R.I.P. Frances Sternhagen: ‘Cheers’ And ‘Sex And The City’ Actress Dead At 93

Tony Award-winning and Emmy-nominated actress Frances Sternhagen died at age 93 on Monday (Nov. 27) at her home in New Rochelle, New York, per The New York Times.

While her son, Tony Carlin, confirmed the news of her passing to the outlet, the following statement was also released by her children and shared on Broadway World:

“It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear mother, actress Frances Sternhagen died peacefully of natural causes on November 27th, 2023 at the age of 93.  She is survived by her 6 children, 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.  A celebration of her remarkable career and life is planned for mid January, near her 94th birthday. We continue to be inspired by her love and life.”

According to IMDb, the actress made her on-screen debut in 1951 in the TV series Love of Life. Her on-screen career included a vast array of notable credits, including her role as Cliff’s (John Ratzenberger) mother Esther Clavin in Cheers, Trey’s (Kyle MacLachlan) mother Bunny MacDougal in Sex and the City, Millicent Carter in ER, and Willie Ray Johnson in The Closer. Her Cheers and SATC roles earned her total of three Emmy nominations.

Significant film credits of hers include starring in the 1981 sci-fi thriller Outland as Dr. Marian Lazarus, the 1983 drama Independence Day as Carla Taylor, and the 1990 psychological thriller Misery as Virginia. Other films in which she appeared include Julie & Julia (2009) and Dolphin Tale (2011).

Sternhagen received seven Tony nominations over the course of her career on Broadway, ultimately winning two for Best Featured Actress/Play: one in 1974 for her performance in The Doctor and in 1995 in The Heiress, per Variety.

According to the outlet, she graduated Vassar College in 1951, at which she studied drama. Prior to her broadway debut in 1955, she taught acting, singing, and dancing at the Milton Academy in Massachusetts.