Carlin Glynn Dies: ‘Sixteen Candles’ Actress & Mom of Mary Stuart Masterson Was 83

Martin Holmes July 21, 2023, 7:59 am

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Carlin Glynn in Mr President — 20th Century Fox Film Corp./courtesy Everett Collection

Veteran actress Carlin Glynn, best known for her Tony Award-winning role in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and for playing Brenda Baker in the film Sixteen Candles, has died. She was 83.

Gylnn’s passing was confirmed by her daughter, actress Mary Stuart Masterson (Sid Is Dead), who announced on Instagram that her mother died on Thursday, July 14, after battles with dementia and cancer. Masterson revealed that she was with her mother when she passed away.

“I will always be grateful for those last moments, no matter how hard,” Masterson wrote. “Death is like birth in the oddest way. From my first breath to her last. This thread is as fragile as it is strong.”

“She was the most graceful clumsy person you would ever meet,” she continued. “Strong, smart, silly, intuitive, kind, generous, passionate and a deep listener. She was devoted to my father and to the enormous circle of students and collaborators who were considered her chosen family.”

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Masterson shared a selection of photos alongside her message, including a picture from Glynn’s 80th birthday party.

“The last photo is from her 80th birthday party, before the worst of dementia and cancer took their toll,” Masterson said. “She never lost her sense of joy or wonder.”

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Born on February 19, 1940, in Cleveland, Ohio, Glynn made her Broadway debut in 1979’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, adapted by Glynn’s husband, Peter Masterson. Glynn earned a Tony Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Mona Stangley.

Her first film role came in 1975’s Three Days of the Condor, where she played Mae Barber. She also starred as Molly Ringwald‘s character’s mother in 1984’s Sixteen Candles and as the daughter-in-law to Geraldine Page‘s character in 1985’s The Trip to Bountiful.

In addition to her film work, Glynn appeared in 10 episodes of the 1987 Fox sitcom Mr. President and the 1991 TV mini-series A Woman Named Jackie, where she played Lady Bird Johnson. Her last on-screen credit came in a 2006 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.