Betty McGuire, who had a recurring role as grandmother Kate Malone on the 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains” and also appeared on Broadway, died on Oct. 8. She was 100.
McGuire died of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, California, according to Variety. Close family friend Keith Gerchak also confirmed the actress’ death to The Hollywood Reporter on Oct. 18.
According to IMDb.com, McGuire appeared in 12 episodes of “Growing Pains” between 1986 and 1991.
Betty McGuire, ‘Growing Pains’ Actress, Dies at 100 https://t.co/HjW09YJIMZ
— Variety (@Variety) October 18, 2026
She appeared in episodes during the first two seasons of the show and again in seasons four through seven, Variety reported.
McGuire was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on March 20, 1926, according to The Hollywood Reporter. During the 1950s she was a performer and understudy on Broadway for the musicals “Plain and Fancy” (1955-56), “Happy Hunting” (1957) and “Oh, Captain!” (1958), the entertainment news website reported.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, McGuire also had the lead role in the play “Mame” at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and worldwide, and also appeared in regional, national and international productions of “Gypsy,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” “The Ziegfeld Follies of 1956” and “Oliver!”
During the 1970s and beyond, McGuire had several guest-starring roles on television, USA Today reported. Her TV debut came during a 1973 episode of “The Doris Day Show,” Deadline reported.
She appeared in episodes of shows like “Columbo,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Moonlighting,” “Little House on the Prairie,” “Murphy Brown,” “St. Elsewhere,” “MacGyver,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “CSI: Miami” and “ER.
On film, McGuire appeared in “Up in Smoke” (1978), “Coma” (1978), “Hometown USA” (1979), “The Incredible Shrinking Woman” (1981) and “Wishmaster (1997).
According to her IMDb page, McGuire’s last credit came in the 2009 movie “Play the Game.”
Variety reported that in her later years, McGuire volunteered as a receptionist and advocate at the Coalition for Economic Survival legal clinic in Los Angeles, offering support for low-income tenants facing eviction.
©2026 Cox Media Group
