Marian Seldes, a beloved Broadway star and Tony winner, died on Monday. She was 86.
Seldes died at her New York home following a long illness. Her brother, Timothy Seldes, announced her death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “She was an extraordinary woman whose great love of the theater, teaching and acting was surpassed only by her deep love for her family,” he said.
A member of Broadway royalty, Seldes began her career on Broadway in 1948 in Madea, directed by John Gielgud. She racked up five Tony award nominations and won for her performance in A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee. According to USA Today, she received the Tony lifetime achievement award in 2010.
Seldes appeared in several Albee plays, including Tiny Alice, Three Tall Women and The Play About The Baby. She even joined the Guinness Book of World Records by not missing a single performance of Ira Levin’s Deathtrap during the play’s entire run from 1978 to 1982.
Seldes was not limited to Broadway. She did several off-Broadway productions, including Terrence McNally’s Deuce, which paired her with Angela Lansbury in 2007.
On television, she worked on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and other classics of early TV. However, she even made appearances on Murphy Brown, Sex and the City and Nurse Jackie.
Teaching acting was also important to Seldes. She taught acting at the Juilliard School, with students like Robin Williams, Kevin Kline, Laura Linney, Kevin Spacey, Viola Davis and William Hurt.
Seldes is survived by her daughter, brother and three grandsons.
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