Louise Lasser, renowned for her role in the cult classic 1970s television sitcom “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and for her collaborations with Woody Allen during the early stages of his career, has passed away at the age of 87. According to The New York Times, she died peacefully at her residence in Manhattan.
In “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” Lasser’s portrayal of a satirical housewife in a fictional Ohio suburb catapulted her to fame, earning her covers on both People magazine and Rolling Stone. The series aired from January 1976 to July 1977, running for a year and a half, and produced over 300 episodes thanks to its five-days-a-week format. Lasser’s character, distinguished by her pigtails, frequently grappled with mundane domestic issues while encountering unsettling scenarios, including peculiar deaths. The show aimed to reflect the social changes affecting everyday American life during the 1970s.
Lasser’s film work with Woody Allen is particularly recognized by international audiences. She had a minor role in Allen’s 1969 mockumentary “Take the Money and Run,” as well as more substantial parts in “Bananas” (1971) and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)” (1972). In “Bananas,” she portrayed an activist whom Allen’s character, Fielding Mellish, tries to impress by traveling to the fictitious Latin American nation of San Marcos amid a revolution. In the latter film, she featured in a memorable sketch that parodied modernist Italian cinema, titled “Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm?”
Born in 1939, Lasser initially pursued a degree in political science before training under the esteemed acting coach Sanford Meisner. In 1962, she understudied a young Barbra Streisand during her Broadway debut in “I Can Get It for You Wholesale.” That same year, she starred alongside Alan Alda in “The Laughmakers,” an unaired pilot for ABC that focused on an improv comedy troupe, which was penned by Allen, whom she met on a double date. They married four years later.
Throughout her career, Lasser made guest appearances on various television shows, including “The Bob Newhart Show,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and “McCloud.” She also featured in numerous commercials, notably a memorable NyQuil advertisement in which her husband, affected by a cold, tells her, “I’m lucky to have you,” to which she responds, “I know.”
Lasser was cast in “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” after impressing the creator, Norman Lear, who remarked, “She came in my office, started to read the lines, and forget it. There’s only one Louise Lasser.” However, the demanding filming schedule took its toll, making it challenging for her to find subsequent roles of similar significance.
Following “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” Lasser appeared in shows such as “Taxi,” “It’s a Living,” “Laverne & Shirley,” and “St. Elsewhere.” She also took on prominent roles in films like Todd Solondz’s “Happiness,” the superhero comedy “Mystery Men,” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Requiem for a Dream,” where she played the neighbor of Ellen Burstyn’s character, Sara Goldfarb. In 2014, a new generation recognized her when she joined the cast of Lena Dunham’s “Girls,” portraying an artist who employs Jemima Kirke’s character, Jessa.
Lasser was married to Woody Allen and later had a long-term relationship with fellow actor Michael Citriniti, who is among her survivors.
