Acclaimed American actress Cloris Leachman, who went on to become a comedy legend in film and television for seven decades, passed away on Wednesday in Encinitas, California due to natural causes. She was 94. A statement was issued by her longtime manager Juliet Green, who said, "It's been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time. There was no one like Cloris." She further remembered her saying, "With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh 'till the tears ran down your face. You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic."

Leachman won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1972 for her performance in the film The Last Picture Show and is most remembered for playing Frau Blücher in Mel Brooks' 1974 classic, Young Frankenstein, including her roles in 1977's High Anxiety and 1981's History of the World: Part I. The iconic US actress also earned 22 Emmy Award nominations, eight Primetime Emmy awards and one Daytime Emmy Award and went on to be inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2011. Among the two Emmys she received were for her portrayal of the cunning landlady Phyllis Lindstrom on the The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which later also received a spin-off series. During the early 2000s, Leachman played Ida, a cranky grandmother on Fox's hit TV show Malcolm in the Middle, which earned her a Best Guess Actress in a Comedy Emmy Award in 2006. Her last big TV nomination was in 2011 for her role in the hit sitcom Raising Hope. 

Ever since the news of Cloris Leachman's death broke out, condolences and tributes have been pouring in from celebrities and fans around the world. "Such sad news -- Cloris was insanely talented. She could make you laugh or cry at the drop of a hat. Always such a pleasure to have on set. Every time I hear a horse whinny I will forever think of Cloris' unforgettable Frau Blücher. She is irreplaceable, and will be greatly missed," Mel Brooks wrote on Twitter. Actor Bob Saget tweeted, "So sad over the loss of the brilliant Cloris Leachman. Beyond being an Academy award winner, her hilarious role in 'Young Frankenstein,'and being 'Phyllis,' I had the pleasure of being roasted by her on television. My deepest sympathies to her loved ones."

Leachman is survived by her children and her grandchildren. An advocate of animal rights and vegetarian throughout her life, Leachman's family via her representatives requested all those who wished to make donations instead contribute to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) or Last Chance for Animals.