Kathryn Joosten leavs Wisteria Lane for real (1939 - 2012)

[Eve]

From an obit I just sent out to our clients:

Actress Kathryn Joosten, 72, whose Desperate Housewives character Karen McCluskey died of cancer on the series finale last month, herself died today (June 2), also of cancer, in Los Angeles. From 1999-2001, Joosten also played a notable role as The West Wing’s presidential secretary. She only became an actress in her fifties, after decades as a housewife and then a psychiatric nurse, and had stunning success. She appeared in commercials, in numerous TV series (Murphy Brown, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Seinfeld, The Nanny, Dharma & Greg, Joan of Arcardia) and movies (Wasabi Tuna, Best Men, Wedding Crashers, and the upcoming comedy Escort Service). Joosten recently told Metroseeker.com that, starting her career as a middle-aged character actress, “I had it easier because there are literally thousands of beautiful, sexy young 20-somethings trying to get started. I was 55 and able to do comedy. At the time sitcoms where all the rage and there were plenty of smaller roles for funny old ladies.”

[Odesio]

I didn’t know her by name but she’s one of those “I’ve seen her before” actresses.

[rocking_chair]

aaaawww. i did enjoy her character in dh.

[Joey_P]

My sister told me that today and my first question was “lung cancer?”
I guessed that only because on DH she very suddenly had a recurrence of lung cancer that I don’t remember them ever talking about earlier. Also, on the show she never smoked (or if she did she smoked waaaay earlier, like in her 20’s). She died on the show and then right when the credits rolled Karthryn came on and gave a little spiel about lung cancer and some websites to check out. I didn’t think much of it since it’s pretty common for that to happen on TV when a character dies. I always assumed it was a combination of someone on the show wanting to call attention to the disease (apparently her in this case) as well as the actor being able to say “Yup, I died but I’m just fine IRL”
Anyways, when I heard she died, that was my first guess. I had no idea she was sick though. Workin’ right up to the end.

[Rhiannon8404]

Aw, man! I’m so sorry to hear that. I loved her characters in both The West Wing and Desperate Housewives.

[levdrakon]

That’s too bad. She was a fun cranky old lady in Desperate Housewives.

[PunditLisa]

It was announced that she had cancer several months ago. So sad.

Goodbye, Mrs. Landingham and Mrs. McCluskey.

[Oogly_Woogly]

I loved her God on Joan of Arcadia.

[well_he_s_back]

Enjoyed her work in many many shows. She’ll be missed

[Just_Ed]

Loved Mrs. Landingham. I can’t be the only one who had the “Two Cathedrals” scene from The West Wing playing in my head as I read the obit.

[salinqmind]

Her death scene in the DH finale was very moving. Part of a montage. She wanted “Wonderful Wonderful” by Johnny Mathis on a 45, played on a turntable, at her funeral, and they played it as she was passing on. On the show. The show was going along and then - you see the arm of the record player, and it being lowered onto the scratchy old record, and then the song starts. I cried a bucket.

Loved her! Her cranky old non-nonsense neighbor on DH was a joy. RIP Mrs. McKluskey!

[fiddlesticks]

Aww… RIP Mrs. Landingham.

[janis_and_c0]

Somehow, I missed this! Love love LOVEed her on DH.

RIP

[Eve]

She said in an interview she went into acting professionally when she was 55 and her mother recently died and she felt all at sixes and sevens.

I’m 55, my mother recently died, and I’m all at sixes and sevens . . . *Hmmm *. . .