Gloria Foster
Encyclopedia
Gloria Foster was an American
actress, most known for her stage performances portraying an array of African-American characters, including her acclaimed roles in plays In White America and Having Our Say, winning three Obie Awards during her career.
In films, she was perhaps best known as The Oracle in The Matrix
(1999) and The Matrix Reloaded
(2003), the latter film being her last.
after her mother was hospitalized for a mental illness. Her grandmother, Eleanor Sudds, and her grandfather, Clyde Sudds, raised Gloria Foster on a farm. As Gloria continued her education she returned to her hometown of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois, where she participated in plays, but did not focus on it. She took many different classes, including forensics, which she enjoyed a lot. Gloria Foster was not sure what occupation to pursue, until her godmother introduced her to the Goodman Theatre
in Chicago
. After she auditioned and was accepted, she knew that this was going to be her passion in life, the theater. She was one of the few African Americans at the Goodman School of Drama, but focused on her study of acting. During her studying at the Goodman School she also, “learned professional acting skills in the Court Theater at the University of Chicago”. One of her most influential instructors was Bella Itkin, who cast Gloria in many classical roles. Her next step in life was to move to New York to pursue a career on Broadway
.
. She started an acting career as her agent, Ernestine McClendon, sent her on an audition for In White America. The play was about the history of blacks in the United States and the oppression they had to face. Gloria Foster, “play[s] a 13-year-old Arkansas girl who tries to enter her Little Rock school”. This was her first distinction and had to play 27 different characters. This led to her winning an Obie Award
or Off-Broadway Theater Award, which is an, “annual award bested by The Village Voice newspaper to theater artists and groups in New York City". She also received a two-page article in Life Magazine
, explaining about the wonderful performance and critics said she was up and coming and people should look out for the next pieces she performs in. She performed many other plays in New York and on Broadway and the public started to notice her, as she became a bigger star. Not only did the public start to notice her, but also critics began analyzing her performances. They wrote that she performed her roles as a, “majestic, full-voiced, statuesque and stunning actress”. The passion she had for acting was reflected in her performances and an unusual thing happened for her, “an African-American actress around whom producers and directors built production”. Instead of Gloria Foster having to audition for roles, people started to make parts for her to be in. It was her spirit, excitement, and stamina for acting that gave her success in such a hard business. She was a breakthrough artist who, “played roles previously inaccessible to Blacks”.
Gloria Foster, instead of searching for fame by trying to be in many different productions, searched for roles in which she would be able to perform at the best of her ability. She once said, “Young people today, I think, are thinking in terms of stepping stones…I don’t know that I ever thought that way. It sounds ridiculous, but I was always thinking in terms of a more difficult role”. She won fame by performing her roles magnificently, not by performing the maximum number of roles that she could. She read many scripts, but only chose the ones that spoke truly to her. By the end of her acting career, she was rewarded with three Obie awards, for In White America (1963) and A Raisin In the Sun, and was in the Broadway production of Having Our Say (1995) (McCann 121).
In the early '70s, she was admitted to a special graduate program in education at UMass
.
in 1967. They met on the television show The Mod Squad
that ran from the late 1960’s to the early 1970’s. The show was a police drama that featured three young hip crime fighters. In the show Clarence Williams played the black cop, Linc Hayes. Foster made two guest appearances on the show. The two also were in a movie, The Cool World, in 1964 together. In 1984 they filed for a divorce, but remained friends. Williams was the one to announce her death in 2001. While Foster did not have many close relatives, it is known that she stayed in contact with her sister-in-law, Cicely Tyson (Williams' sister). Tyson stated that although they did not see each other often, their telephone conversations would often last for hours.
The Cool World (1964)- This was Gloria Foster’s first appearance on a full-length feature film. She played Mrs. Custis. It was on the set of this film that she starred next to her future husband, Clarence Williams III.
Nothing But a Man
(1964)- Gloria Foster plays a woman named Lee, who lives with the main character’s (Duff Anderson) father.
The Matrix
(1999)- Gloria Foster played the Oracle. The Oracle helps Neo find out if he is “the one”. She plays the part wonderfully. She acts mysteriously, dangerously, and down to earth. Because the movie did so well, this role was very important to Gloria Foster’s career.
The Matrix Reloaded
(2003)- Gloria Foster continued to act the role of the Oracle, but unfortunately passed away during the filming and Mary Alice
continued the role in The Matrix Revolutions
and Enter the Matrix
.
