Mary Alice, A Different World and Sparkle Actress, Dead at 85: 'A Shoulder We All Stood On'
She was not on the list.
Mary Alice, the actress best known for her roles in A Different World and Sparkle, has died. She was 85.
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.
"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.
Jasmine Guy as Whitley Marion Gilbert, Mary Alice as Leticia 'Lettie' Bostic in A Different World.
Alice is best known for portraying Leticia "Lettie" Bostic on NBC's A Different World and Effie Williams in the 1976 original version of Sparkle, which told the story of how The Supremes achieved fame.
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. 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.
Alice began acting as a child in her hometown of Indianola, Mississippi, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She picked up the trade again after working as a Social Security secretary and teaching at an elementary school in Chicago, where she was raised.
She returned to the stage in community theater productions until she made her way into Manhattan's East Village theater scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Variety reported.
The actress's first paying job came in 1966 performing with the New York Negro Ensemble Company when the were in Chicago touring, per THR.
"Equity required the group to use one local actor, and I was hired to do a couple of roles and the laundry," she said in 1979, according to The New York Times. "I loved it. I really loved it, and I didn't mind doing the washing and ironing twice a week."
In 2000, Alice was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. She eventually retired from acting in 2005, per her IMDb page. Her final onscreen credit was recorded that year for an episode of the rebooted drama series Kojak.
Following news of her death, several members of the Hollywood community took to social media to pay their respects. Among them were actors Viola Davis and Colman Domingo.
"RIP Mary Alice…the original Rose Maxson. You were one of the greatest actresses of all time!! Thank you for the work, inspiration and thank you for Rose. Godspeed Queen," Davis, 56, tweeted beside a photo of Alice.
"A shoulder we all stood on. A round of applause for Mary Alice. Thank you legend. Rest Easy," added Domingo, 52, in a separate tweet.
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1974 The Education of Sonny Carson Moms
1974 The Sty of the Blind Pig Alberta Warren Television movie
1976 Just an Old Sweet Song Helen Mayfield Television movie
1976 Sparkle Effie Williams
1979 Lawman Without a Gun Minnie Hayward Television movie
1981 The Color of Friendship Mrs. Garth
1983 The Brass Ring Mrs. Hauser Television movie
1984 Beat Street Cora Kirkland
1984 Concealed Enemies Edith Murray
1984 Teachers Linda Ganz
1985 Charlotte Forten's Mission: Experiment in Freedom Blind Lily
1990 To Sleep with Anger Suzie Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead
1990 The Bonfire of the Vanities Annie Lamb
1990 Awakenings Nurse Margaret
1992 Malcolm X School Teacher
1993 A Perfect World Lottie
1993 Laurel Avenue Maggie Arnett Television movie; Nominated — CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries
1993 Life with Mikey Mrs. Gordon
1994 The Inkwell Evelyn
1994 The Vernon Johns Story Altona Television movie
1994 Heading Home Mary Jones
1995 Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder Adele Thompson Television movie
1996 Bed of Roses Alice
1998 Down in the Delta Rosa Lynn Sinclair
1999 Catfish in Black Bean Sauce Dolores Williams
1999 The Wishing Tree Mattie
2000 The Photographer Violet
2001 The Last Brickmaker in America Dorothy Cobb Television movie
2002 Sunshine State Mrs. Eunice Stokes
2002 The Life Emiline Crane Short film
2003 The Matrix Revolutions The Oracle Nominated — Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1975 Police Woman Marnie Episode: "Target Black"
1975 Sanford and Son Frances Victor 2 episodes
1975 Good Times Loretta Simpson Episode: "The Baby"
1975 The Family Holvak Samantha Wilson Episode: "The Tribute"
1976 Insight Karen Fuller Episode: "Juvie"
1976 Serpico Angel Episode: "The Traitor in Our Midst"
1976 Visions Evelyn Burrell Episode: "Scenes from the Middle Class"
1980 All My Children Ellie Grant Hubbard unknown episode(s)
1987–1989 A Different World Leticia "Lettie" Bostic 25 episodes
1989 The Women of Brewster Place Fannie Michael 2 episodes
1990 L.A. Law Maxine Manley Episode: "Watts a Matter?"
1992 I'll Fly Away Marguerite Peck 7 episodes; Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
1993 Law & Order Virginia Bryan Episode: "Mother Love"
1994 Great Performances Episode: "Paddy Chayefsky's 'The Mother'"
1997 Orleans Ella Clark Episode: "Baby-Sitting"
1999 Cosby Loretta 4 episodes
2000 Touched by an Angel Georgia Bishop Episode: "God Bless the Child"
2000 Providence Abby Franklin Episode: "The Gift"
2001 Soul Food Mrs. Pettaway Episode: "Sex and Money"
2002 Oz Eugenia Hill Episode: "Visitation"
2004 Line of Fire Jackie Simon Episode: "The Senator"
2004 The Jury Elaine Nebatoff Episode: "Memories"
2005 Kojak Joyce Episode: "All That Glitters"
Theatre
Year Title Role Notes
1969–1971 No Place to Be Somebody Cora Beasley
1981 A Full-Length Portrait of America Emma
1987–1988 Fences Rose Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play;
Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
1994–1995 The Shadow Box Maggie
1995 Having Our Say Dr. Bessie Delaney Nominated — Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play;
Nominated — Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2003 Enter the Matrix The Oracle
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