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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Georgia Engel, the soft-spoken comic actor best known as Georgette on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, died in Princeton, New Jersey, on April 12, 2019, at age 70. The Associated Press reported at the time that her cause of death was unknown.
Georgia Engel’s death and what was known
Engel was born July 28, 1948, in Washington, D.C. She died in Princeton, New Jersey, on April 12, 2019. In its April 16, 2019 report, the Associated Press, published by PBS NewsHour, said her cause of death was unknown, citing her friend and executor John Quilty. Quilty said Engel did not see doctors because of her Christian Science beliefs; that account does not establish a medical cause of death.
Her agent, Jacqueline Stander, told the AP: “I know the world will be sad and sorry. She touched so many people.”
How Engel became Georgette
Engel studied theater at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and began her Broadway career near the end of the original run of Hello, Dolly! According to the Television Academy biography, Mary Tyler Moore and producer Grant Tinker saw her in John Guare’s play The House of Blue Leaves before casting her as Georgette Franklin on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
The role reportedly began as a small one. Engel recalled to The Washington Post: “It was only going to be one episode,” and “I was just supposed to have a few lines in a party scene, but they kept giving me more and more to do.” Georgette became a recurring presence, and later married news anchor Ted Baxter, played by Ted Knight.
A career across television and the stage
Television
After The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Engel co-starred with Betty White on The Betty White Show and appeared on series including The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. She had recurring roles on Coach, Everybody Loves Raymond and Hot in Cleveland. Her work on Everybody Loves Raymond brought her a new generation of viewers; the Television Academy lists her first nomination for the series in 2003. The Academy identifies her final credited appearance as an episode of One Day at a Time in 2018.
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- Factory sealed DVD
Film, Broadway and off-Broadway
The Washington Post reported that Engel made her screen debut in the 1971 film Taking Off. Her stage work included Broadway productions of The Boys from Syracuse and The Drowsy Chaperone, as well as an off-Broadway production of Uncle Vanya in 2012, according to the AP.
Georgia Engel’s Emmy nominations
Engel received five Primetime Emmy nominations and did not win. The Television Academy’s record divides them between the two series most closely associated with her television career:
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| Series | Nomination years | Total |
|---|---|---|
| The Mary Tyler Moore Show | 1976, 1977 | 2 |
| Everybody Loves Raymond | 2003, 2004, 2005 | 3 |
The Television Academy lists the five nominations in those years. They reflect recognition across different stages of Engel’s career, rather than Emmy wins.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Engel described the harder stretches
Engel’s career lasted decades, but she did not describe it as a steady run of success. Reflecting on its setbacks in an interview with The Washington Post, she said: “If you ever interview someone who hasn’t had a down time,” she said, “then you’re talking to someone who just hasn’t lived.”
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- Factory sealed DVD
For a contemporaneous account of her death and stage career, see the Associated Press report via PBS NewsHour. The Television Academy biography and awards record document her roles and nominations. The Washington Post obituary includes Engel’s recollections of her role and career.
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