She returned to theater again in 1995, acting alongside Mary Alice
(who was later to replace her in The Matrix
films following her death), appearing as 103-year-old Sadie Delany, in Having Our Say, on Broadway
at the Booth Theatre
, for which she received rave reviews.
She was also active in television
, appearing in such programs as I Spy, two episodes of Law & Order
and The Cosby Show
(1987).
Her character in both Law and Order episodes was based on the widow of Malcolm X
, Betty Shabazz
. The first episode was based on Malcolm X's assassination, Malcolm X played
by Hal Miller
, while the second focused on her character's children's acts of revenge against those who they thought were really responsible.
She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta
sorority.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, most known for her stage performances portraying an array of African-American characters, including her acclaimed roles in plays In White America and Having Our Say, winning three Obie Awards during her career.
In films, she was perhaps best known as The Oracle in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
(1999) and The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction film and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by the Wachowskis. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15,...
(2003), the latter film being her last.
Early life
Gloria Foster was born on November 15, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. But as a young child she was put into custody of her mother’s grandparents. Gloria Foster never knew who her father was and she moved to Janesville, WisconsinJanesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
after her mother was hospitalized for a mental illness. Her grandmother, Eleanor Sudds, and her grandfather, Clyde Sudds, raised Gloria Foster on a farm. As Gloria continued her education she returned to her hometown of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois, where she participated in plays, but did not focus on it. She took many different classes, including forensics, which she enjoyed a lot. Gloria Foster was not sure what occupation to pursue, until her godmother introduced her to the Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. After she auditioned and was accepted, she knew that this was going to be her passion in life, the theater. She was one of the few African Americans at the Goodman School of Drama, but focused on her study of acting. During her studying at the Goodman School she also, “learned professional acting skills in the Court Theater at the University of Chicago”. One of her most influential instructors was Bella Itkin, who cast Gloria in many classical roles. Her next step in life was to move to New York to pursue a career on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
.
Acting career
Gloria Foster began her career on Broadway as she moved to New York in 1963. Her first role was Ruth in the show of A Raisin in the SunA Raisin in the Sun
A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes...
. She started an acting career as her agent, Ernestine McClendon, sent her on an audition for In White America. The play was about the history of blacks in the United States and the oppression they had to face. Gloria Foster, “play[s] a 13-year-old Arkansas girl who tries to enter her Little Rock school”. This was her first distinction and had to play 27 different characters. This led to her winning an Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
or Off-Broadway Theater Award, which is an, “annual award bested by The Village Voice newspaper to theater artists and groups in New York City". She also received a two-page article in Life Magazine
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
, explaining about the wonderful performance and critics said she was up and coming and people should look out for the next pieces she performs in. She performed many other plays in New York and on Broadway and the public started to notice her, as she became a bigger star. Not only did the public start to notice her, but also critics began analyzing her performances. They wrote that she performed her roles as a, “majestic, full-voiced, statuesque and stunning actress”. The passion she had for acting was reflected in her performances and an unusual thing happened for her, “an African-American actress around whom producers and directors built production”. Instead of Gloria Foster having to audition for roles, people started to make parts for her to be in. It was her spirit, excitement, and stamina for acting that gave her success in such a hard business. She was a breakthrough artist who, “played roles previously inaccessible to Blacks”.
Gloria Foster, instead of searching for fame by trying to be in many different productions, searched for roles in which she would be able to perform at the best of her ability. She once said, “Young people today, I think, are thinking in terms of stepping stones…I don’t know that I ever thought that way. It sounds ridiculous, but I was always thinking in terms of a more difficult role”. She won fame by performing her roles magnificently, not by performing the maximum number of roles that she could. She read many scripts, but only chose the ones that spoke truly to her. By the end of her acting career, she was rewarded with three Obie awards, for In White America (1963) and A Raisin In the Sun, and was in the Broadway production of Having Our Say (1995) (McCann 121).
In the early '70s, she was admitted to a special graduate program in education at UMass
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
.
