Arrested Development Fans Flood Twitter to Mourn the Passing of Beloved Star Jessica Walter: ‘One of the Funniest People Ever’

Leia IdlibyMar 25th, 2021, 4:01 pm
 

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Award winning actress and comedic genius Jessica Walter passed away at 80-years-old in her sleep on Wednesday, March 24, according to Deadline, leading to an outpour of condolences.

“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica,” Walter’s daughter Brooke Bowman said in a statement. “A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.”

Walter’s husband of 36 years, Tony-winning actor Ron Leibman, previously passed away in December 2019 at age 82.

Walter won an Emmy for her starring role in Amy Prentiss, and was beloved by fans for her recent iconic roles as Malory Archer on FXX’s animated series Archer, and for her performance as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development, which earned her another Emmy nomination and two SAG nominations.

Walter’s Lucille Bluth was a large reason for Arrested Development’s cult following, as her sarcastic, entitled, and rarely sober attitude was cherished by fans.

“People have been great, especially in New York, where you are walking around a lot,” Walter said in a 2013 interview with Vanity Fair. “The one line I get a lot is, ‘I’d like to cry but I can’t spare the moisture.'”

“And winks!” she added of her now iconic wink. “Actually, I can do that wink, and it is very difficult, with one eye totally closed and one eye totally open. It said in the script that Lucille winks, and since I can do that in real life, I just thought it would be good to do a specific wink for the character. And they liked it so much that they started writing in more winks. I can’t believe my wink has gone viral!”

Condolences poured out for the star following the heartbreaking news, many recalling their favorites of Walter’s onscreen moments:

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