Veteran actress Anne Meara has passed away at the age of 85. In a statement released to the Associated Press, her husband, Jerry Stiller, and son, Ben Stiller, said that the actress and comedienne died Saturday, May 23. No additional details were provided.
Anne Meara was born September 20, 1929, in Brooklyn, New York. She and her husband, Jerry Stiller, were members of the improvisational company the Compass Players, which later became SCTV. They performed as a duo under the name "Stiller and Meara," and after some time became regulars on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Stiller and Meara "were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long," according to a statement from the family.
While Meara found incredible success in film and television, including a stint as a regular on Rhoda that earned her a Golden Globe nomination, soap fans will forever claim her as their own for her role as Peggy Moody on All My Children.
"So sad to hear of Anne Meara's passing -- such happy memories of working with her on All My Children," Susan Lucci (Erica Kane) offered. "My heart goes out to her family."
"So sorry to hear Anne Meara died," Cady McClain(Dixie Cooney) shared on Twitter. "I had the great pleasure of working with her on AMC. She was a real 'pissa' with a beautiful heart."
"Worked with Anne Meara on AMC," recalled Eva LaRue (Maria Santos). "What stories, what a life, what laughs, what a wonderful human being!"
"I had the honor of working with #AnneMeara on #AllMyChildren," added Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex-Kendall Hart). "I always knew I was in the presence of greatness when she was around #RIP."
More recently, Meara had a recurring role on Sex and the City, and she provided her voice for Disney's Planes: Fire and Rescue.
In addition to her husband and son, Meara is also survived by her daughter, Amy, and several grandchildren.
UPDATE (May 25, 2015)
Two days after the death of Anne Meara, who played All My Children's Peggy Moody, the veteran actress' famous son, Ben Stiller, has spoken out about her passing.
"Thank you so much for all the kind words about Anne," he wrote. "All of us in our family feel so lucky to have had her in our lives."
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