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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

55

Gender

Female

Birthday

1936-12-03

Day of Death

2022-07-27 (86 years old)

Place of Birth

Indianola, Mississippi, USA

Also Known As

Mary Alice

Biography

Mary Alice was born on December 3, 1936 in Indianola, Mississippi, USA to parents Ozelar Jurnakin (Smith) and Sam Smith. She was an actress, known for The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Awakenings (1990) and Malcolm X (1992). She taught in Elementary School before her acting career took off. When she was still a struggling actress doing stage plays, she made a living doing her castmate's laundry for a salary of $200 a week. She was a lifelong liberal Democrat, feminist, and civil rights activist. Was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2000. She retired from acting in 2005. She died of natural causes on July 27, 2022 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. Upon her death, she was buried with her siblings at Oak Wood Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois, in regard for her last wishes.

Known For

Acting

The Matrix Revolutions

2003

The Matrix Revolutions

as

The Oracle

Awakenings

1990

Awakenings

as

Nurse Margaret

Bed of Roses

1996

Bed of Roses

as

Alice

Sparkle

1976

Sparkle

as

Effie

A Perfect World

1993

A Perfect World

as

Lottie

The Mother

1994

The Mother

as

Black Lady

Down in the Delta

1998

Down in the Delta

as

Rosa Lynn Sinclair

The Women of Brewster Place

1989

The Women of Brewster Place

as

Fannie Michael

The Brass Ring

1983

The Brass Ring

as

Mrs. Hauser

Teachers

1984

Teachers

as

Linda Ganz

The Photographer

2000

The Photographer

as

Violet

Malcolm X

1992

Malcolm X

as

School Teacher

The Inkwell

1994

The Inkwell

as

Evelyn

Joshua's World

1980

Joshua's World

as

Housekeeper

Catfish in Black Bean Sauce

1999

Catfish in Black Bean Sauce

as

Dolores Williams

Beat Street

1984

Beat Street

as

Cora

Lawman Without a Gun

1979

Lawman Without a Gun

as

Minnie Hayward

The Wishing Tree

1999

The Wishing Tree

as

Mattie

Life with Mikey

1993

Life with Mikey

as

Mrs. Gordon

Heading Home

1995

Heading Home

as

Mary Jones

Sty of the Blind Pig

1974

Sty of the Blind Pig

as

Alberta Warren

Just an Old Sweet Song

1976

Just an Old Sweet Song

as

Helen Mayfield

Sunshine State

2002

Sunshine State

as

Eunice Stokes

The Killing Floor

1984

The Killing Floor

as

Lilah Dean

A Different World

1987

A Different World

as

Leticia Bostic

A Different World

A Different World

as

Lettie Bostic

Law & Order

Law & Order

as

Virginia Bryan

L.A. Law

L.A. Law

as

Maxine Manley

Providence

Providence

as

Abby Franklin

Touched by an Angel

Touched by an Angel

as

Georgia Bishop

Oz

Oz

as

Eugenia Hill

Soul Food

Soul Food

as

Mrs. Pettaway

I'll Fly Away

I'll Fly Away

as

Marguerite Peck

Kojak

Kojak

as

Joyce

Laurel Avenue

Laurel Avenue

as

Maggie Arnett

Performance

Performance

as

Black lady

Production

Crew

Directing