• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Lifestyle / Celebrity Passing / ‘A Different World’ and Matrix Actress Passes Away at 85

‘A Different World’ and Matrix Actress Passes Away at 85

(Photo credit: Instagram)

The Tony and Emmy-winning actor, Mary Alice, has passed away. Alice has one of the most soothing and calming voices on screen and is probably best known to younger audiences for her role in the Matrix trilogy, taking over the part of the Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions after the death of the original actor Gloria Foster in 2001.

She is known by the older generation as being a part of the long-running sitcom, ‘A Different World’. A veteran of the stage, Alice originated the role of Rose in August Wilson’s Fences, scoring the Tony for Best Featured Actress for the show’s Broadway debut in 1987. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alice was 85 when she passed away this week.

Alice died on Wednesday at her home in Manhattan, a spokesperson for the NYPD confirms to PEOPLE. A cause of death was not provided.

The actress’s death was also confirmed by “one of her close friends,” according to Philip Lewis of HuffPost, who announced the news on his Twitter Thursday.

You May Also Like
7 Proven Ways to Cure an Upset Stomach

“Mary Alice, known for her roles as ‘Lettie’ on A Different World and Effie Williams in Sparkle, has died, one of her close friends tells me,” Lewis wrote.

“‘We are all very sad at the loss,'” he shared from the source’s statement.

Lewis also posted two photos of Alice — the first of her at the 45th Emmy Award Governor’s Ball in 1993 with her award in hand, and the second of her in character.

Alice portrayed the memorable character of Effie Williams in the 1976 original version of Sparkle, which told the story of how The Supremes achieved fame.

You May Also Like
How One Woman Eliminated 50 Fibroids without Surgery!

She also played The Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions and Marguerite Peck in I’ll Fly Away, for which she received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She played the mother of Oprah Winfrey’s Mattie Michael in 1989 on the ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place. In 1987, she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in August Wilson’s Fences.

Her other film credits include Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, Awakenings opposite Robin Williams and Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood’s A Perfect World and Maya Angelou’s Down in the Delta.

Along with television appearances in shows like Oz and Law & Order, she also starred in a production of The Tragedy of Richard III beside Denzel Washington at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater.

(Photo credit: Instagram)

One of five children, Mary Alice Smith was born on Dec. 3, 1936, in Indianola, Mississippi, and raised in Chicago. Her father, Sam, worked in a laundry, and her mother, Ozelar, worked in a factory. After college, she was a Social Security secretary and then an elementary school teacher before joining a community theater group.

She landed her first paying job as an

Continue Reading

The Latest In Celebrity Passing

Rickey Smiley’s Son Passes Away at 32: “This is a Nightmare”

Rickey Smiley has been known to make people laugh with his syndicated radio show, stand-up specials, and his hilarious prank calls. But this weekend, Smiley was in a very somber mood when he announced via Instagram Live that his son read more about Rickey Smiley’s Son Passes Away at 32: “This is a Nightmare”

Viral Internet Sensation Grandma Passes Away at 97

Many people know her as Ms. Holla, or Grandma Holla, or simply the woman who made millions of social media users laugh with her enchanting personality and hilarious viral videos (usually filled with "tell-it-like-it-is" curse words), has passed away at read more about Viral Internet Sensation Grandma Passes Away at 97

Founding Member of Three 6 Mafia, Gangsta Boo, Passes Away at 43

Longtime rapper and collaborator who was sometimes called "the Queen of Memphis" and "Lady Boo", but most often she was widely known as "Gangsta Boo," has passed away. On the first day of 2023, Gangsta Boo, born Lola Mitchell, 43, read more about Founding Member of Three 6 Mafia, Gangsta Boo, Passes Away at 43

Legendary ‘Soccer King’ Pele Passes Away at 82

The man known to the world as Pele, born as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, passed away two days before New Year's Eve in São Paulo at the age of 82. He lost his long battle with colon cancer after being read more about Legendary ‘Soccer King’ Pele Passes Away at 82

Dancer & Former Ellen DeGeneres DJ, Stephen “Twitch” Boss Passes Away at 40

Former Ellen DJ, dancer, and hype man and Stephen “tWitch” Boss has passed away at 40. The news of the passing of the big-smile and funny turntablist who first rose to fame on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project in 2003 read more about Dancer & Former Ellen DeGeneres DJ, Stephen “Twitch” Boss Passes Away at 40

3-Time NBA Champion & Coach Passes Away at 79

The basketball world is mourning the loss of NBA legend Paul Silas, whose passing was announced by the Boston Globe Sunday morning. He was 79 years old. "I am very sad to report that the Great Paul Silas has passed read more about 3-Time NBA Champion & Coach Passes Away at 79

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Mo’Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: “I Love Us For Real”Mo'Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: "I Love Us For Real"
  • Monica Calhoun at 51: “Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside”Monica Calhoun at 51: "Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside"
  • 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries
  • Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!
  • John David Washington: “They Tried To Use My Name Against Me”John David Washington: "They Tried To Use My Name Against Me"

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.