Valerie Harper, TV's Rhoda Morgenstern & Tony-Nominated Broadway Alum, Dead at 80

Following ongoing battles with lung and brain cancer, Emmy winner and Broadway alum Valerie Harper has died, her family confirmed on August 30. The Mary Tyler Moore Show actress was 80 years old. 

Born on August 22, 1939 in Suffern, New York, Harper lived in various cities due to her father's work as a lighting salesman before moving to New York City to study ballet. She made her Broadway debut at the age of 20 in the ensemble of 1959's Take Me Along. That same year, she also appeared in the film adaptation of Li'l Abner.

Harper went on to dance on Broadway in Wildcat (1960), Subways Are for Sleeping (1961) and Something Different (1967). She then toured with the improv group Second City, which brought her to Los Angeles and her subsequent television career.

Harper landed her first major TV role in 1970 as Rhoda Morgenstern, best friend of Mary Richards, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She appeared as a series regular for four seasons before headlining the spinoff Rhoda from 1974 to 1978. Harper picked up four Emmy Awards for playing the sharp New Yorker: three for Mary Tyler Moore and one for the first season of Rhoda (also in the category was Moore herself, who had won the previous two years). Harper was Emmy-nominated for the following three seasons.

After Rhoda, Harper made several appearances in film and television, including The Last Married Couple in America (1980), The Love Boat (1986) and the NBC sitcom Valerie (1986-1987). Following a salary dispute, Harper was fired from Valerie after the second season; she sued the network for breach of contract. The jury sided with Harper, who was awarded a percentage of the show's profits. Harper was replaced by Sandy Duncan; the show was eventually retitled The Hogan Family and continued through 1991.

Harper returned to Broadway in 2001 in The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, taking over for Linda Lavin; Harper led the play on a subsequent national tour. In 2008, she starred as Tallulah Bankhead in the world premiere of Matthew Lombardo's Looped at Pasadena Playhouse. She went on to reprise her performance in Washington, D.C. and on Broadway. The 2010 production marked her first Tony nomination and last main-stem credit.

She was set to star in the show's national tour, but was forced to withdraw following her brain cancer diagnosis. Her departure led to a lawsuit and countersuit with Lombardo and the producers; they reached a settlement in court. Stefanie Powers replaced Harper for the national tour.

Following Looped, Harper made guest appearances on the small screen in shows including Hot in Cleveland (2013), Signed, Sealed, Delivered (2014) and Melissa & Joey (2015). She also competed on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars (2013). 

Harper is survived by her husband, Tony Cacciotti, and their daughter, Christina.