Cloris Leachman, Emmy and Oscar-winner, dies aged 94

Cloris Leachman, an Emmy and Oscar-winning actress, has died at the age of 94.

She was a renowned character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the The Last Picture Show and Emmys for her comedic work in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and other TV series.

Cloris died of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California, her publicist Monique Moss said on Wednesday. Her daughter, Dinah, was at her side.

Her son paid a loving tribute to his mum in a statement to TMZ, saying: "She had the best life beginning to end that you could wish for someone." He said she was at peace and "left everyone with a lot of love."

Her lifelong manager,Juliet Green, confirmed her passing to The Washington Post and also paid tribute to her friend.

"It's been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time,” she said.

"There was no one like Cloris. With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh 'till the tears ran down your face.

"You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic.”

Millions of viewers knew the actor as the self-absorbed neighbour Phyllis in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

She also appeared as the mother of Timmy on the Lassie series. She played a frontier prostitute in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a crime spree family member in Crazy Mama, and the infamous Frau Bucher in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein.

With extra reporting by AAP

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