Katherine Helmond, best-known as Mona Robinson on 1980s sitcom Who's the Boss? and the socialite sister Jessica Tate on TV comedy Soap, died at home on February 23 following complications from Alzheimer's disease. She was 89.
Helmond was a seven-time Emmy nominee whose TV credits included Everybody Loves Raymond as Lois Whelan, Coach as the widowed owner of an NFL team, and most recently on vampire drama True Blood as Caroline Bellefleur.
She took home two Golden Globes, both for Best Supporting Actress. She won for Soap in 1981 and for Who's the Boss in 1989.
Helmond appeared in numerous movies as well, including three Terry Gilliam films — Time Bandits (1981), Brazil (1985) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).
She also ventured into the world of theater, earning her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in 1973 play "The Great God Brown." The Hollywood Reporter quotes Helmond as saying theater was “her first love.”
"My beautiful, kind, funny, gracious, compassionate, rock," tweeted Alyssa Milano, who played Helmond's granddaughter in Who's the Boss?. "You were an instrumental part of my life. You taught me to hold my head above the marsh! You taught me to do anything for a laugh! What an example you were!"
