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Sunday, November 15, 2026Nov 15

‘Who’s the Boss?’ and ‘Soap’ actress Katherine Helmond dies

FILE - In this May 26, 2006, file photo, Katherine Helmond arrives for the premiere of the Disney/Pixar animated film "Cars" at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Helmond, best known as the grandmother who was hot for housekeeper Tony Danza on "Who's The Boss," died last Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, of complications from Alzheimer's disease at her home in Los Angeles, her talent agency APA announced Friday, March 1, 2019. She was 89. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)
FILE - In this May 26, 2006, file photo, Katherine Helmond arrives for the premiere of the Disney/Pixar animated film "Cars" at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Helmond, best known as the grandmother who was hot for housekeeper Tony Danza on "Who's The Boss," died last Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, of complications from Alzheimer's disease at her home in Los Angeles, her talent agency APA announced Friday, March 1, 2019. She was 89. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Actress Katherine Helmond, an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actress who played two very different matriarchs on the ABC sitcoms “Who’s the Boss?” and “Soap,” has died, her talent agency said Friday. She was 89.

Helmond died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease last Saturday at her home in Los Angeles, talent agency APA said in a statement.

A native of Galveston, Texas, Helmond’s credits date back to the 1950s and she worked steadily in small roles through the decades. But her real fame, and all seven of her Emmy nominations, didn’t start arriving until she was nearly 50.

She was probably best known for playing Mona Robinson, Judith Light’s mother on “Who’s the Boss?,” which also starred Tony Danza and a young Alyssa Milano.

She won a best supporting Golden Globe for her work in 1989.