Actress Peggy Lipton of ‘The Mod Squad,’ ‘Twin Peaks’ fame dead at 72

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Actress and former model Peggy Lipton has died from colon cancer at the age of 72, according to news reports.

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Lipton's death was announced Saturday by Kidada and Rashida Jones, her daughters with ex-husband legendary music producer Quincy Jones, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"She made her journey peacefully with her daughters and nieces by her side," her daughters said in a statement to The Times. "We feel so lucky for every moment we spent with her."

Lipton, who was born in New York in 1946 and started modeling at the age of 15, rose to fame in the 1960s with her role in the groundbreaking police series "The Mod Squad," one of the first television series to feature an interracial cast as so-called "hippie cops." The series dealt with serious topics such as domestic violence, abortion, the Vietnam War and police brutality, and earned her four Emmy nominations and a 1971 Golden Globe for best actress in a TV drama.

In an episode of 'The Mod Squad' called 'The Exile' on February 3, 1970, Sammy Davis Jr., left, guest-starred on the TV series, which starred Michael Cole, second from left, Clarence Williams III, center, and Peggy Lipton.

Credit: ABC Photo Archives

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Credit: ABC Photo Archives

During the 1970s, she married Jones and had two daughters with him. The couple divorced in 1989 and, after a years-long hiatus from acting, she went on to star in the 1990s hit show “Twin Peaks.”

Lipton has many other acting credits to her name, including roles on popular 1960s-era TV shows, like “Bewitched” and “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.”

“We can’t put all of our feelings into words right now, but we will say: Peggy was and will always be our beacon of light, both in this world and beyond,” her daughters said in the statement. “She will always be a part of us.”

A publicity shot in 1972 for 'The Mod Squad' with, starting from the left, Tige Andrews, Michael Cole, Peggy Lipton and Clarence Williams III.

Credit: ABC Photo Archives

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Credit: ABC Photo Archives

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