Long Day’s Journey into Night, and On Golden Pond. Like many theater actors during the 1950s and 60s, Lindley made the move to TV soap operas, appearing in Search for Tomorrow (1962), The Edge of Night (1962), and Another World, where she played the role of meddling aunt Liz Matthews from 1964-1969.  However, Lindley is best known for playing kooky, sex-starved Helen Roper on Three’s Company and its spin-off, The Ropers (1977-1980), a role that garnered her a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe nomination in 1979 (Lindley received her first Golden Globe Nomination in 1973 for her work in Bridgett Loves Birney).  After The Ropers, Lindley appeared periodically on TV, most notably as Cybill Shepherd’s mother on Cybill, a role she played up until her sudden death in 1997 at the age of 79 from complications related to leukemia. Lindley was married to actor James Whitmore, and had five children.