The latest in a long line of those we’ve lost took her final bow Wednesday afternoon, wrapping up a long life of creative innovation. Groundbreaking and world changing actress and comedienne Mary Tyler Moore died in a Connecticut hospital surrounded by family and friends due to complications from pneumonia. She was 80 years old.
Moore decided to pursue her creative side at the early age of 17 with the intention of being a dancer. Throughout the 50’s she worked in small television roles and commercials, before getting pregnant at 18 with her first and only child. She took a step back for a short period, during which she could no longer hide her pregnancy on screen, but dove right back into it, getting cast on the legendary The Dick Van Dyke Show. The series catapulted her into the public sphere, and she later admitted that she almost didn’t show up to the audition. Moore was magnetic, playing opposite Van Dyke, outshining him on more than one occasion with her skilled humor.
When The Dick Van Dyke show ended in 1966 Moore and her second husband TV executive Grant Tinker pitched a new show involving a single working gal in her 30’s, doing her best to balance her work and home life in an environment that wasn’t exactly common place. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was wildly popular, creating a brand new genre of television. If The Dick Van Dyke Show had made Moore a star, it was here where she became a legend.
Moore would continue to dabble in television, acting not as America’s sweetheart, but as savior from the monotony of the male dominated entertainment sector. Her work would set the bar for where women in television could, and should, be. Moore went on to work in theater, starring in seven Broadway productions. Though most of her theater time wasn’t critically acclaimed, Moore always strove to keep her work in a constant state of flux, allowing her to round out her fame with an impressive resume.
Moore had a stunning run of films, earning an Oscar nomination in the notable Ordinary People. The film marked a new chapter in Moore’s repertoire, allowing her to explore her dramatic acting in a remarkable way. While she didn’t win, her performance helped shape the impressive film that eventually took home four Academy Awards and five Golden Globes.
Moore lost her son in a tragic accident involving a sawed off shotgun and its “hair trigger.” She and her second husband divorced soon after. Moore went on to marry Dr. Robert Levine in 1983, a relationship that would last until her death.
In addition to personal tragedy, Moore suffered from Type 1 diabetes and was later diagnosed with a meningioma. The benign tumor was removed, but she would suffer from heart and kidney problems towards the end of her life. Her diabetes diagnosis led to a series of philanthropic efforts. Moore acted as the international chairperson for the JDRF, and actively campaigned for Farm Sanctuary, raising awareness for the horrors of factory farming.
A week leading up to her death Moore was placed on a respirator due to complications involving pneumonia. Her condition would deteriorate, ultimately leading up to cardiopulmonary arrest and her passing.
While we will continue to mourn our idols, one thing has been made abundantly clear; these magnificent women that paved the way for generations ahead will not pass quietly, or in vain. Their legacy will be a roadmap for the women (and even men) who walk their same path. From the darkness emits a light of hope left behind by Moore and her peers, urging us to learn from their mistakes and come to find our own creativity and truths early enough to enjoy the legacy that will one day be left in our wake.
There has undoubtedly been a hole left behind in our fleeting world, and it is up to us to fill it with an unbridled faith in our past, and a hopeful look to our future. Moore has not been the first screen giant to take her leave in what will always seem way too early, and she definitely won’t be last. There will never be another like her, but that shouldn’t stop us for aspiring towards it nonetheless.