Personal life
Gloria Foster was married to the actor, Clarence Williams IIIClarence Williams III
Clarence Williams III is an American actor.-Early life:Williams was born in New York City. His grandfather was Clarence Williams, the jazz pianist and composer. He was raised by his grandmother.-Career:...
in 1967. They met on the television show The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad is a television series that ran on ABC from September 24, 1968, until August 23, 1973. This series starred Michael Cole, Peggy Lipton, Clarence Williams III, and Tige Andrews...
that ran from the late 1960’s to the early 1970’s. The show was a police drama that featured three young hip crime fighters. In the show Clarence Williams played the black cop, Linc Hayes. Foster made two guest appearances on the show. The two also were in a movie, The Cool World, in 1964 together. In 1984 they filed for a divorce, but remained friends. Williams was the one to announce her death in 2001. While Foster did not have many close relatives, it is known that she stayed in contact with her sister-in-law, Cicely Tyson (Williams' sister). Tyson stated that although they did not see each other often, their telephone conversations would often last for hours.
Highlights
Moving from the New York stage, Gloria Foster started to do roles on the big screen. She was in many theatrical performances and also performed some roles on television.The Cool World (1964)- This was Gloria Foster’s first appearance on a full-length feature film. She played Mrs. Custis. It was on the set of this film that she starred next to her future husband, Clarence Williams III.
Nothing But a Man
Nothing But a Man
Nothing But a Man is a film made in 1964 and directed by Michael Roemer. The story is about a black railroad worker, who falls in love with a black school teacher, who is the town’s preacher’s daughter. The story depicts the struggle of their strife for “a meaningful place” in their society. It...
(1964)- Gloria Foster plays a woman named Lee, who lives with the main character’s (Duff Anderson) father.
The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
(1999)- Gloria Foster played the Oracle. The Oracle helps Neo find out if he is “the one”. She plays the part wonderfully. She acts mysteriously, dangerously, and down to earth. Because the movie did so well, this role was very important to Gloria Foster’s career.
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction film and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by the Wachowskis. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15,...
(2003)- Gloria Foster continued to act the role of the Oracle, but unfortunately passed away during the filming and Mary Alice
Mary Alice
Mary Alice is an American actress.Alice was born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Mississippi, the daughter of Ozelar and Sam Smith. In 1987 she received a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Fences...
continued the role in The Matrix Revolutions
The Matrix Revolutions
The Matrix Revolutions is a 2003 American science fiction film and the third installment of The Matrix trilogy. The film was released six months following The Matrix Reloaded. The film was written and directed by the Wachowski brothers and released simultaneously in sixty countries on November 5,...
and Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix is the first video game based on The Matrix series of films. It was developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Atari and WB Interactive for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube game systems, and for the PC. It was published in Japan by Bandai...
.
She returned to theater again in 1995, acting alongside Mary Alice
Mary Alice
Mary Alice is an American actress.Alice was born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Mississippi, the daughter of Ozelar and Sam Smith. In 1987 she received a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Fences...
(who was later to replace her in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
films following her death), appearing as 103-year-old Sadie Delany, in Having Our Say, on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Booth Theatre
Booth Theatre
The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 222 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York City.Architect Henry B. Herts designed the Booth and its companion Shubert Theatre as a back-to-back pair sharing a Venetian Renaissance-style façade...
, for which she received rave reviews.
She was also active in television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, appearing in such programs as I Spy, two episodes of Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
and The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
(1987).
Her character in both Law and Order episodes was based on the widow of Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
, Betty Shabazz
Betty Shabazz
Betty Shabazz , born Betty Dean Sanders and also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was the wife of Malcolm X....
. The first episode was based on Malcolm X's assassination, Malcolm X played
by Hal Miller
Hal Miller (actor)
Harold Miller, more widely known as Hal Miller, is an American stage and television actor.Miller received his Actors' Equity Association card in 1968 while working with Joseph Papp in Shakespeare's Henry V. From 1972 until 1974, Miller played the role of Gordon Robinson on Sesame Street. He made...
, while the second focused on her character's children's acts of revenge against those who they thought were really responsible.
Death
Gloria Foster died on September 29, 2001 at age 67. The cause of her death was diabetes. Though she was no longer married, her ex-husband, Clarence Williams III, was the one to announce her death. A funeral was performed at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn on October 15, 2001. Many of her close friends and also actors and actresses that had performed with her came to attend the funeral. Judith Rutherford James, a well-known producer and also good friend who worked with Gloria Foster on In White America and Having Our Say was a huge part in the memorial service and helped to oversee that it ran smoothly. Many of the speeches given at the service, showed and spoke about how Gloria Foster not only played her part, but also embodied the character, both emotionally and also physically. Duberman, the author of In White America, told the audience that, “she embodied it. At the end of the scene each night, there were tears streaming down her face, her body was trembling, but her dignity was intact”… “Foster had to be covered with blankets in order to calm her shaking”.She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
sorority.
