Valerie Harper never backed down from a fight, and that's why she leaves a complex Hollywood legacy

Variety

"Valerie Harper was a fighter, and that may ultimately be her Hollywood legacy," says Michael Schneider of the four-time Emmy-winning The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda star, who died Friday at age 80 after a long battle with cancer. “People are saying, ‘She’s on her way to death and quickly,’” Harper told Fox News in 2017. “Now it’s five years instead of three months… And the thing is, everyone is going to die in one way or another. So why don’t you fight it? I’m going to fight this. I’m going to see a way." But it's not just dealing with cancer that made Harper a fighter. It was her battle for higher pay, which she first staged in 1975 when she refused to return for Season 2 of Rhoda unless she received a raise from $10,000 to $17,500 a week. Harper got her way, and her holdout paved the way for her holding out after Season 2 of Valerie, her NBC family comedy that became a hit after premiering in 1986. Harper and her husband/producer Tony Cacciotti demanded per-episode salary increases and a larger cut of future syndication revenue. Ultimately, Harper was fired from the show, her character was killed off and Sandy Duncan was brought in to replace her in a different role. The show would go on as Valerie's Family and then The Hogan Family for four more seasons, ending after Season 6 on CBS after a network change. "The case of Harper’s exit from Valerie also had a darker, long-lasting impact on the industry: It proved to executives that shows could indeed survive, and even thrive, despite the exit of its top star," says Schneider. "That lesson proved handy for execs in following years on shows like NYPD Blue, when David Caruso left after one season; when Two and a Half Men had to adjust after Charlie Sheen was fired over his misconduct; and even up to the recent switch on House of Cards (as Kevin Spacey was fired due to sexual assault allegations). Most recently, ABC kept Roseanne going as The Conners after Roseanne Barr was fired over racist comments on social media; just like Harper’s character on Valerie, Barr’s character was killed off and the remaining characters continued with a similar show under a new title."

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• For a generation Valerie Harper's Rhoda defined imaginative boho-chic style
• More celebrities pay tribute: "My third show in Hollywood.. the vivacious Valerie was so welcoming and gracious," tweeted Henry Winkler