The 'Mary Tyler Moore Show' actress, who was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009 before doctors discovered a rare brain cancer, passed away on August 30.

AceShowbiz - Beloved Emmy winner Valerie Harper has died, aged 79.

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Rhoda" star passed away on Friday, August 30 after losing her battle with cancer.

Reports suggest she had been in a coma for weeks.

The veteran TV and stage actress was best known for playing Rhoda Morgenstern in 1970s sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". She also played the character in spin-off series Rhoda, and starred in the 1980s sitcom, "Valerie".

She also appeared in "The Office", while her film credits include "Freebie and the Bean".

Harper won multiple Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Rhoda and she was nominated for a Tony in 2010 for her role as Tallulah Bankhead in the play "Looped".

She was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009 and four years later doctors discovered she had developed a rare brain cancer.

In recent months her health deteriorated and her husband, Tony Cacciotti, launched a GoFundMe campaign so he could continue to care for his wife at home.

A former ballet student, Valerie started out as a dancer on Broadway in the late 1950s. She landed her movie break in 1959's "Li'l Abner", and a decade later she was asked to audition for the role of Rhoda Morgenstern on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". She portrayed Rhoda on TV throughout the early 1970s and then took the character to New York for the spin-off, "Rhoda", which aired for another four years.

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