'Arrested Development' star Jessica Walter dead at 80

US actor Jessica Walter, best known to modern audiences as the acerbic grandmother of cult comedy Arrested Development, has died aged 80. Photo: AFP

US actor Jessica Walter, best known to modern audiences as the acerbic grandmother of cult comedy Arrested Development, has died aged 80, her agent told AFP Thursday.

The Emmy-winning actress appeared in dozens of TV shows and films such as Clint Eastwood's Play Misty for Me and her 1966 breakout role Grand Prix, before portraying the unhinged, martini-swilling Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development.