With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of this beloved actress who graced our screens for decades
Then came 1985.
Levine retired from education, but instead of settling into a quieter life, she finally gave herself permission to pursue the ambition she had carried for decades.
Nearly 60 years old, she began auditioning.
Slowly, the former librarian started accumulating credits. Early appearances included Cadillac Man and Law & Order, and before long, Levine discovered that she had a particular talent for memorable character roles.
One of her more unusual early television appearances came on The Dr. Ruth Show. Levine portrayed a widow seeking advice about beginning a romantic relationship after losing her husband.
Years later, she remembered the experience with characteristic humor.
“I played a widow who was having her first post-widow relationship and Dr. Ruth was giving her tips on how to be comfortable with that.”
The performance apparently created some confusion among people who knew Levine personally because her real-life husband was very much alive.
It was exactly the sort of unconventional part Levine would continue embracing.
Rather than allowing Hollywood’s obsession with youth to discourage her, she turned her age into an advantage. She appeared in comedies, dramas, films, and television shows, frequently portraying characters who could steal a scene with only a few lines.
