NEW YORK — Anne Russell, one of the distinct few actresses to star in both Broadway classics “Hello, Dolly” and “Mame,” has died. She was 103 years old.

Her longtime friend, Ted Seifman, confirmed the news, saying she died peacefully Tuesday evening at the The Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey.

Born on March 22, 1923, in Raleigh, North Carolina, Russell was quick to move to New York, eventually going on to live on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, where she was a resident for more than 75 years. She got her first break in the Big City by way of featured vocalist gigs with the famous Les Brown and Jerry Wald orchestras.

From there, she burst onto the musical theater scene after hiring composer and musical director Peter Howard to help spiff up her nightclub act. He was so struck by her, he recommended her to producer David Merrick for the role of Electra in the national tour of “Gypsy,” which also starred a13-year-old Bernadette Peters alongside her sister, Donna.

In 1965, Russell made her Broadway debut in “Flora, The Red Menace,” which also starred Liza Minnelli. That same year, she auditioned for the role of Gower Champion in the national tour of “Hello, Dolly!,” and she was hired as the standby for Mary Martin. She joined the company in Cleveland, performing the title role numerous time during the two years she toured with them. They traveled across the country, stopping in major cities before going international with performances in places like Tokyo, Vietnam and Korea.

Over the course of her career, Russell appeared in 10 different productions of “Hello, Dolly!”

Russell also initially served as an understudy for Jerry Herman’s other legendary title character, Mame Dennis in “Mame,” as well as her booze-soaked friend Vera Charles, while simultaneously stepping into the full-time role of Sally Cato. Later in 1983, she officially replaced actress Fran Warren to become the full-time star in a critically acclaimed New York production of the musical.

Then, in 1989, she toured with her long-time friend Debbie Reynolds in John Bowab’s production of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.”

Russell also appeared in the film “These Old Broads,” which was written by Carrie Fisher and starred Debbie, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins and Elizabeth Taylor.

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