Florence Henderson of The Brady Bunch Fame Dies Age 82

Florence Henderson, the actress famous for her portrayal as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch has [...]

Florence Henderson, the actress famous for her portrayal as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch has passed away at age 82. The AP reported the news, citing a statement from Henderson's manager Kayla Pressman. She died with family and friends present on Thursday, November 24, according to the statement.

Henderson was hospitalized on Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, where she died Thursday night of heart failure.

The beloved actress gained fame on The Brady Bunch, a wholesome sitcom about two families becoming one that aired from 1969-1974. Her actiing career on television spanned a remarkable seven decades, as she continued to act into 2016, including recent guest appearances on K.C. Undercover and as the voice of "Grand Mum" on Disney's Sofia the First animated series. Henderson has one film still yet to release in 2017, Grandmothers Murder Club, starring Judge Reinhold and Pam Grier.

Henderson recognized her celebrity as the Brady mother, and made several appearance on TV programs as herself, including some you may not expect like a 2010 episode of WWE Raw or in the video for "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Amish Paradise," and some that track as a bit more likely like a guest appearance on 30 Rock. She aslo acted occasionally in film, including playing her own mother, of sorts, in the 1995 The Brady Brunch Movie. In that film, she cameoed as "Grandma," the mother of Carol Brady (played in the film by Shelley Long).

Before and during her television career, the actress used her additional talent as a singer in stage performance, where she had her Broadway break in 1954 in Fanny, originating the title role and receiving critical success in a long run. She was once a member of The Today Show as "The Today Girl," and was the first woman to guest host The Tonight Show in 1962.

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(Photo: CBS Television)

Henderson was born in Dale, Indiana on February 14, 1934. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. She was married famous theater executive Ira Bernstein, with whom she had four children, who survive her, as well as her five grandchildren.

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