Priscilla Morrill

Famous for her portrayal of Lou Grant's wife in the innovative newsroom sitcom "Mary Tyler Moore," actress Priscilla Morrill enjoyed a 30-year career in television. A Massachusetts native, she attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology but found herself on stage rather than in a lab upon graduation. She starred opposite Shakespearean actor John Carradine in a prominent production of "Julius Caesar" and bowed on Broadway in the adulterous 17th-century comedy "The Relapse." Morrill first appeared in American homes on a 1963 episode of the bizarro anthology series "The Outer Limits," a guest appearance that paved the way for dozens more. Following "Mary Tyler Moore," Morrill played several small parts on another groundbreaking series, the sitcom "All in the Family," remembered for its fearless tackling of taboo topics. Morrill appeared four times between 1973 and 1976. She then picked up a recurring role on the drama "Family" and was set to become a regular on the Faustian comedy "A Year at the Top" during the late '70s. The show lasted only five episodes before cancellation. In the 1980s, Morrill secured key roles in TV movies, memorably playing Mrs. Finter in the terminal-illness drama "Right of Way" with Bette Davis and James Stewart. She also embodied the aristocratic Marian Vanderkellen in comedian Bob Newhart's aptly named comedy series, "Newhart," before taking her final role as the well-to-do widow Mrs. Rizzendough in the sitcom "Coach." Morrill died from a kidney infection at age 67.