Valerie Mahaffey made a reputation for herself within the leisure business with an expansive TV and movie profession going again to the late ’70s, and her most up-to-date credit score was in 2025. Sadly, the actress identified for exhibits like Northern Exposure, Young Sheldon, and Determined Housewives has now handed away on the age of 71.
The actress, who received a Primetime Emmy in 1992 as Excellent Supporting Actress in a Drama Sequence for her work within the basic ’90s present Northern Exposure, died on Could 30 in Los Angeles after a battle with most cancers. The information was introduced by way of her publicist, Jillian Roscoe (by way of THR). She is survived by her husband, Joseph Kell, and her daughter. In a press release to the outlet, Kell mentioned:
I’ve misplaced the love of my life, and America has misplaced certainly one of its most adorable actresses.
Not many actors can declare to have a profession as prolific – or, as her husband mentioned, “endearing” – as Valerie Mahaffey. Whereas her first credit score is for the TV film Inform Me My Identify, her second credit score ever was an everyday gig as Ashley Bennett on the NBC cleaning soap opera The Medical doctors beginning in 1979, for which she earned her first main award nomination within the type of a Daytime Emmy nom for Excellent Supporting Actress in a Drama. (Her win within the primetime awards would come years later.)
She would go on to seem as a visitor star in exhibits which have turn into classics in their very own proper, together with Quantum Leap, Cheers, and Seinfeld earlier than her common position in NBC’s short-lived sitcom The Powers That Be. Probably her most memorable position of the period was additionally the one which received her that Primetime Emmy: Eve in 5 episodes of Northern Exposure over three seasons. Like Diane Delano, who died simply final 12 months, she made an enormous impression on Northern Exposure with no common position on the CBS dramedy.
A few of her most notable characters debuted within the twenty first century, together with in 9 episodes of ABC’s Determined Housewives throughout two seasons between 2006-2012. On Fox’s Glee, she performed Rose Pillsbury – a.ok.a. the mom of Emma Pillsbury, performed by future Disenchanted actress Jayma Mays. Becoming a member of the Massive Sky solid in 2020 introduced her to ABC, adopted by recurring on Netflix’s Dead to Me.
Valerie Mahaffey’s ultimate TV credit score was for a couple of episodes of Echo 3, accessible now with an Apple TV+ subscription. Her ultimate credit score general was The eighth Day, a movie that launched in 2025.
The actress had a profession to be fairly pleased with, and certainly a legacy that can proceed. In any case, she was a part of TV exhibits that stay fan-favorites even years after wrapping. Our ideas right here at CinemaBlend are with the household, mates, and family members of Valerie Mahaffey on this troublesome time.
