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Desperate Housewives star Valerie Mahaffey dies aged 71

Jenna Moon
BBC News
Getty Images Valerie Mahaffey is pictured in front of a grey background. She has red hair and is wearing a green dress and gold earrings. She has blue eyes.Getty Images

Emmy winning actress Valerie Mahaffey has died at age 71, her family has confirmed.

Mahaffey's publicist confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the star died in California on Friday after being diagnosed with cancer.

The star was known for her work on television series including Desperate Housewives, Young Sheldon and Big Sky.

In a statement provided to Variety, Mahaffey's husband Joseph Kell said that he had "lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses".

"She will be missed," he said.

On Facebook, the couple's daughter Alice wrote: "I don't really have the words to say right now. Cancer sucks. I'll look for you in all the fun moments of life. I know that's where you'll be."

Getty Images Mahaffey stands at a podium on the set of young sheldon. she is wearing a red sweater and brown skirt. to the side, a young girl and young boy sit on folding chairs. there is a purple curtain behind them and an american flag.Getty Images
Among Mahaffey's best-known roles is her appearance on Young Sheldon

In 1992, Mahaffey won an primetime Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Eve in the American dark comedy Northern Exposure.

Her primetime success came after a daytime Emmy award in the previous decade for her role in The Doctors, a soap opera which aired from 1979-1981.

She also appeared in several films, including Sully and Seabiscuit.

More recent roles have included an appearance as Madame Reynard in the 2020 film French Exit, for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

Getty Images Valerie Mahaffey is wearing a wedding dress and veil. she is standing next to a man in a tuxedo with a white rose boutonniere and a woman with red hair in a black dress. Getty Images
Mahaffey (centre) on the set of Desperate Housewives

Born to a Canadian mother and American father in Sumatra, Indonesia, Mahaffey relocated as a teen to Texas.

Her first film credit came in 1977, with a role in the film Tell Me My Name.

Mahaffey appeared in episodes of dozens of television series over her five-decade career, including medical drama ER, the dystopian series The Man in the High Castle, and the musical series Glee.

In Desperate Housewives, her memorable role as Alma Hodge, the manipulative ex-wife of Orson Hodge, saw her appear on the drama-filled Wisteria Lane for eight episodes.

She also appeared as teacher Victoria MacElroy in Young Sheldon, a spin-off of the Big Bang Theory that focuses on the upbringing of the show's titular star Sheldon Cooper.

Getty Images Valerie Mahaffey is wearing a red dress. the image is cropped to her head and shoulders. her hair is red and curled. Getty Images
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