Emmy-winning actress Valerie Mahaffey died Friday, May 30, in Los Angeles after battling cancer. She was 71 years old.
Mahaffey’s publicist confirmed her death to multiple outlets, with her husband, actor Joseph Kell, providing a statement expressing his grief. “I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses,” Kell indicated to Variety.
The actress was best known for her memorable television roles spanning nearly five decades. She won an Emmy Award in 1992 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of hypochondriac Eve on the CBS series Northern Exposure, which aired from 1990 to 1995.
On ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” Mahaffey played the manipulative Alma Hodge, the ex-wife of Kyle MacLachlan’s character Orson Hodge. She appeared in eight episodes of the drama series from 2006 to 2007, bringing her distinctive portrayal of eccentric characters to Wisteria Lane.
More recently, Mahaffey appeared as teacher Victoria MacElroy on “Young Sheldon,” the “Big Bang Theory” spin-off, from 2017 to 2020. She also had roles in David E. Kelley’s thriller series “Big Sky” and portrayed the grandiose Lorna Harding in the first two seasons of Netflix’s “Dead to Me” alongside Christina Applegate.
Born June 16, 1953, in Sumatra, Indonesia, to a Canadian mother and American father, Mahaffey relocated as a teenager to Texas. She graduated from Austin High School and the University of Texas in 1975 before beginning her acting career in New York City.
Mahaffey established herself as a versatile stage performer, appearing in six Broadway productions from 1976 to 1984. Her theater credits included “Dracula” starring Raul Julia and “Play Memory” directed by Harold Prince. She also performed as Desdemona in “Othello” opposite Morgan Freeman and Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” with Tom Hulce.
Her television career began with the NBC soap opera “The Doctors” from 1979 to 1981, where she played Ashley Bennett and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1980. This early success preceded her primetime Emmy win for “Northern Exposure” by more than a decade.
Throughout her career, Mahaffey accumulated dozens of television guest appearances on popular series including “Seinfeld,” “Wings,” “ER,” “Glee,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Cheers,” and “The Mindy Project.” She was a regular cast member on Norman Lear’s NBC series “The Powers That Be” from 1992 to 1993.
Her film work included roles in Clint Eastwood’s “Sully” alongside Tom Hanks, “Seabiscuit,” and “Jungle 2 Jungle.” She received critical acclaim and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female for her role as Madame Reynard in the 2020 film French Exit opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges.
Michelle Pfeiffer, who worked with Mahaffey in “French Exit,” posted on social media that one of their brightest stars was stolen from them, describing Mahaffey as a remarkable talent and human being. Rob Morrow, her “Northern Exposure” co-star, remembered her as a breath of fresh air who brought joy and laughs to the series.
Mahaffey also won two Obie Awards for her theater work in “Top Girls” at the Public Theatre and in Alan Bennett’s “Talking Heads” at the Minetta Lane. Her versatility allowed her to move seamlessly between comedy and drama throughout her career.
Her most recent work included appearances on Apple TV+’s “Echo 3” series. She was recently seen in “The 8th Day,” an Apple TV thriller released in 2025, marking one of her final credited performances.
The couple’s daughter, Alice, wrote on Facebook about her mother’s passing, stating that cancer was difficult and expressing how she would look for her mother in all the fun moments of life, knowing that’s where she would be.
Mahaffey is survived by her husband Joseph Kell and daughter Alice. Her publicist described her as a striking and charismatic stage, film, and television actress whose career spanned many decades, noting that her warm and infectious energy was felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing her.