Frances Sternhagen, Sex And The City & Cheers Actor, Dead At 93

"Sex and the City" and "Cheers" actor Frances Sternhagen has died at the age of 93, per Deadline. The outlet reports that Sternhagen had died of natural causes, although an official cause of death has yet to be revealed. Her son, John Carlin, announced Sternhagen's passing on social media. "Frannie. Mom. Frances Sternhagen," he wrote. "On Monday night, Nov 27, she died peacefully at her home, a month and a half shy of her 94th birthday." He went on to add, "Fly on, Frannie. The curtain goes down on a life so richly, passionately, humbly and generously lived."

The veteran actress was best known as Esther Clavin on the classic sitcom "Cheers" and as Bunny MacDougal on "Sex and the City," but across TV and beyond, her career was filled with incredible feats. According to IMDb, she was nominated for three Emmys and a whopping seven Tony awards, winning two for her performances in "The Good Doctor" and "The Heiress." Her last project before retirement was in 2014 when she starred in the film "And So It Goes." 

Sternhagen had an incredible career that spanned decades and different areas of the entertainment industry, and she will forever be remembered for the iconic roles she played. 

Frances Sternhagen was a veteran when it came to Broadway. She debuted onstage in "The Skin of Our Teeth" in 1995, per Broadway World. Over the years, she starred in many productions on Broadway, including "The Good Doctor" and her final performance onstage in 2005 for "Seascape." As we know, Sternhagen also starred in films and television, covering every major outlet the entertainment industry had to offer. While she may have enjoyed all of them, there was one area she particularly loved.

When asked by TDF whether she loved television, film, or Broadway the most, the actor revealed she loved the stage. "I think most people who start on the stage love to work on the stage," she said. "We love to do movies, because movies are so popular in America, but people who start on the stage love it because you have that relationship with the audience, which is unique." 

Sternhagen admitted there's no other experience like receiving feedback from the audience in that exact moment. "So many people, they say, 'The moment I heard all the laughter, that's when I knew I wanted to be an actor,'" she explained. "And also those moments when all you hear is silence. That is just as thrilling. It's so exciting to know that you've hit home with a serious moment." Clearly, not only did she enjoy it, but she was also great at it.