ET looks back on the prolific actor's greatest hits.
Mary Tyler Moore never set out to be one of the pioneers
of television, but with her warmth and comedic chops, she cemented a legacy for
generations of fans thanks to her groundbreaking work in the medium, both onscreen
and behind the camera. Moore died on Wednesday from a cardiopulmonary arrest
after contracting pneumonia, her publicist confirmed to ET. She was 80.
Moore first rose to prominence on The Dick Van Dyke Show, playing the slightly daffy wife to Van
Dyke’s TV writer character from 1961-66. She then branched out on her own with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, on which she
became a feminist icon as a single, working woman. During the show’s run, from
1970 to 1977, she was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress
in a Comedy Series every year and won a total of three awards.
After her eponymous show ended, Moore deftly moved into
films and Broadway shows, working with the likes of Robert Redford and Ben
Stiller. All the while, her production company, which she formed with
then-husband Grant Tinker, churned out successful shows for more than two
decades.
MORE: Inside the 'Mary Tyler Moore Show' 2002 Reunion With Betty White and Valerie Harper
Moore dealt with her own personal demons and battled
diabetes and other illnesses later in life, but to her many fans and admirers,
she was always a combination of Laura Petrie and Mary Richards, no matter the
role.
“I want to be remembered as somebody who always looked
for the truth,” Moore said during a 1997
interview with the Archive of American Television. “Even if it wasn’t
funny.”
Here are some of the iconic moments in the life of Mary
Tyler Moore:
A Hollywood career
begins: Moore’s first job in TV came at just 17 years old as dancing elf Happy Hotpoint in a
series of commercials that ran attached to The
Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Moore, a trained dancer in her youth,
eventually left the commercials when she was pregnant with her only child, but
it did open the door for several small roles on TV shows like Richard Diamond, Private Detective.
The Dick Van Dyke Show: Moore landed
the role of Laura Petrie on the advice of TV star and show producer Danny
Thomas, who had rejected Moore for a part on Make Room for Daddy. At just 24, Moore developed an easy rapport
with Van Dyke, who often said the pair had actual chemistry that made it seem
as if they could be married and not just actors. Moore’s wardrobe of capri
pants was seen as scandalous at the time, but the quip-heavy banter with her
husband made them equals, a rarity among TV marriages of the time.
Moore meets Elvis:
After The Dick Van Dyke Show ended in
1966, Moore shifted into films, with her most memorable role in the period
coming in 1969, when she starred as a nun opposite Elvis Presley in Change of Heart, the last theatrical
release of Elvis’ long movie career. There were rumors of a relationship
between the pair, but Moore wrote
in her 1995 autobiography, “I was his last leading lady. The King would slyly
say later on, ‘I slept with every one of my leading ladies but one.’ I don’t
want to bust anyone’s cover, but I know who the ‘one’ is.”
MORE: Dick Van Dyke Mourns Mary Tyler Moore's Death: 'There Are No Words'
The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Moore’s
role as news producer Mary Richards not only gave her the part of a lifetime, it
also turned the actress into a feminist hero of sorts. Richards was a modern
woman who put herself and her career first, and the show was not afraid to
tackle controversial topics. But it was also not afraid of being side-splittingly
funny, such as in “Chuckles Bites the Dust,” considered to be one of the great
sitcom episodes ever. Moore’s hat toss during the opening credits remains a TV
touchstone.
MTM, the executive:
Moore married TV executive Grant Tinker in 1962, and in 1969, they formed MTM
Enterprises, which became the home for several TV hits and film productions.
MTM, which featured Moore’s cat Mimsie in the logo, was behind The Bob Newhart Show, Rhoda, Newhart, Hill Street Blues,
WKRP in Cincinnati, Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere. The production company
left Tinker’s hands in 1981 and went out of business in 1997.
Moving away from
Mary Richards: Moore shifted away from sitcoms after The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended and made a big splash in 1980’s Ordinary People, in which she played a
brittle mother unable to cope with family tragedy. She garnered an Oscar
nomination for Best Actress under the direction of co-star Robert Redford. She
also appeared on Broadway in Whose Life
Is It Anyway? and Sweet Sue
before returning to the small screen for a number of TV movies, including Finnegan Begin Again and Stolen Babies, for which she earned an
Emmy.
Tumult and tragedy:
Moore generally portrayed sunny characters, but she dealt with a dark side in
her personal life. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 33, and troubles
with alcoholism resulted in a stint at the Betty Ford Center. In 1980, her son,
Richard, died when he accidentally shot himself in the head with a shotgun,
leading to her divorce from Tinker. She married Dr. Robert Levine in 1983 and
he was at her side when she died.
MORE: Bob Newhart Reflects on Mary Tyler Moore's 'Groundbreaking' TV Legacy