Frances Sternhagen, who won Tonys for her performances in The Good Doctor and The Heiress, has died. She was 93. News of her death was confirmed by her family in a statement, obtained by People. “It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear mother, actress Frances Sternhagen, died peacefully of natural causes in New Rochelle, NY, on November 27th, 2023 at the age of 93,” it reads. “We continue to be inspired by her love and life.” Sternhagen worked extensively onstage and on television. On Broadway, she won two Tonys and was nominated for five more. On TV, she played the mother of anybody who was anybody. She was nominated for two Emmys for her role on Cheers as Cliff Clavin’s overbearing mother. She earned a third Emmy nom for playing Trey’s mom on Sex and the City. She also played the grandmother of Dr. John Carter (Noah Wylie) on ER and the mother of the titular closer (Kyra Sedgwick) on The Closer.
Sternhagen is survived by “six children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren,” according to her family’s statement. “A celebration of her remarkable career and life is planned for mid January, near her 94th birthday.” Her son, John Carlin, made a personal statement on Instagram. “Fly on, Frannie,” he wrote. “The curtain goes down on a life so richly, passionately, humbly and generously lived.”
