The Connecticut-born actress earned an Emmy Award nomination for “Lonesome Dove.”
The Cowboys & Indians crew would like to extend condolences to the family, friends and fans of Glenne Headly, who memorably portrayed the feisty Elmira Boot Johnson in the epic miniseries Lonesome Dove. According to her agent, the versatile stage, screen and television actress passed away Thursday at age 62.
A native of New London, Connecticut, Headly was one of the founding members of Chicago’s acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre Company. After attracting attention with minor roles in such films as The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) and Making Mr. Right (1987), she made her big-screen breakthrough opposite Michael Caine and Steve Martin in the 1988 con artist comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Martin tweeted a fond tribute on Friday: “Our household mourns the sudden loss of beloved friend, actress and comic genius, Glenne Headly.”
Headly also played the supportive significant other of Warren Beatty’s title character in Dick Tracy (1990), and the wife of Richard Dreyfuss’ dedicated high school music teacher in Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995). Her other movie credits included Breakfast of Champions (1999), What’s the Worst That Could Happen? (2001) and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004).
She was most recently seen earlier this year in The Circle, which had her cast as the wife of Bill Paxton, the Texas-born actor who died in February.
On television, Headly guest-starred in episodes of ER, Monk, Grey’s Anatomy and several other series. She twice received Emmy Award nominations as Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, for her work in Lonesome Dove, which first aired on CBS in 1989, and the 1996 drama Bastard Out of Carolina, which was directed by her Lonesome Dove co-star Anjelica Huston.
At the time of her death, Headly was appearing in Future Man, a forthcoming Hulu sitcom produced by Seth Rogen. “Devastated to hear about Glenne Headly’s passing,” Rogen tweeted Friday. “She was an amazing person. Incredibly talented. Incredibly kind. I will miss her.”
