Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was a prodigious American actress and comedienne. Her illustrious career spanned approximately eight decades and she was notably versatile in her acting. She won numerous accolades which included eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award, establishing her as a distinguished name in the industry. Her unique acting style was characterized by her distinctive physicality where she elucidated her roles using relevant props to heighten her characterizations.

Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Leachman attended Northwestern University and started appearing in local plays in her teenage years. After participating in the 1946 Miss America pageant, she was awarded a scholarship to study under Elia Kazan at the Actors Studio in New York City. Her acting debut came in 1948 and she was subsequently recognized in various films, including Peter Bogdanovich's 'The Last Picture Show' (1971), and TV shows such as 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970–1975) and 'Phyllis' (1975–1977). Her television career was equally diverse, including appearances in 'Promised Land' (1998), 'Malcolm in the Middle' (2000–2006), among others, and on the NBC sitcom 'The Office', 'Hawaii Five-0' on CBS, and 'Royal Pains' on USA Network. Leachman also authored her memoir titled 'Cloris: My Autobiography' (2009).