Mary Alice Smith (December 3, 1936 – July 27, 2022), known professionally as Mary Alice, was an American television, film, and stage actress. Alice was known for her roles as Leticia "Lettie" Bostic on the sitcom A Different World (1987–1989) and Effie Williams in the 1976 musical drama Sparkle, and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her recurring role on the series I'll Fly Away. Alice also performed on the stage, and received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her appearance in the 1987 production of August Wilson's Fences.
Early life and education Born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Mississippi, Alice was the daughter of Ozelar (née Jurnakin/Journakin) and Sam Smith. She showed an early and natural ability for acting, and began her stage career in her hometown. Her family moved from Mississippi to Chicago when she was two years old. She graduated from Chicago Teacher's College (now known as Chicago State University), and taught at an elementary school.
Career Mary Alice returned to acting in the mid-1960s through community theater and appeared in three Douglass Turner Ward's plays, including Days of Absence and Happy Endings. Mary Alice also washed the cast's laundry for a salary of $200 a week. She did some acting in New York City during the late 1960s and early 1970s, performing in multiple productions at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in Manhattan's East Village between 1969 and 1973. Her first production at La MaMa was Adrienne Kennedy's A Rat's Mass in September 1969.La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: A Rat's Mass (1969a)". Accessed May 14, 2018. She reprised her role as Sister Rat in the October 1969 production,La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: A Rat's Mass (1969b)". Accessed May 14, 2018. and again in the January 1971 production.La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: A Rat's Mass (1971)". Accessed May 14, 2018. All three productions were directed by Seth Allen. In 1970, Mary Alice performed in Ed Bullins' Street Sounds, directed by Hugh Gittens.La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Street Sounds (1970)". Accessed May 14, 2018. She later performed in Lamar Alford's Thoughts in December 1972La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Thoughts (1972)". Accessed May 14, 2018. and January 1973.La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Thoughts (1973)". Accessed May 14, 2018.
Mary Alice made her screen début in the 1974 film The Education of Sonny Carson, and later appeared in the television shows Police Woman and Sanford and Son. She played Ellie Grant Hubbard on the soap opera All My Children during the mid-1980s, and the role of Cora in Stan Lathan's 1984 cult-classic film Beat Street, as well as co–starred in A Different World as Leticia "Lettie" Bostic from the series' start in 1987 until the end of the second season in 1989. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1993 for I'll Fly Away. Her other film credits include Malcolm X (1992), The Inkwell (1994), and Down in the Delta (1998).
In 2000, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. She replaced Gloria Foster as the Oracle in the sequel The Matrix Revolutions (2003) and the video game tie-in Enter the Matrix (2003) after Foster, who originated the role, died in 2001. Alice reprised the role one last time in The Matrix Online prior to retiring from acting in 2005.
Personal life and death
Alice died on July 27, 2022, at her residence in Manhattan at the age of 85, due to natural causes.BET – Mary Alice, 'Different World', 'Sparkle' Actress Dies – July 27, 2022
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1974 The Education of Sonny Carson Moms1975 Requiem for a Nun Nancy Mannigoe 1976 Sparkle Effie Williams 1981 The Color of Friendship Mrs. Garth 1984 Beat Street Cora Kirkland Concealed Enemies Edith Murray Teachers Linda Ganz 1990 To Sleep with Anger Suzie Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead The Bonfire of the Vanities Annie Lamb Awakenings Nurse Margaret 1992 Malcolm X School Teacher 1993 A Perfect World Dottie Life with Mikey Mrs. Gordon 1994 The Inkwell Evelyn 1996 Bed of Roses Alice 1998 Down in the Delta Rosa Lynn Sinclair 1999 Catfish in Black Bean Sauce Dolores WilliamsThe Wishing TreeMattie Collier 2000 The Photographer Violet 2002 Sunshine State Mrs. Eunice Stokes 2003 The Matrix Revolutions The Oracle Nominated — Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress
Television Year Title Role Notes1974The Sty of the Blind Pig Alberta WarrenTelevision Film 1975 Police Woman Marnie 1 episode Sanford and Son Frances Victor 2 episodes Good Times Loretta Simpson 1 episode The Family Holvak Samantha Wilson 1 episode 1976 Insight Karen Fuller 1 episode Just an Old Sweet Song Helen Mayfield Television movie Serpico Angel 1 episode Visions Evelyn Burrell 1 episode 1979 Lawman Without a Gun Minnie Hayward Television film 1980 All My Children Ellie Grant Hubbard unknown episode(s) 1987–1989 A Different World Leticia "Lettie" Bostic Main role, 25 episodes 1989 The Women of Brewster Place Fannie Michael 2 episodes 1990 L.A. Law Maxine Manley 1 episode 1992 I'll Fly Away Marguerite Peck Recurring role, 7 episodesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series1993 Laurel Avenue Maggie Arnett Television filmNominated — CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries Law & Order Virginia Bryan 1 episode 1994 Great Performances 1 episode 1997 Orleans Ella Clark 1 episode 1999 Cosby Loretta 4 episodes 2000 Touched by an Angel Georgia Bishop 1 episode Providence Abby Franklin 1 episode 2001 Soul Food Mrs. Pettaway 1 episode 2002 Oz Eugenia Hill 1 episode2004 Line of Fire Jackie Simon 1 episode The Jury Elaine Nebatoff 1 episode 2005 Kojak Joyce 1 episode
Theatre Year Title Role Notes 1969–1971 No Place to Be Somebody Cora Beasley 1981A Full-Length Portrait of AmericaEmma 1987–1988 Fences Rose Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play;Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play 1994–1995 The Shadow Box Maggie 1995 Having Our Say Dr. Bessie Delaney Nominated — Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play;Nominated — Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2003 Enter the Matrix The Oracle 2005 The Matrix Online The Oracle
Awards and nominations
+Year AwardCategory Nominated work Result1987Tony AwardsTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a PlayFences1987Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayFences1990Independent Spirit AwardsIndependent Spirit Award for Best Female LeadTo Sleep with Anger1992Emmy AwardsPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesI'll Fly Away1993Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesI'll Fly Away1994CableACE AwardBest Actress in a Movie or MiniseriesLaurel Avenue1995Tony AwardsTony Award for Best Actress in a PlayHaving Our Say1995Drama Desk AwardsDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a PlayHaving Our Say 2004Black Reel AwardsBlack Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting ActressThe Matrix Revolutions
Notes
References
External links
TonyAwards.com interview with Mary Alice Mary Alice's page on La MaMa Archives Digital Collections