Actress Louise Lasser, known for her comedy roles and movies with her ex-husband Woody Allen, has died at 87.
Lasser died of natural causes at her home in New York City on Monday, July 6, her friend Susan Charlotte told The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter.
Louise Lasser was an American actress, writer, and performer best known for her work in comedy and television. She was born on April 11, 1939, in New York City.
Lasser began her career in theater before moving into film and television. She gained early attention through several collaborations with her former husband, Woody Allen, appearing in films including Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask).
Her biggest role came in the 1970s when she starred in the satirical series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman from 1976 to 1977.
The show, which aired five nights a week for two seasons, made fun of traditional soap operas. Lasser played Mary Hartman, an Ohio housewife known for her pigtails, gingham outfits and innocent personality, while poking fun at the image of the typical American housewife of that era.
Lasser also made history in 1976 when she became the first person to host Saturday Night Live after previously appearing as a host and then being banned from returning, following reports of backstage difficulties during the episode.
Over the years, she appeared in many other projects, including Happiness, Requiem for a Dream, and several television shows. She was known for playing unusual, vulnerable, and funny characters.
Lasser was married to Woody Allen from 1966 until their divorce in 1970. Lasser later appeared on the sitcoms Taxi and It’s a Living. In 1978, she wrote and starred in the film Just Me and You, and in 1980, she made a cameo in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories.
Per USA Today, her other credits included Simon, Rude Awakening, Modern Love, The Night We Never Met, Wolves of Wall Street and National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers. In recent years, she also appeared in three episodes of HBO’s Girls.
Lasser is survived by her longtime partner, Michael Citriniti.
