Carlin Glynn – Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and star of Sixteen Candles – dies aged 83 of dementia and cancer, daughter Mary Stuart Masterson confirms

The acting world mourned the loss of actress Carlin Glynn at the age of 83 on Thursday.

Her daughter – actress Mary Stuart Masterson – confirmed the news in an Instagram post, revealing that she was suffering from both dementia and cancer at the time of her death on July 13.

“On Thursday, July 13th, my mother, Carlin Glynn Masterson, passed away. I was with her. “I will always be grateful for these final moments, no matter how hard they may be,” Mary began.

“Death is like birth in the strangest way.” From my first breath to her last. “This thread is as fragile as it is strong,” she began.

“She was the most graceful and clumsy person you could ever meet.” Strong, smart, goofy, intuitive, kind, generous, passionate and a deep listener. She devoted herself to my father and to the vast circle of students and staff who were considered her adopted family,” Mary continued.

She shared a souvenir photo of her mother, along with a verse from Seamus Heaney’s poem “Clearances” and a more recent photo describing her.

“The last photo is from her 80th birthday party, before dementia and cancer took their toll,” she said.

“She never lost her sense of joy or wonder. The silly guy pictured with her is my dear brother. Rest in peace Mom,” she concluded.

Carlin Glynn was born in Cleveland, Ohio but grew up in Houston, Texas before moving to New York City to pursue her acting dreams.

She studied at The Actors Studio with legendary teachers Stella Adler and Wynn Handman, but eventually moved back to Houston where she met her future husband, playwright Peter Masterson.

After their marriage, they moved back to New York so that Masterson could further his career. However, Glynn left to raise their three children, Mary Stuart Masterson, Alexandra Masterson, and Peter Masterson Jr.

After coming across a Playboy article, Masterson, along with the article’s author, Carol Hall, began writing what would become the smash hit Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Eventually, he lured his wife Carlin out of retirement and made her Broadway debut at age 39 in the role of Chicken Ranch Madame Mona Stangley.

The performance earned Glynn a Tony Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical and kickstarted her acting career.

She played Molly Ringwald’s mother Brenda Baker in the 1984 classics Sixteen Candles, The Trip to Bountiful (directed by Peter Masterson) and Night Game.

Her last appearance was in a 2006 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Before her died her nearly 60-year-old husband Peter Masterson, who died in 2018 at the age of 84.