An actress best known for roles in The Parent Trap and Mrs. Doubtfire has died.
Heartfelt tributes are pouring in for a beloved actress who brought warmth and wit to screens for decades, following news of her death in her Manhattan home.
Director Nancy Meyers led the tributes, sharing a touching message on Instagram: “So sad to hear of her passing. She was so kind and game and just wonderful in every moment in The Parent Trap. She was fantastic in that film. My condolences to her loved ones and friends.”
Lindsay Lohan, who starred alongside the actress in the beloved 1998 Disney film, responded with equal affection: “Oh my goodness. What a beautiful woman inside and out. God bless and RIP.”
Co-star Lisa Ann Walter, who played housekeeper Chessy, also paid her respects, admitting she had only just realized the connection: “Oh my gosh, I’m just now putting together that it was her in that film. She was wonderful. RIP.”
The actress’s agent and longtime friend Dennis Aspland confirmed her passing to The New York Times, revealing she died on September 9 at her Manhattan home after suffering from pneumonia following several years of health issues.
Born in Jasper, Alabama in 1937, the actress rose to fame in the 1970s with a breakout role that would define her career.
Her portrayal of Florence Jean “Flo” Castleberry, the sassy waitress with a sharp tongue on the hit sitcom Alice, made her a household name.
The character’s iconic catchphrase ‘Kiss my grits!’ became embedded in American popular culture, delivered with a perfect Southern accent that audiences adored.
The role earned her three consecutive Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe Awards, cementing her status as a television icon.
“We’d eat at truck stops, and there would always be a waitress like Flo with a joke ready,” she recalled in a 1980 interview, per SFGate.
“The men would say all kinds of risque things to her, but it was understood that it wasn’t serious, just a way to make everybody’s day happier.”
Despite her success, she remained grounded and unpretentious. “I’m really not like Flo in my looks or lifestyle,” she once said. “I’m a person of few wants and very few needs. I spent 10 years in repertory living with whatever I could fit into a VW, and I like to live that way.”
Her film career was equally impressive, spanning decades with memorable roles in major Hollywood productions.
She appeared in the 1976 political thriller All the President’s Men alongside Dustin Hoffman, who had previously directed her Broadway debut.
In 1984’s Gremlins, she played the memorable Mrs. Ruby Deagle, earning a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The 1990s brought more beloved performances, including her role as the nosy neighbor Gloria Chaney in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) opposite Robin Williams, and as the kind camp director Marva Kulp Sr. in The Parent Trap (1998).
Though her screen time in the Disney film was limited to the first third, her performance as the warm, understanding camp owner left a lasting impression.
Television remained close to her heart throughout her career. She made memorable appearances on The Golden Girls as Rose Nylund’s blind sister Lily, and had a recurring role as Jill Taylor’s mother on Home Improvement.
Polly Holliday’s journey to stardom began unconventionally. After earning a piano degree from Alabama State College for Women (now University of Montevallo) and briefly teaching grade-school music, she discovered her passion for acting during college.
“I started acting long before I knew what I was doing,” she once told Actors’ Equity,
The actress never married or had children, once telling People magazine: “Work is my life.”
She continued acting well into the 2000s, with her final film appearance being in 2010’s Fair Game.
Her Broadway career was equally distinguished, earning a Tony nomination in 1990 for her role as Big Mama in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Other notable stage work included “Arsenic and Old Lace” (1986), “Picnic” (1994), and “The Time of the Cuckoo” (2000).
In 2000, Holliday was inducted into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame, recognizing her contributions to entertainment and her Alabama roots, which she never forgot despite decades in New York and Hollywood.
