Linda Lavin was born in Portland, Maine, in 1937. She studied theater at the College of William and Mary before landing in New York to pursue a career in acting. Starting out in musicals, Lavin transitioned to TV in the 1970s, and in 1976 she landed the role of a lifetime as the title character on the sitcom Alice. Lavin became a household name, and the show ran for nine seasons. Later, Lavin would appear in made-for-TV and theatrical movies as well as on additional TV shows. via goodreads