Dunham recalled having to work hard to track down the Emmy-nominated actress, who’d disappeared from public life before agreeing to appear on “Girls.”

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Girls actress Louise Lasser dies at 87, Lena Dunham pays tribute to ‘one of the best’

Dunham recalled having to work hard to track down the Emmy-nominated actress, who’d disappeared from public life before agreeing to appear on “Girls.”

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Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul’s Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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July 8, 2026 3:19 p.m. ET

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Lena Dunham and Louise Lasser on ‘Girls’. Credit:

Jessica Miglio/HBO; HBO

- Emmy-nominated *Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman *and* Girls *actress Louise Lasser has died at 87.

- Lena Dunham wrote an emotional tribute to Lasser after she came out of a hiatus to appear on *Girls*.

- Lasser also famously caused a stir among the *Saturday Night Live *cast near the end of season 1, and was married to Woody Allen from 1966-1970.

Emmy-nominated *Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman* actress, notable *Saturday Night Live *host, and standout *Girls* guest star Louise Lasser has died at age 87.

After news broke of the actress’ death, *Girls* creator-star Lena Dunham paid tribute to the late performer in an emotional Instagram Story, 13 years after Lasser first appeared on the HBO drama across seasons 3 and 4.

“When we were making *Girls*, we got a chance to work with so many legends. But Louise Lasser was always canon, the prototype,” Dunham wrote alongside photos of Lasser on set as Beadie, an elderly artist who employs Jessa (Jemima Kirke) and later asks her new assistant to help her die.

‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman’ actress Louise Lasser.

Hulton Archive/Getty

“After writing a role with her in mind, but not able to locate her as she hadn’t been onscreen in many years, I tweeted asking if anyone knew how to reach her on our behalf. We ended up being given her home #, and she came to meet with us and agreed to come take on the role,” Dunham wrote.

She called Lasser’s two-day scenes on set “some of the most dynamic, delightful, and appropriately challenging of my career” to film.

“She was struggling physically, but her mind was something wild to behold,” continued Dunham. “I will remember her, lit as she requested and rewriting all her lines, as one of the best to ever do it. Rest in power dear Louise, and thank you for all you gave us, on our set and over your whole career.”

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Lasser, who was married to Woody Allen from 1966-1970 (and co-wrote his 1966 film *What’s Up, Tiger Lily?*), previously earned an Emmy nomination for her role on the satirical sitcom/soap opera *Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. *The series ran for two seasons in syndication from 1976-1977.

She notably caused a stir upon hosting an episode of *Saturday Night Live *during its first season as well, which drew criticism from Chevy Chase and writer Michael O’Donoghue.

Fan speculation indicated that Lasser was banned from appearing on the show after the episode, though she maintained over the years that she was never formally barred from appearing on *SNL* after the memorable episode.

Louise Lasser on ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman’.

Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty

After her guest stint on *Girls *ended in 2014, Lasser only took on an additional four roles before her death.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Her final appearance came in the 2022 film *Funny Pages. *She also starred in a 2021 short called *Bliss*, a 2018 television film titled *Did You Know My Husband?*, and voiced a part on one episode of the *A Simple Herstory* podcast in 2021.

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