Mary Tyler Moore, the record holder for Most Emmy Awards won for Best Comedy Actress, has died at the age of 80.
 
The actress was first introduced to the world of television after landing a spot on the “Dick Van Dyke Show”, which aired for five seasons starting in 1961. 
 
Showcasing her incredible potential in the industry, she received the role of wife Laura Petrie upon finishing her audition, beating out over two dozen other actresses for the coveted position. 
 
Four years later, Mary landed her career-defining role on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. 
 
The sitcom was one of the first to feature a single, ambitious career woman in her thirties, and motivated many who watched the show over the course of its seven year run. 
 
Mary's consistent comedy timing in the show would go on to earn her a record-breaking total of five Emmy Awards - a record jointly held with “Murphy Brown” star Candice Bergen - while also accumulating two other Emmy’s in separate categories over the course of her career. 
 
Alongside her acting, Mary will also be remembered for her great strength having had to face a number of challenging and tragic events during her life. The star battled alcoholism, a meningioma tumor, and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the 1970's - an event that spurrred her on to become  the international chair of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, testifying before US Congress to promote stem-cell research.
 
Her younger sister died of a drug overdose aged just 21 and she lost her brother to cancer at 47, while her only son died in tragic circumstances at the age of just 21.
 
In her later years, she appeared several times on the show "Hot in Cleveland" and was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the movie "Ordinary People"  in 1981. 

The actress died in the company of friends and her husband, Dr S Robert Levine, Mary's representative Mara Buxbaum said in a statement.