Linda Lavin Biography: Height, Ethnicity, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Parents, Awards, Husband, Children, Obituary, Films

Linda Lavin was a versatile American actress and singer whose career spanned theatre, television, and film.

She became widely known for portraying the titular character in the hit sitcom Alice (1976–1985), bringing a relatable warmth and spirited resilience to a waitress striving for independence and success.

Her breakthrough on television followed years of acclaimed work on Broadway, where she earned a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play for Broadway Bound (1987).

Profile

• Full name: Linda Lavin
• Date of birth: October 15, 1937
• Age: 88 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: Portland, Maine, U.S.
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Actress, singer
• Height: 5 ft 2 in (1.6 m)
• Parents: David Joseph Lavin (father)
• Lucille Dorothy Potter (mother)
• Siblings: N/A
• Spouse: Ron Leibman (m. 1967–1981), Kip Niven (m. 1973–1992), Steve Bakunas (m. 2005–2024)
• Children: Two stepchildren
• Relationship status: Deceased
• Religion: Jewish
• Ethnicity: Jewish (Russian-Jewish descent)
• Net worth: $6 million

Early Life and Education

Linda Lavin, who is now posthumously 88 years old as of 2025, was born on October 15, 1937, in Portland, Maine, to David Joseph Lavin, a businessman, and Lucille Dorothy (née Potter), an opera singer.

Both sets of her grandparents had emigrated from Russia, and the Lavin family was active in Portland’s Jewish community. She was the younger daughter in a household where music and performance held a central place, prompting her to appear onstage as early as age five.

Lavin attended Waynflete School and then Deering High School. After graduating, she enrolled at the College of William & Mary, where she continued to cultivate her passion for theatre. Upon leaving college, she moved to New York City to study acting at HB Studio, laying the groundwork for her future stage career.

Personal Life

Linda Lavin was married three times throughout her life. In 1967, she wed actor Ron Leibman, whom she met while both were working in the theatre.

Their marriage ended in divorce in 1981. In 1973, she married actor Kip Niven, known for his own television and film roles; this marriage ended in a contentious divorce in 1992.

Although Lavin never had biological children, she became a stepmother during her second and third marriages. In 2005, she married Steve Bakunas, a long-time collaborator and fellow Wilmington, North Carolina, resident.

Lavin and Bakunas devoted significant energy to community work, renovating homes for underprivileged families, donating parks, and creating the Red Barn Studio, a community theatre.

They also founded The Linda Lavin Arts Foundation in Wilmington, aimed at promoting and fostering the performing and visual arts, especially programs that support at-risk teenage girls.

Career

Linda Lavin’s professional journey began in the late 1950s as a member of the Compass Players, an improvisational ensemble that served as a precursor to Chicago’s Second City. Her Broadway debut came in 1962 with the musical A Family Affair, followed by roles in The Riot Act (1963) and Something Different (1967).

Off-Broadway, she attracted notice in the revue Wet Paint (1965), for which she won a Theatre World Award, and in the musical The Mad Show (1966), introducing the song “The Boy From…”—later a cabaret standard. In 1969, her performance in Little Murders earned her a Drama Desk Award.

In 1975, Lavin appeared in the Shakespeare in the Park production of The Comedy of Errors. Soon after, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue television, landing the recurring role of Detective Janice Wentworth on Barney Miller (1975–1976).

Her big break arrived when she was cast as Alice Hyatt in Alice, the television adaptation of the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. The series ran for nine seasons on CBS, and Lavin performed its theme song, “There’s a New Girl in Town,” which was updated for each of the first six seasons.

Following Alice, Lavin returned to Broadway to distinguished acclaim, earning her first Tony Award nomination in 1970 for Last of the Red Hot Lovers. In 1987, she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play for her work in Broadway Bound.

Over the next several decades, she continued to appear on Broadway in notable productions such as Death Defying Acts (1995), The Diary of Anne Frank (1998), The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife (2000), Collected Stories (2010), and The Lyons (2012), earning both wins and nominations for Drama Desk Awards, Obie Awards, and Tony Awards.

Awards and Nominations

• 1965: Theatre World Awards Distinguished Performer Wet Paint: Won
• 1969: Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Performance Little Murders: Won
• 1970: Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Last of the Red Hot Lovers: Nominated
• 1978: Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Alice: Won
• 1979: Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Alice: Won
• 1979: Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Alice: Nominated
• 1980: Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Alice: Nominated
• 1987: Tony Awards Best Leading Actress in a Play Broadway Bound: Won

Net Worth

Linda Lavin’s net worth was estimated at $6 million. She accumulated her wealth through a multifaceted career that included Broadway salaries, television earnings from her long-running sitcom Alice, film appearances, teaching engagements, and periodic directorial work.

Death

Linda Lavin died on December 29, 2024, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 87. Her passing was the result of cardiopulmonary arrest due to complications from lung cancer. She remained active professionally until her final months, performing and teaching despite her illness.

Social Media

• N/A

Filmography

• The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
• See You in the Morning (1989)
• I Want to Go Home (1989)
• The Back-up Plan (2010)
• Alice (1976–1985)
• The Good Wife (guest appearance)