Linda Lavin (born October 15, 1937) is an American singer and actress of stage and television. She was born in Portland, Maine.
In the 1960s, she made a name for herself on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination in 1969 for Last of the Red Hot Lovers . From 1976 to 1985, she starred in her own television series, Alice, which earned Lavin two Golden Globe awards and an Emmy nomination.
In 1987, she won a Tony Award for her work in Broadway Bound . Since then, she has worked sporadically on Broadway (she earned two more Tony nominations, in 2000 and 2002) and in dinner theatre.
In 2004, she introduced herself to another generation of television viewers when she guest-starred on The O.C. as the mother of Peter Gallagher's character. She took a turn at both comedic and dramatic acting, as her character abruptly blurted out that she was dying from lung cancer.