Actress Valerie Mahaffey, best recognized for her roles in series like Northern Exposure, Desperate Housewives, Young Sheldon, and Dead to Me, passed away following a struggle against cancer. She was 71 years old.
Mahaffey’s death was announced Friday night by publicist Jillian Roscoe.
Renowned for portraying peculiar roles, Mahaffey was nominated for a Spirit Award for her performance as the widowed American expat Madame Reynard in the 2020 film “French Exit“, sharing the screen with Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges, who played her character’s son.
Mahaffey was nominated for a Spirit Award because of her role as Madame Reynard, a widowed American expat in the 2020 movie “French Exit“. She acted alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges, who played her son.
Between 1991 to 1994, she was featured in five episodes across three seasons on CBS’ show “Northern Exposure”. In 1992, she was honored with an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the character Eve, who was a worrier about health issues and was married to Adam Arkin’s character.
From 1991-94, she made appearances in five episodes on CBS’ “Northern Exposure”, spanning over three seasons. In the year 1992, she won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role as Eve, a character who was married to Adam Arkin’s character and had a tendency to worry excessively about health issues.
She portrayed the cunning character Alma Hodge, former spouse of Kyle MacLachlan’s Orson Hodge, on ABC’s Desperate Housewives from 2006-07; she made regular appearances as Victoria MacElroy, the teacher, on CBS’ Young Sheldon from 2017-20; and she played Lorna Harding, the narcissistic mother-in-law of Christina Applegate’s character, on Netflix’s Dead to Me from 2019-22.
She also was recently seen on the Apple TV+ series Echo 3.
Mahaffey, born on June 16, 1953, in Indonesia, spent her childhood there until she turned 11. She later attended and graduated from Austin High School, and in 1975, earned her degree from the University of Texas.
Back in the ’70s and ’80s, I was fortunate enough to embark on an exciting journey as a stage performer right here in the bustling heart of New York City. Over that span, I graced Broadway six times, each time leaving a mark with performances in productions like “Dracula,” where Raul Julia brought the titular character to life, and “Play Memory,” directed by the legendary Harold Prince.
Simultaneously, she made appearances on the NBC daytime drama series, “The Doctors,” from 1979 to 1980, portraying Ashley Bennett. For her performance, she received a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award.
As a performer, I’ve been fortunate enough to add some prestigious accolades to my resume, including Obie Awards for my roles in ‘Top Girls’ at the Public Theatre and ‘Talking Heads’ by Alan Bennett at the Minetta Lane. I’ve also had the privilege of sharing the stage with legends like Morgan Freeman as Desdemona in ‘Othello’, and Tom Hulce as Juliet in ‘Romeo and Juliet’. These experiences have been truly unforgettable for me as a gamer turned actress.
I’ve had the pleasure of gracing some popular television shows throughout the years. In the early ’90s, I was a recurring character on Norman Lear’s NBC series, “The Powers That Be.” Later, from 2011 to 2013, I played the loving mother of Emma Pillsbury on Fox’s hit show, “Glee.” And more recently, from 2013 to 2015, I took on the complex role of Olivia Rice in ABC’s series, “Devious Maids.
Apart from these, she made appearances on episodes of Newhart, Seinfeld – she played the ex-accountant who aided George with his taxes in the 1991 episode “The Truth” – Wings, ER, Cheers, Big Sky, and The Mindy Project, as well as films like Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), Seabiscuit (2003), Summer Eleven (2010), Sully (2016) and No Pay, Nudity (2016).
Among those who carry on are her spouse, Joseph Kell, and her daughter, Alice. In a declaration, Joseph Kell expressed, “I’ve lost the one I loved dearly, and the world of American acting has lost one of its most cherished personalities.
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2025-05-31 08:24