Valerie Mahaffey, the Emmy Award-winning actress known for her memorable roles in Seinfeld, Desperate Housewives, and Young Sheldon, has passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 71. She had been battling cancer. Mahaffey is survived by her husband, Joseph Kell, and their daughter, Alice.
Born on June 16, 1953, in Sumatra, Indonesia, to American parents, Mahaffey moved to the United States at the age of 16. She began her acting career in 1977 with the television film Tell Me My Name, and soon gained recognition for her role in the soap opera The Doctors.
Throughout her extensive television career, she appeared in numerous hit series, including Cheers, Wings, Women of Valour, Newhart, Jack and Mike, Quantum Leap, L.A. Law, and Ally McBeal. In 1992, Mahaffey earned a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance in Northern Exposure.
A legacy of versatile performances
Mahaffey’s film credits include National Lampoon’s Senior Trip, Seabiscuit, Jungle 2 Jungle, and Sully. Her final on-screen role was in the 2022 series Echo 3. She will also appear posthumously in the upcoming film GRQ the Movie, where she starred alongside Mena Suvari and Greg Germann.
Her husband, Joseph Kell, shared his grief in a heartfelt statement: “I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses.”
