logo
Lynne Marie Stewart, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Pee-wee's Playhouse" actor, dies at age 78

Lynne Marie Stewart, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Pee-wee's Playhouse" actor, dies at age 78

CBS News22-02-2025

Lynne Marie Stewart, who starred on-screen in productions like "Pee-wee's Playhouse" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," died at age 78 on Friday after a quick illness, a spokesperson told CBS News on Saturday.
Stewart was born on Dec. 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, California, according to her IMDb page. She died after
The 78-year-old actor starred as Miss Yvonne originally in the 1981 film, "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" and went on to play the character on the CBS Saturday morning show, "Pee-wee's Playhouse." The program ran from 1986-1991.
Fans of the long-running sitcom, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" will remember Stewart as Bonnie Kelly, the mother of Charlie King, played by Charlie Day. Stewart appeared in 18 episodes from 2005-2023, according to IMDb.
Bette Smith, a spokesperson for the actress, said Stewart had just finished working on the upcoming comedy movie, "The Dink," in mid-December when she went to the doctor for symptoms of exhaustion.
Upon further examination, Smith said doctors found a tumor near the actress' liver and gallbladder. The spokesperson described the tumor discovery as a total shock and her death on Friday was quick and unexpected.
"She was a genius with her craft. The work was most important to her she never cared about the money or fame. She was the kindest, most honorable person to know," Smith said in a statement to CBS News.
According to Smith, "The Dink" director Josh Greenbaum, sent Stewart a copy of the upcoming film on Thursday. Stewart got to watch it with her family.
Charlie Day shared a tribute to his television mom on Instagram writing, "The brilliant and talented Lynne Marie Stewart. Rest in peace. Thank you for all the years of laughter."
Danny DeVito, who also stars in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," shared on X,"Gonna miss Lynne. Lynne Marie Stewart…So wonderful a spirit to work with on Sunny! All love to her family."
The 78-year-old actress was also known for her roles in "The Running Man," "American Graffiti" and "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."
Stewart is survived by her sister, Gayle Stewart and several grandchildren, including her best friend Cindy William's children, Emily Hudson and Zac Hudson.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Jon Stewart Weighs In On L.A. Protests, Says Trump Is Escalating To Distract From Elon Musk's Epstein Accusation: 'Petty And Petulant Man-Babies'
Jon Stewart Weighs In On L.A. Protests, Says Trump Is Escalating To Distract From Elon Musk's Epstein Accusation: 'Petty And Petulant Man-Babies'

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Jon Stewart Weighs In On L.A. Protests, Says Trump Is Escalating To Distract From Elon Musk's Epstein Accusation: 'Petty And Petulant Man-Babies'

Jon Stewart weighed in on the Los Angeles protests in opposition to Donald Trump's escalation of ICE deportations, saying the tactic is to distract from the tit-for-tat feud between him and Elon Musk, in which the tech titan accused him of being in the Jeffrey Epstein files. 'Is your city ever not on fire? Whether you win a basketball championship, a World Series championship, whether you have an exploding piñata gender reveal gone wrong — congratulations, it's a boy and an evacuation — or you're just protesting the Trump administration's expanded deportation raids, L.A. continues to be our most flammable city,' Stewart began during tonight's installment of The Daily Show. More from Deadline Why There Is So Much Worry In Public Media That Donald Trump Will Win Fight To Defund NPR, PBS And Local Stations Trump Sending Marines To L.A. To Respond To ICE Protests; POTUS Also Plans To Deploy Additional 2,000 Guard Troops, Gavin Newsom Says - Update BET Awards Set To Go On Amid LA Protests Against Immigration Raids Commenting specifically on the autonomous vehicles that were set on fire during some of the demonstrations, Stewart quipped: 'Took five of them before you were like, 'Should we stop sending the Waymos?'' He added jokingly, 'How dare you? How could you use Waymo's innocence and helpful spirit against the Waymo? Imagine for a moment: Waymo's disappointment upon realizing it was, as Admiral Ackbar might say, 'a trap!' You got Waymo going, 'Hello, it is my honor to take you to Hollywood and—what are you doing? My God no! I'm giving you only one star. Tell my Roomba I love her!'' In his signature misdirect, Stewart then seemingly praised the MAGA-sphere for approaching the crisis in the City of Angels with a 'somber' tone, playing clips of a series of newscasts, including Ted Cruz saying the situation was 'deeply unfortunate.' Except — 'I'm sorry, I'm being told that wasn't about Los Angeles,' Stewart said, 'that was them heartbroken that Trump and Elon have gone no-contact. That's a slightly different thing. That's true. See, for the Right right now, I guess that's the real national tragedy … See, the upset in L.A. is in a blue state, in a blue city, with people that they don't give a f— about.' Insinuating that the sending of the National Guard is to 'distract from' another important matter, Stewart addressed Musk's allegation, which has since been scrubbed from his X social media platform. 'Oh right, that's what we were talking about, which, now, to be fair to Trump, it is ridiculous — I mean, you can't just make wild accusations like that just because Trump and Epstein hung out once, or twice, or Trump was in the flight logs or Epstein called Trump his 'closest friend,' or they went to parties and whispered, I can only assume, Biblical passages in each other's ears,' he said. Concluding his segment, the political comic added, 'It must be hard for the Right to see how petty and petulant these two man-babies are and how they wield their power in vindictive and capricious manners when they don't get exactly their way and the damage that that behavior causes. And I guess what I would say to the Right is: 'Welcome to our f—ing world every day. Now you know.'' Watch the segment below: Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Where To Watch All The 'John Wick' Movies: Streamers That Have All Four Films

