Actress Louise Lasser, famous for ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman’ and works with Woody Allen, dies at 87

Actress Louise Lasser, known for her Emmy nomination and starring in the acclaimed comedy-drama series “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” has passed away. The artist was 87 years old.

Lasser’s death occurred from natural causes last Monday, July 6, at his residence in New York City. The information was confirmed by her friend Susan Charlotte to outlets such as The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter, and was also published by Variety.

Her career stood out with her participation in the satirical soap opera created by Norman Lear, aired between 1976 and 1977. In addition, Lasser’s career included work on Broadway, presenting an episode of Saturday Night Live and roles in several productions at the beginning of the career of her ex-husband, filmmaker Woody Allen, to whom she was married from 1966 to 1970.

The early years and the partnership with Woody Allen

Born in Manhattan on April 11, 1939, Louise Lasser made her debut on the Broadway stage in 1962, appearing in the play “I Can Get It for You Wholesale”.

After meeting Allen in the early 1960s, she began collaborating on several of his film projects. Among them are a voiceover in “What’s Up, Tiger Lily?” (1966) and performances in “Take the Money and Run” (1969), “Bananas” (1971) and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know” (1972).

Success on television with “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”

On television, Louise Lasser made appearances on programs such as “The Bob Newhart Show” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, as well as hosting an episode of the popular “Saturday Night Live” in 1976. It was in the same year that she debuted as the main character in the series “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”, which chronicled the misadventures of an Ohio housewife, always involved in unusual situations and wearing her signature ponytails. Lasser played the protagonist, in a cast that also included Greg Mullavey, Mary Kay Place and Graham Jarvis. The soap opera, pioneering in its approach, delved into social themes and criticism of popular culture, becoming a television landmark that influenced later productions by challenging genre conventions.

Regarding the series, Lasser herself commented in a 2013 interview with Interview magazine: “I think it’s a very good series, I always thought it was a very good series because it touches on so many aspects of everything.” She described the experience as “a rollercoaster, with ups and downs”, and emphasized that the production explored “such rich themes”. According to the actress, although many consider the series ahead of its time, she always saw it as contemporary.

Notable works and most recent appearances

After appearing on the cover of People magazine in July 1976, Lasser continued to appear in several television series, including “Laverne & Shirley”, “Taxi” and “St. Elsewhere”. In 2014, she joined the cast of the HBO series “Girls”, with a three-episode special appearance as Beadie. His most recent film works include the acclaimed “Requiem for a Dream” (2000) and “Funny Pages” (2022).