‘Northern Exposure’ and ‘Young Sheldon’ Actress Was 71

Valerie Mahaffey, the Emmy-winning actress known for her roles in Northern Exposure and Big Sky, has died. She was 71.

Mahaffey’s husband, Joseph Kell, told Variety that she died on Friday, May 30, after being diagnosed with cancer.

“I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses. She will be missed,” Kell said in a touching tribute, per the outlet.

Mahaffey’s publicist Jillian Roscoe also confirmed the news of her death to The Hollywood Reporter.

Mahaffey starred in several notable acting roles throughout her career, appearing on shows including Northern Exposure (1991—1994), Desperate Housewives (2006-2012), Young Sheldon (2017-2020), and Dead to Me (2019-2022). She also starred in the movies French Exit (2020) with Michelle Pfeiffer, Sully (2016), opposite Tom Hanks, Seabiscuit (2003) and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997).

Mahaffey was born in Indonesia to a Canadian mother and Texan father and raised there until the age of 11. She later moved to Nigeria and England before finally relocating with her family to Austin, Texas, where she graduated from high school and attended the University of Texas, per Variety and THR.

Mahaffey got her break as an actress starring on New York City’s Broadway in the late 1970s. She starred on Broadway six times in the plays Dracula and Play Memory, directed by Harold Prince, per THR.

While appearing on Broadway, Mahaffey also starred in the NBC soap The Doctors, in her Daytime Emmy-nominated role as Ashley Bennett from 1979 to 1980, per Variety. The late actress later won an Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy in 1992 for her role as hypochondriac Eve in CBS’ Northern Exposure. She starred on the show for five episodes over three seasons in the early 1990s, per THR.

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Mahaffey’s most recent roles were in the Apple TV+ series Echo 3 in 2022 and the film The 8th Day, released in March 2025, according to IMDB.

The actress is survived by her husband Kell and their daughter Alice, per THR.

Mahaffey’s representatives did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on May 31.