Conchata Ferrell, who was best known for playing housekeeper Berta on Two and a Half Men, died on Monday, October 12. She was 77.
According to Deadline, Ferrell died following complications of cardiac arrest at Sherman Oaks Hospital in California. Her family was by her side, per the outlet.
Her former Two and a Half Men costars Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer were among those who paid tribute to her following her death.
Ferrell told TMZ in February that she had been hospitalized in Charleston, West Virginia, from December 2019 to January with a kidney infection. After being discharged, she was bedridden at home and went through physical therapy with nurses several times a day.
The actress’ husband, Arnie Anderson, told the website on July 16 that she had returned to the hospital in May and went into cardiac arrest a few days after being admitted to the intensive care unit. The heart attack lasted approximately 10 minutes and left her in the ICU for more than four weeks.
Ferrell was subsequently transferred to a long-term care facility, where she was on a respirator and dialysis in stable condition. Anderson told TMZ that his wife was semi-conscious and aware of her surroundings but could not talk or communicate with other people.
“It’s going to be a while before there’s any recovery,” he said at the time. “It’s all neurological. There’s nothing we can do to speed it up the process. We are hoping for the best.”
Ferrell launched her acting career in the 1970s in an Off-Broadway production of The Hot I Baltimore. She found success on the big and small screens thanks to roles in Heartland, Mystic Pizza and E/R.
The Marshall University graduate received her first Emmy nomination in 1992 for playing attorney Susan Bloom on L.A. Law. She was nominated again in 2005 and 2007 for her sharp-tongued but lovable character on Two and a Half Men; she appeared in 212 episodes of the CBS sitcom from 2003 to 2015.
Ferrell is survived by Anderson, whom she married in 1986, her daughter, Samantha, and two stepdaughters.
Scroll down to see how her former Two and a Half Men costars have paid tribute to their former costar
Charlie Sheen
“An absolute sweetheart. A consummate pro. A genuine friend. A shocking and painful loss,” the 55-year-old actor, who left Two and a Half Men in 2011, tweeted, sharing a photo of the pair filming a scene for the CBS sitcom.
Sheen then directed his statement toward Ferrell’s character on the show, adding: “Berta, your housekeeping was a tad suspect, [but] your ‘people’ keeping was perfect.”
Jon Cryer
The Pretty in Pink actor, who played Alan for all 12 seasons of the CBS hit, reflected on the loss in several tweets. “She was a beautiful human. Berta’s gruff exterior was an invention of the writers. Chatty’s warmth and vulnerability were her real strengths. I’m crying for the woman I’ll miss, and the joy she brought so many,” he wrote. “I remember her first day on 2 1/2 Men. It was our second episode and I felt so lucky that they’d been able to cast her on the show. I gushed to her about what a fan I was of hers and she simply refused to believe it.”
Melanie Lynskey
“Lovely, brilliant Chatti. I’m weeping. She was the warmest, most gracious lady,” the actress, who played Rose on the series, wrote via Twitter. “Her husband Arnie came to every single taping of Two And A Half Men and sat in the audience, beaming with pride. Her sweet daughter Samantha was often there too. Oh, she was loved. She will be missed.”
