Katherine Helmond dead at 89

Legendary actress Katherine Helmond is dead at 89. She was battling Alzheimer's disease. Helmond's talent agency confirmed the news of her demise saying she took her last breath on February 23, reports hollywoodreporter.com. Her career spanned more than five decades. She was popularly known for playing matriarch Jessica Tate on "Soap" which ran from 1977 to 1981. She even bagged Emmy nominations for the role. She also featured in other TV shows like "Coach" , "Who's the Boss?" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" . On the film front, Helmond was a part of hit films like "Time Bandits", "Brazil" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". IANS