Actress Mary Tyler Moore dies aged 80

Actress Mary Tyler Moore has died aged 80, her publicist Mara Buxbaum has said.

The Emmy-winning actress brightened American television screens as the perky suburban housewife on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and then as a fledgling feminist on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".

Hailed as one of the "true greats" of television comedy, she was also credited for paving the way for other women in entertainment.

Moore died surrounded by friends and family on Wednesday.

Moore with Van Dyke at the 1964 Emmys. Credit: AP

After starting her career with commercials and guest appearances, her first major television role came in The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1961 which propelled her into international stardom.

When winning her first of seven Emmy Awards for her portrayal as Van Dyke's wife Laura Petrie, she said: "I know this will never happen again."

Dick Van Dyke said he had "no words", adding: "We always said that we changed each other's lives for the better."

Actor and producer of The Dick Van Dyke Show, said: "She'll last forever, as long as there's television. Year after year, we'll see her face in front of us."

Moore and the participants of The Dick Van Dyke Show at the Emmys. Credit: AP

The actress went on to star in her own sitcom based in a newsroom called The Mary Tyler Moore Show featuring Ed Asner as her boss Lou Grant.

Co-star Cloris Leachman described her as "sweet, kind, so tender, so delicate. She was America's sweetheart."

Gavin MacLeod, who also starred in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, said: "Mary was America's sweetheart and she was mine also. I was the luckiest guy in the world just sitting next to her and looking at her beautiful face... and legs!"

Stars of The Mary Tyler Moore Show at the 1976 Emmys. Credit: AP

Moore also received acclaim for her role in the feature film Ordinary Lives in 1980, the directorial debut for Robert Redford. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe for her role as a grieving mother unable to cope with the drowning of a son.

Robert Redford said in a statement: "Mary's energy, spirit and talent created a new bright spot in the television landscape and she will be very much missed. The courage she displayed in taking on a role, darker than anything she had ever done, was brave and enormously powerful."

Co-star Timothy Hutton said: "I am deeply saddened by the news of Mary's passing. She was a truly amazing person, a great friend, and an inspiration to all. I will always be grateful for her kindness and thankful beyond words for knowing her. She will be missed greatly."

She also appeared in several Broadway plays and scores of television movies including Stolen Babies, which earned her another Emmy in 1993.

Moore at a juvenile diabetes event on Capitol Hill in 2005. Credit: AP

Moore lived with juvenile diabetes for some 40 years and told of her struggle in her 2009 book, Growing Up Again.

She also spent five weeks at the Betty Ford Clinic in 1984 for alcohol abuse, writing that they "transformed my life - and gave me a chance to start growing up - even at my advanced age of 45".

She served as chairwoman of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International, supported embryonic stem cell research and was active in animal rights causes.

Mary Tyler Moore was an animal rights advocate. Credit: AP

Oscar-nominated actress, Viola Davis and presenters Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres also paid tribute to the legendary actress: