Earlier this week, we reported that the Academy Award-winning actress Cloris Leachman had passed away at 94. Now, former “Dancing With The Stars” host Tom Bergeron is speaking out to pay tribute to her.
Leachman was 82 years-old when she became the oldest person to compete on “Dancing With The Stars” back in 2008. Bergeron took to Instagram to honor her by posting a sweet throwback photo of them on the set of the show.
“After the universe gave us Cloris Leachman, it broke the mold,” he captioned it, adding a crying emoji and the hashtag “#RIP.”
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Leachman had a good run on “Dancing With The Stars,” coming in seventh place and beating out the likes of Kim Kardashian and Toni Braxton along the way. Her publicist revealed that the Oscar-winning legend died in her sleep on Wednesday.,
“It’s been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time. 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,” Leachman’s longtime manager Juliet Green said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight. “You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic.”
“She loved her children and her grandchildren ferociously,” she added. “A lifelong vegetarian, she was a passionate advocate for animal rights. The family requests that any donations in her name be made to PETA or Last Chance for Animals.”
Tributes have been pouring in for Leachman from other celebrities as well, including from Mel Brooks, who directed her in the movies Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety and History of the World: Part 1.
“Such sad news — Cloris was insanely talented. She could make you laugh or cry at the drop of a hat,” Brooks shared. “Always such a pleasure to have on set. Every time I hear a horse whinny I will forever think of Cloris’ unforgettable Frau Blücher. She is irreplaceable, and will be greatly missed.”
Such sad news—Cloris was insanely talented. She could make you laugh or cry at the drop of a hat. Always such a pleasure to have on set. Every time I hear a horse whinny I will forever think of Cloris’ unforgettable Frau Blücher. She is irreplaceable, and will be greatly missed.
— Mel Brooks (@MelBrooks) January 27, 2021
Ed Asner, who starred with Leachman on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” paid tribute to her as well with a photo of them at a Hollywood event.
“A picture from the last time I saw you. Always beautiful. Nothing I could say would top the enormity of my love for you,” Asner wrote. “Until we meet again darling. #clorisleachmanrip.”
A picture from the last time I saw you. Always beautiful. Nothing I could say would top the enormity of my love for you. Until we meet again darling. #clorisleachmanrip pic.twitter.com/9etOZo13Kb
— Ed Asner (@TheOnlyEdAsner) January 27, 2021
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