How did Elizabeth Hoffman die? Actress known for playing the role of 'Mother Bea' on drama series 'Sisters' was 97

Elizabeth Hoffman is survived by her son, two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren
UPDATED OCT 24, 2023
Elizabeth Hoffman died at her home in Malibu, California (Stargate/MGM Entertainment)
Elizabeth Hoffman died at her home in Malibu, California (Stargate/MGM Entertainment)

MALIBU, CALIFORNIA: Elizabeth Hoffman, a veteran character actress who played the mother of four siblings on NBC’s drama series 'Sisters' died of natural causes. She was 97.

Hoffman died at her home in Malibu, California, on August 21, her family said in a statement.

Elizabeth Hoffman made her TV debut as 'Miss Mason' on 'Little House on the Prairie' in 1980

Hoffman was born on February 8, 1926, in Corvallis, Oregon, and made her television debut as 'Miss Mason' on 'Little House on the Prairie' in 1980.

In 1981, she also made her feature film debut as the lead in Frank LaLoggia’s supernatural horror film 'Fear No Evil.'

She also portrayed 'Eleanor Roosevelt' in 'The Winds of War', the television miniseries directed and produced by Dan Curtis.

The miniseries spanned the earliest years of World War II, from the Nazi blitzkrieg of Poland in 1939 to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Elizabeth Hoffman portrayed the character of 'Eleanor Roosevelt' in the miniseries 'War and Remembrance' 

She went on to reprise her role as 'Eleanor Roosevelt' in the miniseries 'War and Remembrance' in 1988.

Hoffman’s most memorable role was as 'Beatrice Reed Ventnor', mother of the titular sisters played by Swoosie Kurtz, Sela Ward, Patricia Kalember, and Julianne Phillips, on NBC’s ’90s drama series 'Sisters', as per THR.

She played the role for all six seasons of the show from 1991 to 1996.

Her other credits, as per Deadline, include the supporting role of 'Dr Johnson' opposite Barbra Streisand in 1987’s drama feature 'Nuts'.

She also guest-starred on television series such as 'Matlock' and 'Thirtysomething.'

Elizabeth Hoffman's most recent appearance was in 1997-1998 in 'Stargate SG-1'

Besides playing 'Grandma Ruth' in 'Dante’s Peak',  her most recent television appearance was in 1997-1998 as 'Dr Catherine Langford' in Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner’s 'Stargate SG-1.'

Besides, she has also worked in film 'Born on the Fourth of July' (1989) and on television in 'The Greatest American Hero', 'The A-Team', 'Hunter', 'LA Law', and 'Star Trek: The Next Generation.'

She also portrayed Meryl Streep’s mother in Curtis Hanson’s 'The River Wild' (1994) and the elderly Ruth, the mother-in-law of Linda Hamilton’s character who lives in a cabin at the base of the volcano, in Roger Donaldson’s 'Dante’s Peak' (1997).

Hoffman’s son Chris confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter. Hoffman is survived by her son, two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren as per ITV. 

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