Beloved stage and screen star dead at 84

Elizabeth’s husband, Christopher Pelham, confirms to The New York Times that his wife passed away at home in Woodbury, Connecticut, after battling cancer and suffering a severe reaction to her treatment.

The news has left the theater community, TV fans, and former co-stars heartbroken over the loss of a true force in American acting.

Unforgettable portrayal
Elizabeth Franz wasn’t just a performer, she was a powerhouse.
Among colleagues, she was sometimes referred to as “America’s Judi Dench” — and that’s no small compliment.

Theatergoers in New York first took notice of Franz in the Off-Broadway production of Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You, where she portrayed a sharp-tongued Catholic nun with fierce convictions.