Cloris Leachman, the legendary actress who hailed from Des Moines and won an Oscar, Emmy Awards and garnered generations of fans during her more than 70 years of work in theater, film and television, died on Jan. 26 of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, Calif., at age 94.

 

“It’s been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time. There was no one like Cloris. With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh till the tears ran down your face,” said Juliet Green, Leachman’s manager, in the Los Angeles Times. “You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do, and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic.”

 

Leachman was born in Des Moines on April 30, 1926, the eldest of three girls. Her early years were filled with playing piano and dancing. She began her acting career at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines where she graduated in 1944 and began performing in theatrical productions at the Kendall Community Playhouse.

 

In 1946, she earned the Miss Chicago title and competed in Miss America. During the 1940s and 1950s she performed in numerous Broadway shows and then appeared in TV shows like “Gunsmoke” and “The Twilight Zone.”

 

She won the Academy Award in 1972 for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in 1971’s “The Last Picture Show.”

 

During the 1970s, Leachman’s prolific TV career began with her portrayal of Phyllis Lindstrom on the “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which led to her winning eight Primetime Emmy Awards and one Daytime Emmy Award. She would go on to star in other hit TV shows like “Phyllis,” “The Facts of Life,” “Rhoda” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” 

 

On the big screen, she played memorable comedic roles in Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein,” “High Anxiety” and “The History of the World Part I.”

 

Throughout her career she remained connected to her hometown, often returning to support the Des Moines Community Playhouse. 

 

In Iowa History Journal’s 2016 cover story about Leachman, she said, “I’m still an Iowa girl.”

 

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