Helmond is best known for her roles as the flighty Jessica Tate on ABC’s 1977-81 ensemble primetime soap opera sitcom Soap and as the sexy, wise and flitatious Mona Robinson — who showed that ...

Helmond played Jessica, the naive and wealthy red-headed sister whose husband was an unabashed philanderer. Her own flirtatiousness — and affairs — was a punchline on the show.

Katherine Helmond died on Feb. 23 at age 89. “We luckily got Jessica from Soap,” Danza told the publication.“Oh my God, we hit the lottery. She was a consummate professional — never made a ...

Helmond, who famously portrayed mother Mona Robinson in ABC’s Who’s The Boss? for eight years and Jessica Tate on Soap, died on Feb. 23 of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her home ...

Katherine Helmond, who has died of Alzheimer’s disease aged 89, made her name in the American television sitcom Soap as Jessica Tate, drifting through life with a permanent smile as she survives ...

Helmond portrayed another famous mom, saucy Mona Robinson, in another ABC hit series, “Who’s the Boss?” (1984–1992). The role landed her two supporting actress Emmy noms. Related Stories ...

Helmond also played Jessica Tate on the sitcom Soap, though this character was described as sheltered and naive, though flirtatious and prone to male attention.

From left: Richard Mulligan, Billy Crystal and Katherine Helmond on Soap. The “adult character comedy,” as ABC Entertainment chief Fred Silverman called it, caused a stir months ahead of its ...

Helmond received Emmy noms for lead actress in a comedy for playing Jessica in every season of Soap, which aired from 1977-81. She was nominated again for Who’s the Boss? in 1988 and 1989 and ...

Helmond was best known for her starring roles as the ditzy Jessica Tate opposite Billy Crystal and Robert Guillaume on ABC’s 1977-81 primetime soap opera sitcom “Soap,” for which she ...

Across her five decades on TV, Helmond is perhaps best known for playing the ditzy matriarch Jessica Tate opposite Billy Crystal and Robert Guillaume on ABC’s soap opera sitcom “Soap.” ...

On “Soap,” ABC’s prime-time parody of daytime soap operas, which ran from 1977 to 1981, Ms. Helmond played Jessica Tate, a lovable aristocrat who was one of the show’s main characters.