Actress and comedienne Marcia Wallace best known for her role on the Bob Newhart show as Carol Kester but is best remembered as the voice of Mrs. Krabapple on The Simpsons has died at age 70 from complications of breast cancer which she has suffered from since 1985 and was active in helping make people aware of it. RIP. Variety.com reports:
"Marcia Wallace, the feisty redhead who starred as receptionist Carol Kester on “The Bob Newhart Show” and voiced teacher Edna Krabappel on “The Simpsons,” died Friday at her home in Los Angeles. She would have turned 71 on Nov. 1.
Wallace won an Emmy for outstanding voiceover performance on “The Simpsons” in 1992.
In a statement, “Simpsons” exec producer Al Jean called her “brilliant and gracious.”
“She was beloved by all at ‘The Simpsons’ and we intend to retire her irreplaceable character,” he said.
Earlier this year, “Simpsons” producers let it be known that the show intended to kill off a major character in the upcoming season. Jean said that Wallace’s character was not the one slated to die.
“Marcia’s passing is unrelated and again, a terrible loss for all who had the pleasure of knowing her,” Jean said.
Born in Creston, Iowa, she moved to New York after graduating college and worked in off-Broadway productions. The role of the receptionist on “The Bob Newhart Show” was written specifically for her after she had appeared numerous times on “The Merv Griffin Show.”
After “Bob Newhart,” she went on to appear on several game shows and on “ALF,” “Full House” and “Bewitched” as well as “Murphy Brown,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Taxi” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
She appeared in more than 100 episodes of “The Simpsons” as Bart Simpson’s teacher, who eventually marries Ned Flanders.
Wallces was active in SAG politics as a national board member, supported the merger with AFTRA and had been elected in September to a national board seat on the SAG-AFTRA national board.
She also appeared in films such as “My Mother the Werewolf,” “Teen Witch” and “Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College.” Wallace appeared onstage in productions including “The Vagina Monologues.” She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1985 and published a memoir “Don’t Look Back, We’re Not Going That Way!”
She is survived by a son."
Simpson co-star Yeardley Smith also commented on the passing of her fellow cast-member:
"Cheers to the hilarious, kind, fab Marcia Wallace, who has taken her leave from us. Heaven is now a much funnier place because of you"
Simpsons co-star Hank Azaria also took time to comment on the passing of his fellow cast-member.
"Condolences to Marcia Wallace's family-- really sad about her passing-- what a sweet woman!"
Simpsons writer and former show runner Mike Scully also took time to comment on the passing of the actress:
"An incredibly nice, funny lady. R.I.P. Marcia Wallace"