HOUSTON, TEXAS: Carlin Glynn, a Tony award-winning actress best known for starring in the popular 1984 film 'Sixteen Candles' has died. The actress was allegedly battling dementia and cancer and left this world on July 13, Thursday at the age of 83. Mary Stuart Masterson, who was with her mother in her final moments, posted on Instagram to confirm her death.
"She was the most graceful clumsy person you would ever meet," penned Masterson. "Strong, smart, silly, intuitive, kind, generous, passionate and a deep listener. She was devoted to my father and to the enormous circle of students and collaborators who were considered her chosen family." Glynn, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Houston, Texas, earned a Tony Award for her portrayal of Mona Stangley in the original production of 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'.
How did Carlin Glynn die?
Carlin Glynn died at the age of 83 on July 13, 2023. She was afflicted with dementia and cancer. Mary Stuart Masterson, her daughter, confirmed the news on Instagram and posted two pictures of her actress mother: one from her 80th birthday and one from when she was younger, "before the worst of dementia and cancer took their toll," she wrote in the caption. "She never lost her sense of joy or wonder."
'From my first breath to her last'
Masterson also expressed some deep thoughts in the tribute post that her followers deemed "beautiful." "Death is like birth in the oddest way. From my first breath to her last. This thread is as fragile as it is strong." Glynn attended Mirabeau B Lamar High School before relocating to Houston and enrolling at the Actors Studio in New York. There she met her husband, playwright, and actor Peter Masterson, who created the Broadway hit 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas', which earned her a Tony award. The 83-year-old also played Mae Barber in 'Three Days of the Condor' in 1975 and Brenda Baker, the mother of Molly Ringwald's character Samantha "Sam" Baker in 'Sixteen Candles'. Her husband died in 2018. She is survived by their children, Mary Stuart Masterson, Alexandra Masterson, and Peter Masterson, Jr, as per The Sun.
'What an exceptional person'
Friends and fans flocked to the comment area to pay tribute to the actress. A friend said, "So very sorry for you loss! When I lost my dad a friend told me that it doesn’t matter how old you are when you loose a parent, you feel unmoored for a while and you have to find your anchor. I loved that analogy. Sending you much love ❤️"
Eric Morris from ELM Entertainment recalled, "I’m so sorry for your loss. I have fond memories of working with your parents on The Cover of Life off Broadway. Your mom was a gem. Sending you love 💕" One fan who apparently wrote a fan letter at 12 to Glynn recalled a memory and said, "When I was 12, I wrote your mother a fan letter, having seen “A Trip to Bountiful.” Amazingly, she wrote back (sent a photo too). I remember thinking what an exceptional person she was to take time for a young girl she had never met. Sorry for your loss." One person noted. "I’m so sorry Mary Stuart. I only met her a couple of times but her light was radiant. She was an incredible actor. Sending so much ❤️❤️❤️".