Valerie Mahaffey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valerie Mahaffey
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Valerie Mahaffey at the Canadian Film Centre in March 2012
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| Born | June 16, 1953 |
| Died | May 30, 2025 (aged 71) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin (BFA) |
| Years active | 1976–2022 |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph Kell |
| Children | 1 |
Valerie Mahaffey (born June 16, 1953 – died May 30, 2025) was a talented American actress and producer. She was known for playing many different kinds of characters. Valerie started her acting journey on the TV show The Doctors from 1979 to 1981. For her work on that show, she was nominated for a special award called the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
In 1992, Valerie won a big award, the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She won it for her role in the TV show Northern Exposure. She also became famous for her roles in other popular TV shows. These include Wings, Desperate Housewives, Devious Maids, and Big Sky. Valerie Mahaffey also acted in several movies. Some of her notable films are Senior Trip (1995), Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), Jack and Jill (2011), and Sully (2016). Her role in the movie French Exit (2020) was highly praised. She even received a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for it.
Early Life and Education
Valerie Mahaffey was born in Sumatra, Indonesia. Her mother was from Canada, and her father was from Texas. They met in New Brunswick, Canada. When Valerie was 16, her family moved to Austin, Texas. She finished high school there at Austin High School.
Valerie continued her education at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1975, she earned a degree called a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After college, she started her career on Broadway. Her first Broadway show was the musical Rex.
Acting Career Highlights
Valerie Mahaffey was a regular actress on the soap opera The Doctors. She was on the show from 1979 to 1981. This role led to her nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1980. In 1986, she starred in the film Women of Valor. This movie showed the roles of women in the Philippines during World War II. That same year, she was in the TV mini-series Fresno. This show made fun of popular TV soap operas.
In the late 1980s, Valerie started acting in TV comedies. She appeared in popular shows like Newhart, Cheers, and Seinfeld. From 1992 to 1993, she had a role in the sitcom The Powers That Be. In 1995, she was in the sitcom Women of the House with Delta Burke. Valerie also acted in movies during this time. She played Tracy Milford in National Lampoon's Senior Trip (1995). She was also Jan Kempster in Jungle 2 Jungle (1997). Later, in 1999, she had a repeating role on the medical drama ER. In 2003, she was in the movie Seabiscuit. She also appeared in seven episodes of the comedy series United States of Tara in 2009. Valerie also performed in several stage plays.
One of Valerie's biggest achievements was winning an Emmy Award. In 1992, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. This was for her role as Eve in the CBS series Northern Exposure. Her character, Eve, was a hypochondriac, someone who worries a lot about being sick. Valerie was the only actor from Northern Exposure to win an Emmy.
From 2006 to 2007, Valerie played Alma Hodge in Desperate Housewives. She also made guest appearances on many other TV shows. These include Quantum Leap, L.A. Law, Ally McBeal, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She was also in Frasier, Wings, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. From 2011 to 2013, she played Emma Pillsbury's mother on Glee. In 2013, she had a role in the medical drama Monday Mornings. From 2013 to 2015, she played Olivia Rice in Devious Maids.
In 2016, Valerie had a supporting role in the movie Sully. This film was directed by the famous Clint Eastwood. In 2017, she started a recurring role in the CBS comedy series Young Sheldon. From 2019 to 2022, Valerie played Lorna Harding. This was Christina Applegate's mother-in-law in the Netflix series Dead to Me.
In 2020, Valerie Mahaffey starred with Michelle Pfeiffer in the movie French Exit. She played a character named Madame Reynaud. Critics really liked her funny performance in the film. She was even considered for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. Later in 2020, Valerie joined the cast of the ABC crime drama Big Sky.
Personal Life
Valerie Mahaffey was married to Joseph Kell, who is an actor and director. They had one daughter together.
Valerie Mahaffey passed away on May 30, 2025, at the age of 71. She died from cancer.
