9 to 5 actress Peggy Pope passes away in Colorado at the age of 91
The acting world is in mourning once again, with beloved character actress Peggy Pope passing away at the age of 91.
The actress passed on Wednesday, May 27 in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her family members confirming to The Hollywood Reporter that she passed from causes unrelated to COVID-19.
Pope is best known for play the office secretary Margaret in the hit 1980 film 9 to 5, though she had a lengthy career that spanned nearly six decades.
Pope was born May 15, 1929, the youngest daughter of Edward and Margaret Pope, whose sister Adrienne was a reporter, author and activist, who passed away in 2010.
R.I.P.: The acting world is in mourning once again, with beloved character actress Peggy Pope passing away at the age of 91
She attended College High and Kimberly School in her hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, before graduating from Smith College with a theater major in 1951.
Pope made her Broadway debut in 1959 in Moonbirds, alongside Wally Cox, and also starred alongside Maureen Stapleton in The Rose Tattoo revival.
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She started her film and television career in earnest in 1966 with a guest-starring spot on The Trials of O'Brien.
She also guest-starred on Camera Three in 1967 and Bewitched and The Outsider in 1968, before returning to the stage in 1971 in The School of Wives with Brian Bedford.
Atta girl: Her breakthrough role came as the alcoholic receptionist Margaret on the 1980 film 9 to 5, whose catch phrase 'Atta girl' was said to encourage her co-workers played by Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda
She made her feature film debut in 1971's Made For Each Other with Paul Sorvino and 1972's Hail, before turning to TV by playing Elaine Fusco in Calucci's Department.
Pope returned to the stage yet again in 1975 to star in Doctor Jazz alongside Lola Falana, plus the 1976 movie Dragonfly and the short-lived TV series Billy, where she played Alice Fisher, the mother of Steve Guttenberg's title character.
Her breakthrough role came as the alcoholic receptionist Margaret on the 1980 film 9 to 5, whose catch phrase 'Atta girl' was said to encourage her co-workers played by Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda
Good part: 'It was a good movie and a good part,' she wrote in her book. 'At the end, my character comes back from rehab, hair combed, looking spiffy and ready for the sequel,' Pope said in her memoir, Atta Girl: Tales from a Life in the Trenches of Show Business
'It was a good movie and a good part,' she wrote in her book. 'At the end, my character comes back from rehab, hair combed, looking spiffy and ready for the sequel,' Pope said in her memoir, Atta Girl: Tales from a Life in the Trenches of Show Business.
She would go on to star in films such as 1981's All Night Long, 1984's The Last Starfighter, 1985's Once Bitten, 1996's The Substitute and 2008's Choke.
The actress is survived by nephews, Rob, Douglas, Ross and Ed, and their respective spouses, Maria, Martine, Charlotte and Nikki, and her niece, Wendy, and her partner, Eric.
A celebration of life is set for June 27 on Zoom, with fans asked to contact ross.mcconnell.acns@gmail.com for an invitation.
Movie roles: She would go on to star in films such as 1981's All Night Long, 1984's The Last Starfighter, 1985's Once Bitten, 1996's The Substitute and 2008's Choke
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