Comedy legend Cloris Leachman dies at 94

American actress Cloris Leachman, an eight-time Emmy and Oscar award winner, died on Wednesday at the age of 94.

In a statement, Leachman's publicist said the actress died of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California.

Best known for her work on sitcoms like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and movies like "The Last Picture Show," Leachman's career spanned well over six decades.

One of her first major roles came in the 1950s on the popular TV show "Lassie."

She also found success on the big screen playing comically villanous characters in several of Mel Brooks' films, including "Young Frankenstein" and "High Anxiety" in the 70s.

Age did little to stop Leachman, who later won Emmys in 2002 and 2006 for playing cranky Grandma Ida on "Malcolm in the Middle."

In 2008, she became the oldest contestant ever - and a fan favorite - on popular reality show "Dancing With the Stars" at the age of 82.

And two films that she made in 2019 and 2020 have yet to be released.

In a statement, Leachman's publicist called her "one of the most fearless actresses of our time," and said that "You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do, and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic."