Jessica Walter:
Truly One of a Kind
By Kirsten Howard
Jessica Walter’s long career in show business will always be highly regarded.
In March, 2021, Jessica Walter passed away in her sleep at the age of 80.
She starred in over 170 film, TV, and stage productions spanning six decades.
On Broadway she won a Clarence Derwent Award for her debut performance during the 1960s.
Walter then went on to receive acclaim for her film appearances that decade, which included roles in Grand Prix and The Group.
Grand Prix
In 1971 she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in Play Misty for Me.
But Walter’s uncanny ability to deliver a barbed comment was discovered by a new generation of viewers when she starred as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development.
As the matriarch of the dysfunctional Bluth family, Walter was exceptional, and so many of her lines from the series entered the pop culture lexicon.
Her voiceover work was also extremely well received, and she was regularly chosen for key roles in animated projects.
Perhaps the most beloved of her voice roles was that of Malory Archer in FX’s irreverent sitcom, Archer, which she featured on for eleven seasons.
After Walter’s sudden passing, many of her past collaborators and co-stars rushed to pay their respects.
Jessica Walter’s extensive catalogue of work, and her strength of spirit, won’t be forgotten.