Who was Linda Lavin’s mother? What we know about the Coloratura soprano as Alice star dies at 87

Linda Lavin, the world renowned actress who performed in television, film and theater, died on Friday at the age of 87. Lavin, who found fame as the lead in the CBS sitcom, Alice, and in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound for her Tony winning run, sadly passed away due to complications related to lung cancer.

Linda Lavin has had a full and rich theatre background as her mother, Lucille Potter Lavin, was a noted coloratura soprano. According to IMDB, Lucille appeared with leading artists like Risë Stevens, and Paul Whiteman in concerts and on radio and early television.

Jane Potter was born in Portland, on January 15, 1904, as the daughter of Russian immigrant parents, Harry and Esther Potter. She later married David Joseph Lavin on June 23, 1925.

A prominent member of Portland’s Jewish community, Lucille was intensely dedicated to nurturing her daughter’s artistic abilities, pressing Linda to embark on an acting career. Started a report from the Alice cast biography.

Linda Lavin was born in Portland, Maine, in 1937. She graduated from the College of William and Mary and moved to New York, embarking on her Broadway career in the 1960s. On Broadway, her credits included roles in It’s Superman and Gypsy, among others.

As per Variety, Lavin charmed audiences as Alice Hyatt, a single mother and widow trying to make ends meet as a waitress at a Diner. Alice, which ran from 1976 to 1985, inspired working-class women and won Lavin two Golden Globes.

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More on Linda Lavin's legacy and achievements as an actress

Linda Lavin was a six-time Tony nominee and won for her performance in Broadway Bound. Lavin was lauded for her versatility, with memorable performances in productions such as The Diary of Anne Frank, Collected Stories and The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife.

In recent years, Linda Lavin featured in many TV series such as The Good Wife, Mom and Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet. She had been working until her death, attending the premiere of Netflix’s No Good Deed just weeks before.

She had also recently been filming the upcoming Hulu comedy Mid-Century Modern, with Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane.

In her later years Lavin wanted to help and produse young talent. Therefore, She was producing and directing regional theater with her husband, Steve Bakunas, with whom she co-founded the Red Barn Studio theatre in Wilmington.