R.I.P. Lynne Marta: ‘Footloose’ And ‘Joe Kidd’ Actor Dead At 78

Actress Lynne Marta recently passed away after a battle with cancer. She was 78.

Her friend, Chris Saint-Hilaire, confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter.

Marta lead a decades-long career in film and television, becoming a prolific TV star with guest appearances in Love, American Style, Days of our Lives, and Starsky & Hutch, among others.

Born in Somerville, New Jersey, Marta first got her start in acting in 1966, starring in an episode of the short-lived Sally Field sitcom Gidget. She later landed her first regular role on a television show in the anthology series Love, American Style.

One of her first cinematic roles came in the 1972 western film Joe Kidd, in which she played Elma, Clint Eastwood’s love interest. In 1984, she also starred in Footloose, playing Kevin Bacon’s aunt, Lulu Warnicker.

Marta’s career in television took her across soap operas, action series, procedurals and more. She often made multiple appearances in the same series, playing multiple different characters. Throughout her career, she starred in The Mod Squad, Charlie’s Angels, The Manhunter, The F.B.I., and more.

While starring on Starsky & Hutch from 1975 to 1978, People magazine reported that Marta had an “open relationship” with lead actor David Soul.

“He moved on to an ‘open relationship’ with actress Lynne Marta. All through the Starsky and Hutch years David and Lynne lived together but spent time with other people,” People reported in 1983.

Her prolific career in television continued until 2004, when she took her final role as an attendant in the series American Dreams.

Marta is survived by her sister, MJ, and her cat, Mr. Peaches, per THR.