Actress Mary Tyler Moore dies at age 80

Actress Mary Tyler Moore has died at the age of 80, her publicist says.

"Today, beloved icon, Mary Tyler Moore, passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr S Robert Levine," TMZ.com reported her publicist as saying.

"A groundbreaking actress, producer, and passionate advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile."

She reportedly died in a Connecticut hospital after spending the past week on a respirator, TMZ reported.

She is famous for helming the long-running comedy series The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which ran for seven seasons in the 1970s.

- NZ Herald