Remembering Mary Alice: Tony And Emmy Award-Winning Actress
We lost another trailblazing actress this week. The legendary Mary Alice passed away at the age of 85.
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed to NPR that she died of natural causes in her New York home.
The Tony and Emmy award-winning actress was best known for her roles on stage, in television series, and in film. There are several unforgettable moments in her acting career.
The former teacher made her screen début in the 1974 film The Education of Sonny Carson, and landed the role of Effie Williams two years later in the musical drama film Sparkle. She won a Tony in 1987 for performance as Rose Maxson in 1987 Broadway production Fences. The veteran also won an Emmy Award in 1993 for her supporting role in I’ll Fly Away, an NBC.
Many viewers may remember Alice in her recurring role as Lettie Bostic, the dorm director at Gilbert Hall in seasons one and two of A Different World. She carried this role from 1987 to 1989.
Other credits come from the TV show Sanford And Son, in which played Fred’s sister Frances who was married to a white man—and of course, the classic Good Times as Florida’s pregnant friend Loretta who was about to have the baby “right now!”
Other honorable mentions included: The Matrix Revolution, All My Children, Malcolm X, The Inkwell, To Sleep With Anger, and so many other productions.
In 2000, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall Of Fame. Alice lived a long and successful life and we are truly going to miss her. Rest In Paradise Our Beautiful Queen.
