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

Law & Order

Great Performances

L.A. Law

Oz

Touched by an Angel

Green Acres

Providence

Police Woman

All Movies (35)

• The Burly Man Chronicles2004
• The Matrix Recalibrated2004 · as Self
• What I Want My Words to Do to You2003 · as Self
• The Matrix Revolutions2003 · as The Oracle
• Sunshine State2002 · as Eunice Stokes
• The Last Brickmaker in America2001 · as Dorothy Cobb
• The Photographer2000 · as Violet
• Catfish in Black Bean Sauce1999 · as Dolores Williams
• The Wishing Tree1999 · as Mattie
• Down in the Delta1998 · as Rosa Lynn Sinclair
• Bed of Roses1996 · as Alice
• Heading Home1995 · as Mary Jones
• Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder1995
• The Mother1994 · as Black Lady
• The Inkwell1994 · as Evelyn
• The Vernon Johns Story1994 · as Altona
• A Perfect World1993 · as Lottie
• Life with Mikey1993 · as Mrs. Gordon
• Malcolm X1992 · as School Teacher
• The Bonfire of the Vanities1990 · as Annie Lamb
• Awakenings1990 · as Nurse Margaret
• To Sleep with Anger1990 · as Suzie
• The Women of Brewster Place1989 · as Fannie Michael
• Charlotte Forten's Mission: Experiment in Freedom1985 · as Blind Lily
• Teachers1984 · as Linda Ganz
• Beat Street1984 · as Cora
• The Killing Floor1984 · as Lilah Dean
• The Brass Ring1983 · as Mrs. Hauser
• A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion1982 · as Beck
• Joshua's World1980 · as Housekeeper
• Lawman Without a Gun1979 · as Minnie Hayward
• Just an Old Sweet Song1976 · as Helen Mayfield
• Sparkle1976 · as Effie
• The Education of Sonny Carson1974 · as Moms
• Sty of the Blind Pig1974 · as Alberta Warren

All TV Shows (20)

• Kojak2005 · as Joyce
• The Jury2004
• Soul Food2000 · as Mrs. Pettaway
• Providence1999 · as Abby Franklin
• Oz1997 · as Eugenia Hill
• Cosby1996
• Touched by an Angel1994 · as Georgia Bishop
• Laurel Avenue1993 · as Maggie Arnett
• I'll Fly Away1991 · as Marguerite Peck
• I'll Fly Away1991
• Performance1991 · as Black lady
• Law & Order1990 · as Virginia Bryan
• The Women of Brewster Place1989 · as Fannie Michael
• A Different World1987 · as Lettie Bostic
• L.A. Law1986 · as Maxine Manley
• Police Woman1974
• Good Times1974
• Sanford and Son1972
• Great Performances1971
• Green Acres1965