Jon Stewart Calls Los Angeles ‘Our Most Flammable City' Amid ICE Protests: ‘Trump Happily Lights the Fuse'
Jon Stewart Calls Los Angeles ‘Our Most Flammable City' Amid ICE Protests: ‘Trump Happily Lights the Fuse'

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Jon Stewart Calls Los Angeles ‘Our Most Flammable City' Amid ICE Protests: ‘Trump Happily Lights the Fuse'

On this week's episode of 'The Daily Show,' Jon Stewart covered the ongoing protests in Los Angeles, which are fighting back against aggressive raids from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Stewart opened the show by joking he was in L.A. over the weekend 'getting a BBL from a celebrity doctor.' While there, he had one question for Angelenos: 'Is your city ever not on fire?' More from Variety Jon Stewart Tackles Elon Musk's Exit From the Trump Administration: 'This Guy Has Seen Some S--' Jon Stewart Slams CNN for Relentlessly Promoting Book on Joe Biden's Declining Health Amid Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: 'Doing the Story Seems Almost Disrespectful' 'Daily Show' Host Jordan Klepper Wanted to Understand Young Trump Voters: 'I Expected a Bunch of D--s ... but the Cruelty Wasn't There' 'Whether you win a basketball championship, a world series championship, whether you have an exploding piñata gender reveal gone wrong, congratulations, it's a boy and an evacuation,' Stewart joked. 'Or you're just protesting the Trump administration's expanded deportation raids. L.A. continues to be our most flammable city.' Stewart then played a clip of Donald Trump on the campaign trail saying, 'We're going to get the criminals, the murderers, the drug dealers.' He then contrasted Trump's statement with a news snippet, reporting that 'protests started following ICE raids at a Home Depot parking lot in Paramount, south of the city.' 'A Home Depot? From 'the worst of the worst' to a fucking Home Depot? Jeez, ICE, if you need assistance in arresting people, those guys are looking for work,' Stewart said. 'It's an explosive situation, on the cusp of federalism vs. states' rights. Border control vs. due process. Terrifyingly militarized sweeps vs. hard-working people in local communities.' The late-night pundit, clearly setting up a joke on Trump, added that the situation requires 'a deft touch' to calm the conflict. Stewart then hard cut to a clip of Trump at a press conference, saying that he has 'a little statement: They say, 'They spit, we hit.'' 'Predictably, these non-targeted, much broader deportation efforts in cities that feel very connected to the immigrant population [are] a tinderbox, and Trump happily lights the fuse,' Stewart said later in the show. 'Luckily, in the midst of all this chaos, there have been no fatalities. Well, human fatalities.' Another news clip then played, reporting that the self-driving car service Waymo was 'suspending service after at least five of its cars were vandalized and set on fire' during the protests. 'It took five of them before you were like, 'Should we stop sending the Waymos? Four could be a coincidence,'' Stewart joked. Watch the entire segment below. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week

Pickleball, punchlines, and personal growth: ‘Hacks' stars Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs on their bond and what's next
Pickleball, punchlines, and personal growth: ‘Hacks' stars Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs on their bond and what's next

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Pickleball, punchlines, and personal growth: ‘Hacks' stars Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs on their bond and what's next

When Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs stepped onto a pickleball court for a recent Gold Derby interview it was a full-circle callback to a fan-favorite scene from Max's critically acclaimed comedy Hacks. In the Season 3 episode, their characters — eccentric talent agents Kayla and Jimmy — hilariously face off against a TV network president played by Helen Hunt in a match that became a standout moment for fans. 'We trained, we had a coach,' Downs said, laughing. Stalter chimed in: 'Yes, I loved our classes.' More from GoldDerby 'That feeling of having a first crush': How Zach Cherry and Merritt Wever made their 'Severance' marriage feel real Brandon Scott Jones on CBS' 'Ghosts': 'I enjoy playing characters that are desperate' Critics hail Celine Song's 'Materialists' as an 'exquisitely made' modern love story - not a 'glossy romantic comedy' The blend of sharp comedy and heartfelt connection has propelled Hacks through four acclaimed seasons, with a fifth officially confirmed. The series follows Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a legendary comedian, who partners with Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), a young, edgy writer, to revitalize her act. Created by Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky, Hacks has garnered widespread acclaim for its witty writing, emotional depth, and standout performances including 48 Emmy nominations and 9 wins. For Downs, who also serves as co-creator, writer, and director, he says the recognition means a lot to him and the entire cast and crew. 'I think it was really special last season, having the series win, because our show is made by so many people. To share that with everybody was so gratifying, whether it's our cinematographer or a costume designer or a production designer, everybody that makes the show really cares about the show, watches the show and loves the show. For them to feel like they were part of what was recognized by people, it's incredibly gratifying,' he says. While Hacks delivers sharp humor, it consistently engages with deeper themes. 'We feel like a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,' Downs explained. 'Every season does explore something.' Season 4, for example, delves into the changing landscape of television, focusing on Deborah Vance's pursuit of a late-night talk show. Downs adds that the series also centers around characters who don't always fit in. 'I think for Jimmy and Kayla for example, they're outsiders just as much as Deborah and Ava are in the first season. They don't really fit in at Latitude, at this management company. So they leave and strike out on their own to start up their own thing. And Deborah and Ava are both two people who are kind of ostracized to the desert. So the show's really about people who are on the outside and are striving for dignity and doing that through the connection that they have, which is their work, whether that be writing comedy or representing comedy.' HBO Max Still, no matter how big the theme, the emotional center of the series remains with its characters and their relationships. Stalter, whose breakout turn as the wildly unfiltered Kayla has made her a fan favorite, is especially proud of her character's growth. 'She started off being the assistant who's kind of messing up. I feel like now she's secretly saving the day. She's like a secret genius,' she said. 'Their friendship's grown so much. I think it meant so much to Kayla when Jimmy steps in and chooses her, and that's all she's really wanted.' Downs echoed the sentiment. 'They both really care about doing a good job, I think, for each other in a lot of ways,' he said. 'And I love that Kayla is such a free character, which is a lot like Meg. Meg is such a fearless actor and so free.' That admiration carries into their viewing habits, too. 'I'm in a scene, I'm running over to laugh at the scene we just did,' Stalter said. 'I don't have any shame about it. It's so funny. He is so funny. Why wouldn't I want to see it twice?' As they look ahead to Season 5, the closeness among the cast and crew remains central — a bond strengthened through shared hardships, including COVID, the L.A. fires and Jean Smart's heart attack in 2023. 'We've gone through a lot as a cast and a crew. We've definitely gotten closer,' Downs said. Though Hacks has no shortage of Emmys, the cast is just as thrilled by fan responses. 'I've seen so many TikTok edits,' Stalter said. 'I'm tearing up at the fan edits of Deborah and Ava. I'm like, the show is so good. I am crying over the TikTok video.' When it comes to who might win a real-life Hacks cast pickleball tournament, Downs has a few ideas. 'I bet Hannah [Einbinder] would be good. She is very athletic. She was a cheerleader," he said. Stalter chimed in, 'I could see Jean [Smart] being good too. I feel like I'd get intimidated on the court playing against her.' Still, Downs had one final pick: 'Christopher McDonald — he's a great golfer and he plays tennis, too. I bet he'd be really good.' Best of GoldDerby Brandon Scott Jones on CBS' 'Ghosts': 'I enjoy playing characters that are desperate' 'She's got tunnel vision': Wendi McLendon-Covey reveals what she loves most about her character Joyce on 'St. Denis Medical' Marlon Wayans on laughing through tragedy in 'Good Grief' and why social media has made comedy 'toxic' Click here to read the full article.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store