Jessica Walter, the Emmy-winning actress best known for her starring roles in “Arrested Development” and “Archer,” has died, her daughter said Thursday in a statement. He was 80 years old.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passage of my beloved mother Jessica,” her daughter Brooke Bowman said in a statement. “An actress who has been working for more than six decades, her greatest pleasure was the joy of others through her narration both on screen and off screen.”
Walter played several roles throughout his career and won an Emmy Award in 1975 for his portrayal of a young California police detective in “Amy Prentiss.”
While starring on Broadway, in productions of Nightlife, Photo Finish and Advise and Consent, Walter met critical acclaim as a television and film actress, receiving three other Emmy nominations in throughout his career. along with two Golden Globe nominations.
She was praised for playing Lucille Bluth in “Arrested Development,” a wealthy, out-of-contact matriarch who is forced to deal with her children and the loss of her fortune. He shared three Screen Actor’s Guild Award nominations with his co-stars for the show.
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David Cross, who played Lucille’s son-in-law, described the performance as one of the greatest characters on television.
“I just heard the black news about Jessica Walter, an absolutely brilliant actress and an incredible talent,” Cross said he tweeted. “I consider myself privileged and very fortunate to have been able to work with her.”
Tony Hale, who played Lucille’s son Buster, told Walter “a force” in an emotional farewell message. “His talent and his time were second to none,” Hale said he tweeted Thursday. “Rest in peace, Mama Bluth.”
Walter leaves behind his daughter Brooke and a grandson.