Peggy Lipton, famous for her roles in Mod Squad and Twin Peaks, died May 11th at the age of 72. The Golden Globe award-winning actress passed away from cancer with her daughters, Kidada and Rashida Jones, at her side. She had been battling colon cancer since 2004. According to The Los Angeles Times, she passed peacefully: “She made her journey peacefully with her daughters and nieces by her side,” her daughters told The Times. “We feel so lucky every moment we spent with her.”
Her career in television actually began back in 1965, when she made appearances in such shows as Bewitched and The Magical World of Disney. In Mod Squad, she played Julie Barnes, an undercover police officer. The series ran from 1968-1973, during which time Lipton received Best TV Actress for her role, as well as four Golden Globe nominations. The show made history for being one of the first to feature an interracial cast.
Lipton also played Norma Jennings on both the new and old series of Twin Peaks. Her role began back in 1989 and happened to be her last, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She has also acted in other shows such as the miniseries Secrets, Crash, and Alias. Interestingly, she played the mom of her real-life daughter, Rashida Jones, in Angie Tribeca. In the film world, her most recent credits include A Dog’s Purpose, which is currently in theaters.
Her Twin Peaks co-stars posted about her passing, as well. On Twitter, Kyle MacLachlan shared his grief at the loss: “The RR diner is dark today. Very sorry to hear Peggy Lipton is gone. We’ve lost a beautiful soul.”
Helen Hunt also shared similar sentiments, tweeting “She’s the one I always wanted to be.”
Concerning her personal life, Lipton was married to Quincy Jones, a famous music producer, from 1974 to 1990. Their daughter Rashida Jones has starred in hit comedies The Office and Parks and Recreation. “Peggy was, and will always be our beacon of light, both in this world and beyond. She will always be a part of us,” Kidada and Rashida Jones shared.