Linda Lavin looked happy and healthy at friend Sarah Paulson’s birthday bash just 2 weeks before her sudden death

LINDA Lavin was seen happy and celebrating at Sarah Paulson’s big birthday bash just weeks before her death. 

The Broadway legend and sitcom star’s death was confirmed on Sunday, following complications from recently diagnosed lung cancer. She was 87 years old. 

With a career spanning decades, Linda is used to rubbing shoulders with fellow artistes, and this was never more clear than her having a blast at Sarah Paulson’s huge 50th birthday party in November. 

Held in New York, Sarah invited a group of close pals to ring in her birthday in style – with Cynthia Erivo, Pedro Pascal, Niecy Nash-Betts and Linda in attendance. 

In photos later shared online, Linda was seen deep in conversation with Sarah’s partner, Holland Taylor, and posing for selfies with the birthday girl. 

As news of Linda’s death broke, Sarah later shared a collection of photos from their years together as friends, including a string of photobooth pics from 2013, working together on Broadway in 2010, and at events. 

Across the pictures was the message: “I love you forever and ever and ever.” 

Sharing an official photograph from their time on Donald Margulies' Collected Stories, Sarah called sharing the stage with Linda “one of the greatest honors of my life” and joked: “I wasn’t very good, she was brilliant.” 

The messages ended: “Always showing up for me, I love you so.” 

Linda attended her birthday party with drummer husband Steve Bukanas, whom she’s been married to since 2005. 

Lavin died unexpectedly in Los Angeles on December 29, her representative said.

Her death comes just weeks after she was promoting the new Netflix series No Good Deed, with her attending the premiere on December 4th and looking in good spirits. 

Among her accolades, Linda featured in more than 200 episodes of sitcom Alice over nine years, from 1976 to 1985.

She also played Edie Kurland in the American sitcom series Room for Two, alongside Patricia Heaton.

Lavin was also a voice actor for TV series such as Bob's Burgers and Courage the Cowardly Dog and the 2022 movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.