Actress and singer Carlin Glynn Masterson has died aged 83.
The star of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Sixteen Candles had both and dementia.
Her daughter, actress Mary Stuart Masterson, confirmed the news in an Instagram post.
‘On Thursday, July 13th, my mother, Carlin Glynn Masterson, passed away. I was with her. I will always be grateful for those last moments, no matter how hard,’ she began.
‘Death is like birth in the oddest way. From my first breath to her last. This thread is as fragile as it is strong.
‘She was the most graceful clumsy person you would ever meet. Strong, smart, silly, intuitive, kind, generous, passionate and a deep listener. She was devoted to my father and to the enormous circle of students and collaborators who were considered her chosen family.’
As well as a photo of her beloved mother, she also shared a stanza from the poem Clearances by Seamus Heaney. The final image was Glynn on a milestone birthday.
‘The last photo is from her 80th birthday party before the worst of dementia and cancer took their toll. She never lost her sense of joy or wonder. The silly guy pictured with her is my dear brother @seppisigh
‘Rest in peace, mommy.’
reports that she died at her home in New York.
Ohio-born Gylnn enjoyed an illustrious career which included winning a Tony Award for her Broadway debut in 1979.
She took home the Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical gong for playing Mona Stangley in the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The original musical comedy was adapted by her husband Peter Masterson, who she met when they were both apprenticing at the Alley Theater in Houston – the city where she was raised.
Glynn and Masterson, who died in 2018, had three children Mary Stuart Masterson, Alexandra Masterson, and Peter Masterson, Jr and she originally left the industry to raise them in New York but was convinced to return to her trade for the role.
Materson was inspired by a non-fiction Playboy article which focused on the closure of a brothel and worked with the author Larry L. King and songwriter Carol Hall to bring it to life.
‘I initially worked on the play only to help out,’ she told NY Times but was convinced to continue playing the madam.
‘Peter was hesitant to force his wife on his collaborators. Finally, all four of the organizations who wanted to take the show to Broadway wanted me to stay in the part. So then I stopped worrying about nepotism.’
Dolly Parton played her character in the 1982 film version.
Glynn’s first movie came four years earlier in Three Days of the Condor, and she went on to star in movies Sixteen Candles and The Trip to Bountiful – the latter was directed by her husband.
Her final acting credit was in a 2006 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
She is survived by her three children and six grandchildren as well as her brother Philip Glynn.
