Maybe you recall the show Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a 1970s TV gem from the pioneering Norman Lear, It starred actress Louise Lasser in the title role. The show, a dead-on spoof of soap operas, might not have been quite as widely known as Lear's other groundbreaking endeavors like All in the Family. Nevertheless, it put Lasser on the map as a deft comic performer. Sadly, she has died at the age of 87 in New York on Monday, July 6. The announcement of her death was made by her friend, Susan Charlotte, to the New York Times. Lasser's customary look on the show - long, dangling braids and baby-doll style frocks - was in itself her unique trademark.
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Lasser Played a Housewife Coping With All Kinds of Domestic Situations
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was on every weeknight in a late time slot, 11 p.m. Lasser portrayed a wonderfully weird Midwestern housewife. She was humorously beset by mini crises like "mass murders, sex scandals and everyday consumer anxieties" such as waxy yellow buildup plaguing the floor, per the outlet.
The series was very short-lived. It merely lasted for about 18 months in the late 1970s. Even so, despite the brief run, it had a cultural impact and definitely wasn't a fad. Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman actually propelled Louise Lasser to a zany kind of stardom. She found herself on the covers of major national publications such as Rolling Stone and People, per the outlet. Although Louise Lasser eventually did other things, it was that madcap TV show she is largely remembered for.
She Was Married to Woody Allen
Lasser attended a private school, then Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She left before graduating to jump-start her career as an actress. In fact, Lasser understudied for another up-and-comer, Barbra Streisand, in a Broadway show.
Lasser met Woody Allen on a double date. They wed in 1966. She appeared in some of his early cinematic efforts and the couple divorced in 1970.
Lasser Later Did Other Projects
Long after the demise of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, she had other roles in, for example, the 2000 film Requiem for a Dream and the popular HBO series Girls. Lasser also was at one time an acting teacher, according to the Times.
