• 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
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Immunocompromised Care
    • Top Blacks in Healthcare
  • 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
13 Signs You Need to See a Dermatologist

“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
Find out about the SUPERNOVA study for the prevention of COVID-19 in people with an impaired immune system

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

Former TV & Reality Star Passes Away at 32

Former Wild 'N Out TV star known as Ms Jacky Oh! has passed away in Miami at the age of 32, TMZ reported on Thursday. The outlet reported that the entertainer, whose full name was Jacklyn Smith, said she was read more about Former TV & Reality Star Passes Away at 32
Tina Turner

Tina Turner Passes Away At Age 83

Music legend Tina Turner died today at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland according to a statement from her official Facebook page. She was 83 years old. “​It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner. With read more about Tina Turner Passes Away At Age 83

Tina Turner: A Lifelong Journey of Love & Triumph

(Photo by Miguel Villagran/Getty Images) Tina Turner, the unmistakable voice and legendary figure whose lyrics "What's Love Got to Do with It" spoke to so many women worldwide, has passed away at the age of 83. Multiple sources have confirmed read more about Tina Turner: A Lifelong Journey of Love & Triumph

Football Legend Jim Brown Passes Away at 87

Jim Brown, arguably one of the greatest professional and college football players of all time, has passed away. He was 87. His wife of the last 23 years, Monique, announced Brown's death in an Instagram post Friday afternoon. She said read more about Football Legend Jim Brown Passes Away at 87

3-Time World Champion Olympian Passes Away Pregnant at 32

World champion sprinter and three-time Olympic medalist Tori Bowie has passed away at the age of 32, her management team and USA Track and Field each confirmed on social media Wednesday. The Orange County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office said its deputies read more about 3-Time World Champion Olympian Passes Away Pregnant at 32

Kim Kardashian Look-a-like Passes Away at 34

Keeping up her looks turned fatal for 34-year-old Christina Ashten Gourkani, known as Ashten G. She held an incredible resemblance to reality star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian. Ashen actually earned money as a celebrity lookalike for the Keeping Up with read more about Kim Kardashian Look-a-like Passes Away at 34

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Lionel Richie Shares His Top 3 ‘Anti-Aging Secrets’Lionel Richie Shares His Top 3 ‘Anti-Aging Secrets’
  • ‘COVID Toes’ Might Be a Sign You Had the Disease'COVID Toes' Might Be a Sign You Had the Disease
  • 7 Foods That Replenish Your Liver7 Foods That Replenish Your Liver
  • Football Legend & Coach Deion Sanders Has Toes AmputatedFootball Legend & Coach Deion Sanders Has Toes Amputated
  • Relationship Goals: Couple Loses Nearly 200 Pounds Together!Relationship Goals: Couple Loses Nearly 200 Pounds Together!

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.