# Louise Lasser, star of soap satire Mary Hartman, dies aged 87

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/louise-lasser-star-of-mary-hartman-mary-hartman-dies-at-87/
- Published: 2026-07-10T14:39:03+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-11T12:13:41+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hollywood Reporter
- Original article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/louise-lasser-dead-mary-hartman-mary-hartman-star-1236639950/
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- Actress Louise Lasser has died aged 87 of natural causes.
- She was Woody Allen's first wife and frequent early co-star.
- She led the acclaimed 1970s soap satire Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

## Summary

Louise Lasser, the American comedienne best known as Woody Allen's first leading lady and as the title character in the 1970s soap-opera satire Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, has died at the age of 87. According to her best friend Susan Charlotte, she died of natural causes on Monday at her home on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Married to Allen from 1966 to 1970, Lasser was a fixture of his early career, and her understated performances made her a distinctive figure in 1970s American comedy.

Lasser appeared in several of Allen's early films, including What's Up Tiger Lily? (1966), Take the Money and Run (1969), Bananas (1971) and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (1972). Her stardom was cemented by the groundbreaking, Norman Lear-produced Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976-77), a cutting parody of soap operas that satirised American consumerism and ran five nights a week in syndication. Across the show's 325 episodes she played a mockingly innocent suburban housewife, earning an unusual 1976 Emmy nomination in a "Special Classification" category, as the industry struggled to categorise the envelope-pushing series.

## Coverage

- [The Hollywood Reporter: Louise Lasser, star of soap satire Mary Hartman, dies aged 87](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/louise-lasser-dead-mary-hartman-mary-hartman-star-1236639950/)
- [Deadline: Louise Lasser, star of soap satire Mary Hartman, dies aged 87](https://deadline.com/2026/07/louise-lasser-dead-1236975719/)
- [Variety: Louise Lasser, Star of u2018Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,u2019 Dies at 87](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/louise-lasser-dead-mary-hartman-mary-hartman-1236803596/)

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