Television fans are saying goodbye to an unforgettable icon: Polly Holliday, the fiery actress who made “Kiss my grits!” a household catchphrase, has died at the age of 88.
Known to millions as Flo, the bold-talking waitress with a heart of gold from the hit CBS sitcom Alice, Holliday passed away Tuesday at her home in Manhattan, her longtime friend and agent confirmed to The New York Times.
Her death comes just months after the passing of her Alice co-star Linda Lavin, marking the end of an era for one of TV’s most memorable diner crews.
A Southern Spitfire Who Stole the Show
Born in Jasper, Alabama, and raised in the small town of Childersburg, Holliday brought Southern sass and unforgettable charm to her breakout role as Florence Jean Castleberry on Alice, which ran from 1976 to 1985. Her now-iconic line — “Kiss my grits!” — became one of the most quoted phrases on television.
Holliday’s performance was so electric, she earned back-to-back Golden Globe Awards in 1979 and 1980 and multiple Emmy nominations. Her character became so popular, she landed her own spinoff series, Flo, in 1980.
From Sitcom Star to Silver Screen Scene-Stealer
But Holliday’s talent wasn’t limited to one-liners. She had a knack for stealing scenes in some of the biggest movies of the ’80s and ’90s, including Gremlins, where she played the villainous Mrs. Deagle, and family hits like Mrs. Doubtfire, The Parent Trap, and even All the President’s Men.
TV audiences might also remember her from her guest role on The Golden Girls as Rose’s blind sister, or as Tim Allen’s no-nonsense mother-in-law on Home Improvement.
A Theater Lover to the End
Even as her fame soared on screens big and small, Holliday never strayed far from her first love: the stage. She earned a Tony nomination in 1990 for her role in a Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and shared the stage with Dustin Hoffman early in her career in All Over Town.
In a 1992 interview, she summed up her love for the theater beautifully:
“An actor is unfortunate if he doesn’t get to spend a lot of time onstage,” she told The Tampa Bay Times. “When you’re onstage, you get to practice every night.”
No Immediate Family, But Countless Fans
Polly Holliday had no immediate survivors, but she leaves behind decades of work, a legion of fans, and a legacy that’s still quoted in diners and living rooms across America.
She wasn’t just Flo. She was fierce, funny, and unforgettable.
Rest in peace, Polly. And thanks for the grits.
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