Polly Holliday death: Alice, Flo, The Parent Trap actress dies aged 88
Polly Holliday, known for her roles in Alice, The Parent Trap, and Mrs Doubtfire, has died aged 88.
The actress died on Tuesday in her Manhattan home, her theatrical agent and friend Dennis Aspland told The New York Times.
He told TMZ that the actress had battled health issues for years, dying of suspected pneumonia.
Watch the video above.
READ MORE: Harry and Charles reunite for the first time in 18 months
Her most famous role was as outgoing roadhouse waitress Flo in the 1975 sitcom Alice, with the actress’ signature line “Kiss my grits!” becoming one of the most memorable parts of the beloved show.
She later called the catchphrase ”pure Hollywood”, recalling in a 2003 interview, “When the writers gave it to me, I said, ‘What is this supposed to mean? Why am I saying that?'”
Fans would always aske her to repeat it, to which she would “usually just smile and say, ‘Oh, I’m sure you could do it better.'”
For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Remembering the stars we’ve lost in 2025
She stayed on the show for four seasons, reportedly leaving in the 1979-1980 season finale due to tension with lead actress Linda Lavin.
“People assumed that because Flo was very big that Linda must have had her nose out of joint,” Holliday told People in a 1980 interview, “Well, Linda’s a bigger person than that.”
Then she starred in her own spin-off, Flo, which lasted two seasons from 1980 to 1981, following her character taking over her own roadhouse in Texas.
READ MORE: What parents need to know when choosing a mobile plan for kids
For her role she received Golden Globe awards in 1979 and 1980 as well as four Emmy nominations – two in 1980 for her role in Alice, and two for her own show.
Her screen career spanned from 1963 to 2010, appearing in projects like Gremlins, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Parent Trap, Home Improvement, and The Golden Girls.
Her last screen credit was the 2010 film Fair Game, starring alongside Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.
She leaves behind no survivors.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.