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Mary Pat Gleason, the character actress who had a recurring role as Mary on the CBS comedy “Mom,” has died at the age of 70.
Gleason passed away Tuesday after battling cancer, noted her manager, Todd Justice, who added that she previously had been in remission.
“She was a special lady and we are proud to call her our friend,” said Justice in a statement.
Born in Lake City, Minn., in 1950, Gleason snagged her first big break in 1983 with the role of Jane Hogan on “The Guiding Light.”
She portrayed the character for two years before becoming an established script writer, winning a 1986 Daytime Emmy Award as part of the show’s writing ensemble.
“We said goodbye to Mary Pat Gleason yesterday,” wrote “Mom” co-star Allison Janney on an Instagram post. “She was part of our ‘Mom’-CBS family and we loved her so much. She was one of our favorite guest stars. Her kind heart and warm smile will be missed.”
With well over 100 TV and film credits, Gleason imbued each role with a twinkle of wit and somber comprehension of the fictional world she inhabited. She could generate laughs even in brief appearances, such as a strict nutritionist who gives in to Scarlett Johansson’s wiles in the movie “The Island” or as Beverly Archer’s sympathetic pal fearful of hurt feelings during an episode of “Mama’s Family.”
Gleason also appeared in numerous critically acclaimed films, including “Lorenzo’s Oil,” “Defending Your Life” and “Basic Instinct.”
“She was so much more than a wonderful actress,” recalled actor Ron Fassler in a Wednesday Facebook post. “She was one of a kind. So caring, so funny and so delicious to be around, that I find it hard to imagine a world without her shining presence and smiling face.”