Peggy Rea, the plumpish actress who routinely played sunny supporting characters with names like Lulu, Bertha, and Bessie on hit television shows, died of heart failure at her home in Toluca Lake, Calif., on Saturday, according to the New York Times. She was 89. Rea might be best known for playing Boss Hogg’s wife on The Dukes of Hazzard, but she also played pivotal characters on The Waltons and Grace Under Fire.
Born and raised in California, Rea came to New York to act on the stage, landing Broadway roles in a 1950 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire and the Cole Porter musical Out of This World. She transitioned into television, with her first appearance on an episode of I Love Lucy, and later appeared in popular shows, such as Gunsmoke, All in the Family, and Step by Step.
