Polly Holliday, Alice Star, Dead At 88

Polly Holliday, who was the last surviving original cast member from the CBS classic Alice, died Tuesday at the age of 88.

Holliday's longtime friend and theater agent, Dennis Aspland, confirmed her passing to The New York Times. A cause of death was not disclosed.

The actress won two Golden Globes for her turn as wisecracking waitress Florence "Flo" Castleberry on the aforementioned Alice, and was known for her catchphrase, "Kiss my grits!"

Following Season 4, Holliday left Alice to lead her own short-loved spinoff, Flo, which ran for two seasons and ended in 1981.

Holliday was a four-time Emmy nominee. She was thrice nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy for Alice, and picked up a fourth nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress for Flo.

Subsequent TV work included a recurring role on ABC's Home Improvement, on which she appeared in five episodes as Lillian Patterson, mother to Patricia Richardson's Jill; and a supporting role on the short-lived CBS legal thriller The Client, opposite JoBeth Williams.

On the big screen, she is most commonly associated with her turn as Mrs. Deagle in 1984's Gremlins. Additional credits included Mrs. Doubtfire, The Parent Trap (1998) and The Heartbreak Kid (2007).