Significance
Gloria Foster was not an actress looking for fame. Fame was bestowed upon her because the way she acted and because she was able to embody the roles of each of her characters. She did not just play the characters, but became the character emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Working in the acting business is hard, but “what probably saved me [Gloria Foster] is that I’ve always felt it was important to live; to experience the day; to experience the hurt, the pain, the love, and come your next role, you’re so much more vital”. She got to experience acting on the stage, on film, and on television and was able to experience so many different characters that she could learn from each one in her own life. As her career moved forward, she was able to take from all her previous roles and create a complex character. She was a breakthrough actress for African Americans. She was so successful because, “everything is an exploration, or building upon what you’ve learned. I’m not very good at the business of show business. It was an art form, as far as I was concerned”.Filmography
- FilmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s- The Matrix ReloadedThe Matrix ReloadedThe Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction film and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by the Wachowskis. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15,...
(2003) as The Oracle - The MatrixThe MatrixThe Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
(1999) as The Oracle - City of HopeCity of Hope (film)City of Hope is an American drama film written and directed by John Sayles.The film features Vincent Spano, Stephen Mendillo and Chris Cooper....
(1991) as Jeanette - Leonard Part 6Leonard Part 6Leonard Part 6 is a 1987 comedy film that parodies spy movies. It was directed by Paul Weiland and starred Bill Cosby, who also produced the film and wrote its story. The movie also starred Joe Don Baker and Gloria Foster, the latter of whom played the villain. The movie was filmed in the San...
(1987) as Medusa - Man and Boy (1972) as Ivy Revers
- The Angel Levine (1970) as Sally
- The ComediansThe Comedians (novel)The Comedians is a novel by Graham Greene, first published in 1966. Set in Haiti under the rule of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier and his secret police, the Tontons Macoute, The Comedians tells the story of a tired hotel owner, Brown, and his increasing fatalism as he watches Haiti descend into...
(1967) as Mrs. Philipot - Nothing But a ManNothing But a ManNothing But a Man is a film made in 1964 and directed by Michael Roemer. The story is about a black railroad worker, who falls in love with a black school teacher, who is the town’s preacher’s daughter. The story depicts the struggle of their strife for “a meaningful place” in their society. It...
(1964) as Lee - The Cool World (1964) as Mrs. Custis
- The Matrix Reloaded
- TelevisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
- Percy & Thunder (1993) as Sugar Brown
- Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
(1992) as Mrs. Tate - Separate But EqualSeparate but equalSeparate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States constitutional law that justified systems of segregation. Under this doctrine, services, facilities and public accommodations were allowed to be separated by race, on the condition that the quality of each group's public facilities was to...
(1991) as Buster - The Bill Cosby ShowThe Bill Cosby ShowThe Bill Cosby Show is an American situation comedy that aired for two seasons on NBC's Sunday night schedule from 1969 until 1971, under the sponsorship of Procter & Gamble. There were 52 episodes made in the series. It marked Cosby's first solo foray in television, after his co-starring role with...
(1987) as Dr. Barbara Bracy - The Atlanta Child MurdersThe Atlanta Child Murders (TV miniseries)The Atlanta Child Murders is a TV miniseries that aired on February 10 and 12, 1985 on CBS. Inspired by true events, the miniseries examines the so-called "Atlanta child murders" of the late 1970s and early 1980s.-Cast:*Calvin Levels - Wayne Williams...
(1985) (miniseries) as Camille Bell - House of Dies DrearThe House of Dies DrearThe House of Dies Drear is a 1968 novel by Virginia Hamilton. The novel takes place in 1968,Thomas Small, a 13-year-old African American boy, moves with his family into a house that was once part of the Underground Railroad that is in Ohio. His father, Mr. Small, tells Thomas that the caretaker of...
(1984) as Sheila Small - The Files on Jill Hatch (1983) as Mrs. Hatch
- Top Secret (1978) as Judith
- To All My Friends on Shore (1972) as Serena
External links
- Gloria Foster Biography UMass.
- Gloria Foster Biography New York Times.
- Gloria Is The Glory, March 26, 1972 New York Times.