Tony Nominee Katherine Helmond, Emmy-Nominated Star of Soap & Who's the Boss?, Dies at 89

Katherine Helmond, the fiery comedic actress whose start on Broadway led to a slew of memorable small-screen roles, died on February 28 at home in Los Angeles. The cause of death, according to Deadline, was complications from Alzheimer's. She was 89.

A Texas native, Helmond made her Broadway debut as understudy to Tammy Grimes in the original production of Private Lives (1969). This was followed up with a turn in a repertory production of The Great God Brown and Don Juan (1972), earning Helmond a Tony nomination for her featured performance.

On-screen, Helmond was honored with four Emmy nominations for her turn as Jessica Tate opposite Billy Crystal and Robert Guillaume on Soap (1978-1981), with another pair of noms as Mona alongside Tony Danza and Judith Light on Who's the Boss? (1988-1989). Helmond later received an additional Emmy nomination for a guest turn as Lois on Everybody Loves Raymond (2002).

Off-Broadway, Helmond earned a Clarence Derwent Award for her indelible turn as Bananas Shaughnessy in The House of Blue Leaves (1971), with additional roles in The Karl Marx Play (1973), The Vagina Monologues (1999) and The Oldest Profession (2004). Helmond returned to Broadway in Mixed Emotions (1993), which marked her final main-stem credit.

Helmond is survived by her husband, David Christian.

Look back at Helmond's turn as Mona on Who's the Boss? below.