LOS ANGELES -- Cloris Leachman, an Oscar-winner for her portrayal of a lonely housewife in "The Last Picture Show" and a comedic delight as the fearsome Frau Blucher in "Young Frankenstein" and self-absorbed neighbor Phyllis on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," has died. She was 94.
Leachman died in her sleep of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, Calif., publicist Monique Moss said Wednesday. Her daughter was at her side, Moss said.
A character actor of extraordinary range, Leachman defied typecasting. In her early television career, she appeared as Timmy's mother on the "Lassie" series. She played a frontier prostitute in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," a crime rampage family member in "Crazy Mama," and Blucher in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein," in which the very mention of her name made horses whinny.
"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," Juliet Green, her longtime manager, said in a statement.
In 1989 she toured in "Grandma Moses," a play in which she aged from 45 to 101. For three years in the 1990s she appeared in major cities as the captain's wife in the revival of "Show Boat." In the 1993 movie version of "The Beverly Hillbillies," she assumed the Irene Ryan role as Granny Clampett.
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She also had an occasional role as Ida on "Malcolm in the Middle," winning Emmys in 2002 and 2006 for that show. Her Emmy haul over the years totaled eight in all, including a trophy for Moore's sitcom.
In 2008, she joined the ranks of contestants in "Dancing With the Stars," not lasting long in the competition but pleasing the crowds with her sparkly dance costumes, sitting in judges' laps and cussing during the live broadcast.
Although she started out as Miss Chicago in the Miss America Pageant, Leachman willingly accepted unglamorous screen roles.
"Basically I don't care how I look, ugly or beautiful," she told an interviewer in 1973. "I don't think that's what beauty is. On a single day, any of us is ugly or beautiful. I'm heartbroken I can't be the witch in 'The Wizard of Oz.' But I'd also like to be the good witch. Phyllis combines them both.
"I'm kind of like that in life. I'm magic, and I believe in magic. There's supposed to be a point in life when you aren't supposed to stay believing that. I haven't reached it yet."
Despite her photogenic looks, she continued to be cast in character parts. Her most indelible role was Phyllis Lindstrom on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
Phyllis often visited Mary's apartment, bringing laments about her husband Lars and caustic remarks about Mary and especially about her adversary, another tenant, Rhoda Morgenstern. Phyllis was so unexpectedly engaging that Leachman starred in a spinoff series of her own, "Phyllis," which ran on CBS from 1975 to 1977.
Information for this article was contributed by Bob Thomas of The Associated Press.
![FILE - Cloris Leachman attends the premiere of "The Comedian" during the 2016 AFI Fest on Nov. 11, 2016, in Los Angeles. Leachman stars in the faith-based film "I Can Only Imagine" which has made over $22 million in just six days of release on a $7 million budget. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)]()
FILE - Cloris Leachman attends the premiere of "The Comedian" during the 2016 AFI Fest on Nov. 11, 2016, in Los Angeles. Leachman stars in the faith-based film "I Can Only Imagine" which has made over $22 million in just six days of release on a $7 million budget. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
![FILE - Cloris Leachman arrives at the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 28, 2007, in Los Angeles. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)]()
FILE - Cloris Leachman arrives at the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 28, 2007, in Los Angeles. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
![FILE - Former cast members of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, sans Mary Tyler Moore, are reunited for the Museum of Television and Radio's 9th annual Television Festival in Los Angeles on March 21, 1992. From left are Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Betty White and Ed Asner. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Craig Fujii, File)]()
FILE - Former cast members of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, sans Mary Tyler Moore, are reunited for the Museum of Television and Radio's 9th annual Television Festival in Los Angeles on March 21, 1992. From left are Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Betty White and Ed Asner. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Craig Fujii, File)
![FILE - Actress Cloris Leachman poses at her California home Oct. 18, 1984. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Sal Veder, File)]()
FILE - Actress Cloris Leachman poses at her California home Oct. 18, 1984. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Sal Veder, File)
![FILE - Cloris Leachman shows off her Emmy for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for her role in "Malcom in the Middle," at the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 22, 2002, in Los Angeles. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)]()
FILE - Cloris Leachman shows off her Emmy for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for her role in "Malcom in the Middle," at the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 22, 2002, in Los Angeles. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
![FILE - Actress Cloris Leachman arrives at the premiere of "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" in Los Angeles on June 4, 2009. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)]()
FILE - Actress Cloris Leachman arrives at the premiere of "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" in Los Angeles on June 4, 2009. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
![FILE - Actress Cloris Leachman, a star in the TV series "Facts of Life," hoists an Australian Wallaby by name of Skippy on Thursday Feb. 13, 1987, during a celebration at Chasen's in Beverly Hills of her 40 years in show business. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Michael Tweed, FILE)]()
FILE - Actress Cloris Leachman, a star in the TV series "Facts of Life," hoists an Australian Wallaby by name of Skippy on Thursday Feb. 13, 1987, during a celebration at Chasen's in Beverly Hills of her 40 years in show business. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (AP Photo/Michael Tweed, FILE)
![FILE - Cloris Leachman arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "She's Funny That Way" on Aug. 19, 2015. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)]()
FILE - Cloris Leachman arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "She's Funny That Way" on Aug. 19, 2015. Leachman, a character actor whose depth of talent brought her an Oscar for the "The Last Picture Show" and Emmys for her comedic work in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and other TV series, has died. She was 94. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
