Jane Milmore, 'Daddy Dearest' writer and producer, breathes her last at 64 after 15-month battle with cancer
American playwright, screenwriter, television producer and actor Jane Milmore, who co-created the early-90s sitcom ‘Daddy Dearest’, died on Tuesday at the age of 64. Milmore, per The Hollywood Reporter, passed away in Los Angeles after a 15-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Milmore was born on March 25, 1955, in Laramie, Wyoming. She was a writing partner of Billy Van Zandt for almost 46 years and the duo has worked on ‘Martin’, ‘The Wayans Bros.’, ‘The Hughleys’, ‘Anything but Love’, ‘Suddenly Susan’, ‘Yes, Dear’ and ‘Center of the Universe’ among other shows.
According to the pair’s website, “Van Zandt met Wyoming born Milmore at the Barn Theater’s high school drama competition in Rumson, New Jersey. A month later they were cast together in Neil Simon’s ‘Star Spangled Girl’, and have been working together ever since.”
They also collaborated on 23 plays and their Off-Broadway hit ‘You’ve Got Hate Mail’ ran four and a half years at the Triad Theater. Their works, per the website, have been directed by the likes of Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, and even Burt Reynolds.
The New York Times once called the duo “masters of modern farce”. Together, they also have a shared Emmy nomination for “outstanding informational special” for writing the CBS special ‘I Love Lucy: The Very First Show’ in 1990.
Milmore began her career as an actor and has appeared on several of her own sitcoms.
She is survived by her life partner Shelley Jensen, a Daytime Emmy-winning director; sisters Maureen, Janet, Kathleen and Jennifer; brothers-in-law Scott and Greg; nephews John, Ryan, Riley, Jack, and Harry; and godsons Walker and William.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, ceremonies celebrating her life would be held in Los Angeles and in New Jersey in the spring, where in lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be made to some of her favorite organizations, which include Clean Ocean Action, the American Red Cross, Holiday Express, Planned Parenthood and the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.