Betty McGuire, best known for her role as Kate Malone in the American sitcom Growing Pains, has died at the age of 100. She passed away from natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home in California on 8 October, as confirmed by her close family friend Keith Gerchak.
Career Highlights on Television
McGuire starred as Kate Malone, mother to Maggie Seaver (played by Joanna Kerns), in the ABC comedy Growing Pains from 1986 to 1991. She shared the screen with Alan Thicke, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold and Jeremy Miller. The series also introduced a young Leonardo DiCaprio to the world when he joined the cast in its later years as Luke Brower.
Her television career included guest appearances in The Doris Day Show (1973), Columbo (1975), Charlie's Angels (1977), Hill Street Blues (1982), Moonlighting (1986), Falcon Crest (1988-1989), MacGyver (1990), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and CSI: Miami (2003).
Film and Broadway Roles
McGuire also had roles in films such as Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke as Sister Mary Quacker, and a nurse in Michael Crichton's Coma, both released in 1978.
In addition to her television work, she had a Broadway career and performed alongside Ethel Merman, Bea Arthur, Barbara Cook and Tony Randall. In her later years, she hosted a chat show named GabFest at her retirement community, where she spoke to fellow residents about their lives and experiences.
Tributes From Fans
Tributes have poured in online. One person wrote: "Again, we lost another veteran actress at 100. Veteran actress Betty McGuire has passed away at 100, closing a remarkable journey that moved from the Broadway stage to classic films and decades of American television."
Another commented: "Veteran actress Betty McGuire has died aged 100. She was remembered for her beloved role as Kate Malone in the television series Growing Pains and her distinguished Broadway career alongside some of the biggest legends of the stage. May she rest in peace."
