Polly Holliday, Flo on Alice, dies at 88

Polly Holliday, the actress best known for playing the gum‑chewing, beehive‑wearing waitress Flo on the CBS sitcom Alice, died Tuesday at her home in New York. She was 88. Her longtime theatrical agent, Dennis Aspland, confirmed her death, and several outlets reported she had been in declining health and that pneumonia may have been involved.

Holliday rose to national prominence in the late 1970s for her deadpan, sassy portrayal of Florence Jean Castleberry, whose retort Kiss my grits became a staple of television humor. She appeared on Alice during its early seasons before leaving to headline a short‑lived CBS spinoff, Flo, in 1980. Accounts differ on the exact length of that series, which variously is described as lasting one season or two, but critics agreed the character cemented Holliday as a comic presence on network television.

Her television accolades included multiple Emmy nominations for her supporting work and Golden Globe recognition for Alice. Sources vary on the precise number of awards and nominations, but all credit the role with elevating her profile and leading to a range of stage and screen opportunities. Holliday also returned periodically to television in...