Marcia Strassman, the actress best known for her role on the 1970s sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter" and for the movie "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," died Friday after a fight with breast cancer. She was 66.
Strassman's sister, Julie,
confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter.
"She was my idol. She was the funniest, smartest person I knew, and she always made me laugh," Julie Strassman said in a statement. "She was incredibly talented in everything — not just acting and dancing and singing — she could also sew and knit, and she was gorgeous. She was an amazing woman and loved by her family and loyal friends of 40 and 50 years."
Strassman first appeared in the hit series "M*A*S*H" as nurse Margie Cutler for six episodes before taking the role of Julie Kotter on ABC's "Welcome Back, Kotter," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series latest four seasons and launched the career of John Travolta.
Strassman was the third "Welcome Back, Kotter" performer to die recently. In 2012, Ron Palillo, who played the character Horshack, and Robert Hegyes, who played Epstein,
both died, USA Today reported.
Strassman also appeared on "The Love Boat," "The Rockford File," "Tremors," "Third Watch," and "Magnum P.I." On the big screen, she starred opposite Rick Moranis in the 1989 movie "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and its sequel "Honey, I Blew Up the Kids" in 1992.
Director Bob Weide and other celebrities posted tributes to Strassman on social media.