The death of legendary American actress Mary Tyler Moore has spawned tributes from TV and entertainment figures spanning generations, a testament to the sitcom star’s influence and enduring appeal.
READ MORE: Mary Tyler Moore dead: TV star, feminist icon dies at age 80
Moore was known for her playing the role of Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and the show’s star protagonist Dick Van Dyke took to Twitter to share a clip of the duo performing the pop standard I’ve Got Your Number.
Ed Asner, who portrayed Moore’s boss in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, also paid his respects.
Moore’s eponymous ’70s sitcom was a monumental one for television, with the first never-married, independent career woman as the central character, a fact not lost on several women from the worlds of entertainment and media.
Timothy Hutton, who played Moore’s troubled son in the Academy Award-winning film Ordinary People, also paid his respects.
The 1980 drama marked the directorial debut of Robert Redford, and Redford issued a statement to mark his condolences.
“Mary’s energy, spirit and talent created a new bright spot in the television landscape and she will be very much missed. The courage she displayed in taking on a role,(“Ordinary People”), darker than anything she had ever done, was brave and enormously powerful.”
In addition to blazing a trail as an actress, Moore was noted for her support of various causes including JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and her animal rights advocacy.
Political figures from Moore’s home state of Minnesota also tweeted their respects.
The sentiments stirred up by Moore’s passing were perhaps best summed up by this GIF shared by The Late Show host Stephen Colbert.
— With files from the Associated Press
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