What happened to Valerie Mahaffey? Tributes pour in as Northern Exposure star dies at 71

Valerie Mahaffey, the Emmy Award-winning actress who got her start in television and film, has died at 71 years of age. Her publicist announced on May 30, 2025, that she died in Los Angeles after a private struggle with cancer.

Mahaffey's character of Eve, the Jewish princess of the O'Connell family, on the CBS drama Northern Exposure propelled her to celebrity status in the early 1990s. She was the only cast member from the show to win an Emmy for her role, winning the 1992 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

News of Valerie Mahaffey’s death has ignited tributes from colleagues and fans. Her husband, the actor Joseph Kell, said in a statement:

"Lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses. She will be missed," he told Variety.

Valerie Mahaffey's daughter, actress Alice Ziolkoski, also paid tribute to her mother on Instagram, expressing her sorrow after Mahaffey died battling cancer.

"Don’t really have the words to say right now. cancer sucks. i’ll look for you in all the fun moments of life." She captioned the post.

Her Northern Exposure co-star, Rob Morrow, described her as “such a breath of fresh air, joy and laughs” on the set. Actress Michelle Pfeiffer also took to her Instagram story to lament the loss.

"One of our brightest stars was stolen from us yesterday. Such a remarkable talent and human. You will be missed." Pfeiffer wrote.

A former manager of Valerie Mahaffey, Scott Howard, also honored her in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. He gave his condolences to Mahaffey’s family while saying that the late actress was a very kind and talented individual. Howard remembered Mahaffey as a person who carried herself with “strength, grace, and resilience.”

A look into Valerie Mahaffey's early career and legacy

Valerie Mahaffey was born on June 16, 1953, in Sumatra, Indonesia, and is a BFA graduate from the University of Texas. She began acting in New York City, where she appeared in several Broadway productions before moving on to television.

Aside from Northern Exposure, Mahaffey made guest appearances in several top-rated TV shows, including as Alma Hodge in Desperate Housewives and as the teacher Victoria MacElroy in Young Sheldon.

She has also made memorable appearances on series such as Dead to Me, Big Sky, Wings, ER, Seinfeld, and Grey’s Anatomy (IMDB).

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Valerie Mahaffey, a renowned television actress, has also appeared in film and theater. She was also nominated in the category of Best Supporting Female at the Independent Spirit Award for her role as Madame Reynard in the 2020 dark comedy French Exit, where she shared screen space with Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges.

She had also appeared in movies such as Jungle 2 Jungle, Sully, and Seabiscuit, and her theatre work had been rewarded with two Obie Awards for her performances in Top Girls and Talking Heads.

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