Jessica Walter has always been known as a figure of snarky authority, with a commanding voice and comedic timing that was always welcomed. Those talents helped her become a legend on stage and screen, with roles in shows like the Jim Henson/Disney sitcom Dinosaurs, Fox/Netflix’s cult hit Arrested Development, and the FXX animated hit Archer making up a good portion of her career’s more recent legacy. In light of that joy, it’s with a heavy heart that we report that Ms. Walter has passed away in her sleep, at age 80.
Per reporting from Deadline, Jessica Walter’s passing was confirmed in a statement by her daughter, Brooke Bowman. No ultimate cause has been reported at this time, and in lieu of flowers, Ms. Walter requested that donations be made to Guide Dogs for the Blind. Though her passing is a sorrowful occasion, Jessica Walter leaves behind a legacy of sharp witted laughter that endeared her to her fans and co-stars oh so warmly.
Born in 1941, Jessica Walter started her career with Broadway hits such as Neil Simon’s Rumors, but eventually found herself becoming a fixture in the world of television. Walter’s resume on TV was a healthy mix of various classics, with everything from Mission: Impossible to Babylon 5 included among her credits. Jessica Walter was even part of an early attempt at adapting the Doctor Strange legacy of Marvel Comics, playing the villainous Morgan le Fay in the 1978 television movie.
Of course, Ms. Walter had a handful of roles that were her ultimate calling cards. TV fans would best know her for three different roles. Through her vocal talents, Jessica Walter made an impression as both the loving, but firm Fran Sinclair in Disney’s Dinosaurs, as well as the abrasive, but hysterical Mallory Archer, the mother to the titular spy in FXX’s Archer. Meanwhile, her live-action credits contain some notable roles that helped enrich Ms. Walter’s legacy.
In a similar context as her Archer character, Jessica Walter won great acclaim as Lucille Bluth, the hilariously out of touch matriarch in creator Mitchel Hurwitz’s Arrested Development. But movie fans might recognize Walter as stalker Evelyn Draper, the antagonist in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut Play Misty For Me. Over any of these achievements comes the greatest honor that Jessica Walter, or any other legendary actor could achieve: the love and respect of her co-stars. Nowhere is that better realized than this early reaction from one of her on-screen sons from Arrested Development, Tony Hale:
Be it warmth, wit, or anywhere in-between, Jessica Walter could do it all. It’s those talents, and her loving spirit, that make her departure bittersweet, and her legacy assured. CinemaBlend would like to extend its deepest condolences to Jessica Walter’s friends and family in this difficult time of mourning.
