
Actress Mary Alice, who played Oracle in the “Matrix” franchise, died Wednesday (7/27) in New York, aged 85, of an unknown cause.
Mary Alice Smith was born on December 3, 1936 in Indianola, Mississippi, and grew up in Chicago in a blue-collar family. She worked in the public service and was an elementary school teacher before joining a community theater group. After attracting the attention of Douglas Turner Ward, co-founder of the Negro Ensemble Company, she moved to New York City in 1967, where her career blossomed in various parts of the off-Broadway circuit.
Her film debut took place in 1974, in “The Education of Sonny Carson”, and soon after she began a long and prolific routine of TV series appearances – only in 1975 did she appear in the episodes of “Sanford & Son”, “Good Times “and” The Policewoman “.
In 1976, Mary Alice had her first major film role in “Sparkle”, as the mother of three daughters who form a musical group in the style of the Supremes. Produced five years prior to “Dreamgirls”, the Broadway musical with a similar theme, the film launched the careers of Irene Cara (“Fame”) and Lonette McKee (“Malcolm X”) and received a remake in 2012, in which Whitney Houston took over the role of the mother.
Its consecration came through the theater and television. She won the Tony in 1987 for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the Broadway comedy “Fences” – whose film adaptation, dubbed in Brazil “A Limit Between Us” (2016), won the Oscar for Viola Davis. In 1993, she won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for “I’ll Fly Away,” her second nomination for her portrayal of her in the apartheid show of the 1950s.
She also garnered accolades for Charles Burnett’s “Don’t Sleep Nervous” (1990), for which she was nominated for the Best Actress trophy at the Spirit Awards (Oscars of independent cinema).
And this sequence of awards has earned him invitations for many jobs, adding several series and films to his resume. Highlights include the feature films “Awakenings” (1990), by Penny Marshall, “The Bonfire of the Vanities” (1990), by Brian De Palma, “Malcolm X” (1992), by Spike Lee, “A World Perfect “(1993), by Clint Eastwood,” Resurrection “(1998), by Maya Angelou,” Land of the Sun “(2002), by John Sayles, and” Matrix Revolutions “(2003), by the Wachowski sisters.
The role of Oracle in the finale of the original “Matrix” trilogy was his last film. She retired from acting shortly after playing the character again in the video games “Enter the Matrix” (2003) and “The Matrix Online” (2005).
In honor of Rose’s original performer, actress Viola Davis wrote Thursday: “You were one of the greatest actresses of all time! Thanks for the work, the inspiration and thanks for Rose. Go with God, Queen “.

Source: Terra

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.