publicist confirmed. “Mary was a glorious actress and a great comedienne. We took a trip to China before relations were normalized during the Nixon administration that I will never forget. She will be missed,†Norman Lear said in a statement to Vulture. From Mary Tyler Moore Show memories to tributes to the star’s trailblazing work for women on television, see what Hollywood had to say about their memories of Moore.
Oprah Winfrey weighed in with Tyler’s influence on her, saying in a statement, “Mary Tyler Moore majorly influenced my life and career. I respected and admired her business acumen, her passion and compassion for all life, and most importantly, the values espoused through her storytelling. I thank her for being a light that shined so brightly; it let me see myself in her.â€
And in a statement of her own, MTM cast member Cloris Leachman had this to say about her former co-star: “My heart goes out to her husband, Robert — he was never more than a touch away from her. The picture that we all have of her, that’s how she was — sweet, kind, so tender, so delicate. She was America’s sweetheart. Valerie and I always had to rehearse and rehearse, to work things through, but Mary was always ready to go, thoroughly prepared. The last time I saw her was our ‘Hot in Cleveland’ reunion. I had a feeling I wouldn’t see her again. If I could see her one last time, I’d hold her in my arms and say, ‘We love you.’â€