The Last Call At WJM: The Mary Tyler Moore Show Cast—Who Is Still Alive And The Recent Tragedies That Shook The TV World

Few television ensembles in history have achieved the cultural impact, critical acclaim, and sheer longevity of the cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The groundbreaking sitcom, which ran from 1970 to 1977, redefined the depiction of women in the workplace and launched the careers of seven iconic actors who became household names.

As of this current date in December 2025, the landscape of this beloved cast has changed dramatically. The core ensemble from WJM-TV’s newsroom and Mary Richards’ apartment building have all passed away, with a series of tragic, consecutive losses in recent years. The article below serves as a tribute to the legendary main cast and provides the latest status on the few surviving recurring actors from the series.

The WJM-TV News Team and Friends: A Complete Cast Biography and Final Status

The primary cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show—Mary, Lou, Murray, Ted, Rhoda, Phyllis, and Sue Ann—created one of the most celebrated sitcoms in television history, winning an unprecedented 29 Emmy Awards. Sadly, every single one of these principal actors has now passed away.

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• Mary Tyler Moore (Mary Richards)
  • Role: Associate Producer at WJM-TV.
  • Full Name: Mary Tyler Moore
  • Born: December 29, 1936
  • Died: January 25, 2017 (Age 80)
  • Key Roles Beyond MTM: Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show; Oscar-nominated performance in the film Ordinary People.
• Ed Asner (Lou Grant)
  • Role: Mary’s gruff but lovable boss, the News Director.
  • Full Name: Eddie Asner
  • Born: November 15, 1929
  • Died: August 29, 2021 (Age 91)
  • Key Roles Beyond MTM: Reprised his role in the dramatic spin-off Lou Grant; voice of Carl Fredricksen in the Pixar film Up.
• Gavin MacLeod (Murray Slaughter)
  • Role: Head Writer at WJM-TV, Mary’s kind-hearted colleague.
  • Full Name: Allan George See (Gavin MacLeod)
  • Born: February 28, 1931
  • Died: May 29, 2021 (Age 90)
  • Key Roles Beyond MTM: Captain Merrill Stubing on the hit series The Love Boat.
• Ted Knight (Ted Baxter)
  • Role: The dim-witted, vain, but beloved WJM-TV anchorman.
  • Full Name: Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka (Ted Knight)
  • Born: December 7, 1923
  • Died: August 26, 1986 (Age 62)
  • Key Roles Beyond MTM: Judge Elihu Smails in the iconic comedy film Caddyshack; star of the sitcom Too Close for Comfort.
• Valerie Harper (Rhoda Morgenstern)
  • Role: Mary’s best friend and upstairs neighbor, a witty, self-deprecating window dresser.
  • Full Name: Valerie Kathryn Harper
  • Born: August 22, 1939
  • Died: August 30, 2019 (Age 80)
  • Key Roles Beyond MTM: Star of the highly successful spin-off series Rhoda.
• Cloris Leachman (Phyllis Lindstrom)
  • Role: Mary’s eccentric and self-absorbed landlady.
  • Full Name: Cloris Leachman
  • Born: April 30, 1926
  • Died: January 27, 2021 (Age 94)
  • Key Roles Beyond MTM: Oscar-winning performance in The Last Picture Show; star of the spin-off series Phyllis.
• Betty White (Sue Ann Nivens)
  • Role: The seemingly sweet but wickedly sarcastic host of WJM-TV’s "The Happy Homemaker" show.
  • Full Name: Betty Marion White Ludden
  • Born: January 17, 1922
  • Died: December 31, 2021 (Age 99)
  • Key Roles Beyond MTM: Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls; Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland.
• Georgia Engel (Georgette Franklin Baxter)
  • Role: Ted Baxter’s innocent and sweet-natured wife.
  • Full Name: Georgia Engel
  • Born: July 28, 1948
  • Died: April 12, 2019 (Age 70)
  • Key Roles Beyond MTM: Pat MacDougall on Everybody Loves Raymond.

The Recent Losses: A Sad Succession of Tragedies

The years immediately following Mary Tyler Moore’s passing in 2017 became a period of rapid loss for fans of the iconic series. The show’s ability to tackle serious issues like divorce, equal pay, and infertility with humor made it a landmark of the 1970s, and the cast’s passing marks the end of a golden era of television comedy.

The year 2021 was particularly devastating, claiming four of the main ensemble.

• Cloris Leachman (Phyllis Lindstrom) passed away in January 2021.
• Gavin MacLeod (Murray Slaughter) passed away in May 2021.
• Ed Asner (Lou Grant) passed away in August 2021.
• Betty White (Sue Ann Nivens), the last surviving main cast member, passed away just weeks before her 100th birthday on December 31, 2021.

This succession of losses cemented the show’s status as a cherished memory, with the main cast now entirely gone from the television landscape.

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The Final Surviving Cast Members and The Show's Enduring Legacy

While the primary cast is no longer with us, a few recurring actors who were vital to the show’s atmosphere remain. Their current status provides the last living link to the WJM-TV newsroom.

The Final Surviving Cast Member: Lisa Gerritsen

The only known surviving actor from the core and recurring cast is Lisa Gerritsen, who played Bess Lindstrom, Phyllis’s independent-minded daughter.

• Role: Bess Lindstrom
• Current Status: As of December 2025, Lisa Gerritsen is alive and is 67 years old.
• Career Update: Gerritsen largely stepped away from acting in the late 1970s after starring in the spin-off series Phyllis, choosing to pursue a private life outside of Hollywood.

The Very Recent Passing of a Recurring Star: John Amos

Until very recently, John Amos, who played Gordy Howard, the WJM-TV weatherman, was also one of the few surviving recurring cast members. However, in a major update, the actor passed away in 2024.

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• Role: Gordy Howard (Weatherman Gordy)
• Full Name: John Allen Amos Jr.
• Born: December 27, 1939
• Died: August 21, 2024 (Age 84)
• Key Roles Beyond MTM: James Evans Sr. on Good Times; Kunta Kinte in the miniseries Roots; Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on The West Wing.

The passing of John Amos in August 2024 means that, of the well-known faces from the series, Lisa Gerritsen is now the last known surviving link to the show's cast.

The Legacy That Launched Three Spin-Offs

The strength of The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s ensemble was so profound that it led to three successful spin-off series, a feat rarely matched in television history. This extension of the MTM universe demonstrates the incredible topical authority and depth of the original show's writing and characters.

1. Rhoda (1974–1978): The first spin-off followed Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) as she moved back to New York City and married Joe Gerard. The show was an immediate hit, with the wedding episode becoming one of the highest-rated television events of the decade.
2. Phyllis (1975–1977): This series saw Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman) and her daughter Bess move to San Francisco after the death of her husband, Lars.
3. Lou Grant (1977–1982): The most unusual of the spin-offs, this show featured Lou Grant (Ed Asner) moving to Los Angeles to become the city editor of a newspaper. It was a serious, hour-long drama, a remarkable shift from the comedic tone of the original sitcom, and it proved the incredible range of the cast.

The show’s influence extends far beyond its spin-offs. It is widely considered a landmark of second-wave feminism for its portrayal of an independent, single career woman in a time when most female leads were defined by their domestic roles. The show’s success paved the way for future ensemble comedies and continues to be studied for its innovative writing and commitment to character-driven humor. The 29 Emmy Awards it won remain a testament to its enduring quality and impact on television history.