Maureen Stapleton, Winner of 2 Tonys and an Oscar, Dies at 80

Two-time Tony Award- and Oscar-winner Maureen Stapleton has passed away at the age of 80, with the cause of death cited chronic pulmonary disease caused by years of smoking.

Stapleton, who was born in Troy, NY on June 21st, 1925 was renowned for her versatility, and her career spanned roles on stage, film and television. She won her first Tony Award in 1951 for creating the role of Serafina della Rose in Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo and also originated the role of Lady Torrance in the same playwright's Orpheus Descending; Anna Magnani would play both of those roles in the plays' respective film versions.

Williams was also a personal friend of the actress, who described both professional accomplishments and a troubled personal life in her autobiography. She was an actress whose "unremarkable, matronly appearance belied her star personality and talent," according to an Associated Press obituary.

Stapleton also garnered a Tony Award for her performance in The Gingerbread Lady and received nominations for her work in The Little Foxes, Plaza Suite, Toys in the Attic, and The Cold Wind and the Warm, while other Broadway credits included The Gin Game, The Glass Menagerie, The Country Girl, The Crucible (as a replacement in the role of Elizabeth Proctor), Antony and Cleopatra and The Playboy of the Western World, in which she made her Broadway debut.

A respected film actress, she won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Emma Goldman in Reds; she was also nominated for her performances in Woody Allen's Interiors, Airport and Lonelyhearts. Other film and TV credits included Nuts, Heartburn, Cocoon, "Alice in Wonderland," Plaza Suite, and Bye Bye, Birdie. She won an Emmy Award for her performance in "Among the Paths to Eden," and was also nominated for her turns in "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom," "The Gathering" and "Miss Rose White."

She received The Actors Studio Award in 1980, and was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame the next year.

Married twice, she is survived by son Daniel Allentuck, daughter Katharine Bambery and her brother Jack Stapleton.

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