Actress Ann Wedgeworth Dies at 83

Tony Award winning actress and former soap opera star Ann Wedgeworth, who is remembered for her roles sitcoms “Three’s Company” and “Evening Shade,” passed away on Thursday. She was 83.

Born on January 21, 1934 in Abilene, Texas, Wedgworth was a veteran of NYC’s Actors Studio in the 1950s. She made her Broadway debut in “Make a Million” in 1958, and appeared on and off-Broadway in plays including “Period of Adjustment,” “Blues for Mister Charlie,” Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two,” for which she won a Tony; and “A Lie of the Mind” by Sam Shepard.

After playing Marie Warren and, later, Angie Talbot on CBS daytime soap “The Edge of Night,” Wedgeworth moved to NBC’s “Another World” in 1967 to create the role of Lahoma Vane. In March 1970, Lahoma and her husband, Sam Lucas, left Bay City for the spin-off series “Somerset.” Wedgeworth exited “Somerset” in September 1973.

Wedgeworth was also a regular sitcom “Filthy Rich” and made appearances on series like “Trapper John, M.D.” and “Roseanne.” Her movie appearances included “Scarecrow,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Made in Heaven.”

Married and divorced twice, including to actor Rip Torn, Wedgeworth is survived by daughters Danae and Dianna.