Gloria Foster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gloria Foster
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Foster in 1970.
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| Born | November 15, 1933 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | September 29, 2001 (aged 67) |
| Resting place | Kensico Cemetery Valhalla, New York |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1964–2001 |
| Spouse(s) | |
Gloria Foster (born November 15, 1933 – died September 29, 2001) was a talented American actress. She was famous for her roles in plays like In White America and Having Our Say. She won three Obie Awards for her amazing performances. Many people also know her as the Oracle in the popular movies The Matrix (1999) and The Matrix Reloaded (2003). The second Matrix film was her last movie role.
Contents
About Gloria Foster
Her Early Life and Schooling
Gloria Foster was born on November 15, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois. When she was very young, her grandparents took care of her. She never knew her father. Later, she moved to Janesville, Wisconsin.
Gloria went to the University of Illinois in Chicago. She acted in plays there but did not plan to become a professional actress at first. Her godmother introduced her to the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. This made Gloria decide to become an actor. She was one of the few African American students at the Goodman School of Drama. She learned many acting skills there. Her teacher, Bella Itkin, helped her a lot and cast her in many classic roles.
Her Acting Career Begins
Gloria Foster started acting on Broadway in 1963. Her first Broadway role was Ruth in the play A Raisin in the Sun. Her first professional acting job was in In White America. In this play, she acted as a 13-year-old girl. This girl was trying to go to school in Little Rock, Arkansas. Gloria won an Obie Award for this role.
After this, she became so well-known that people started creating roles just for her. She worked a lot with Joe Papp, a famous theater producer. She appeared in his plays like Long Day's Journey into Night and Mother Courage. Gloria always looked for challenging roles. She once said she wanted "a more difficult role" instead of just using roles as "stepping stones."
Famous Roles and Highlights
Gloria Foster moved from the stage to the big screen. She appeared in many movies and television shows. Her first full-length movie was The Cool World in 1964. She played Mrs. Custis in this film. On the set of this movie, she met her future husband, Clarence Williams III. She also starred in Nothing But a Man (1964).
Gloria was also active in television. She appeared in shows like I Spy and The Cosby Show (1987). She was in two episodes of Law & Order. Her character, Satima Tate, was based on the wife of Malcolm X, Betty Shabazz.
In 1995, she returned to theater. She acted in Having Our Say on Broadway at the Booth Theatre. She played 103-year-old Sadie Delany. She received great reviews for this performance.
Her most famous roles were as the Oracle in The Matrix (1999) and The Matrix Reloaded (2003). Sadly, she passed away while filming the second Matrix movie. Because of this, another actress, Mary Alice, took over her role in the third movie, The Matrix Revolutions.
Her Personal Life and Passing
Gloria Foster married actor Clarence Williams III in 1967. They had acted together in the 1964 film The Cool World. She also appeared as a guest on his TV show The Mod Squad twice. Clarence Williams III announced her death in 2001.
Gloria Foster passed away on September 29, 2001, when she was 67 years old. She died from diabetes. A memorial service was held for her. A writer named Martin Duberman spoke about her amazing acting. He said that after one performance, she was trembling and crying, but still had her dignity. She is buried in Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.
Filmography
Film
- The Cool World (1964) as Mrs. Custis
- Nothing But a Man (1964) as Lee
- The Comedians (1967) as Mrs. Philipot
- The Angel Levine (1970) as Sally
- Man and Boy (1972) as Ivy Revers
- Leonard Part 6 (1987) as Medusa
- City of Hope (1991) as Jeanette
- The Matrix (1999) as The Oracle
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003) as The Oracle (released after her death)
- The Matrix Resurrections (2021) as The Oracle (using old footage)
Television
- The Bill Cosby Show as Dolores Winters
- I Spy (1968) as Shana
- The Outcasts (1968), "Take Your Lover in The Ring", Episode #5, as Sabina
- Mod Squad (1969) as Jenny
- To All My Friends on Shore (1972) as Serena
- Top Secret (1978) as Judith
- The Files on Jill Hatch (1983) as Mrs. Hatch
- House of Dies Drear (1984) as Sheila Small
- The Atlanta Child Murders (1985) (miniseries) as Camille Bell
- The Cosby Show (1987) as Dr. Barbara Bracy
- Separate but Equal (1991) as Buster
- Law & Order (1992 and 1997) as Mrs. Tate
- Percy & Thunder (1993) as Sugar Brown
See also
In Spanish: Gloria Foster para niños
