The Tragic Death Of A Different World Star Mary Alice
Hollywood bids goodbye to another award-winning actor after the death of Mary Alice. The character actor with nearly 60 credits on her IMDb page died July 27 in New York City, confirmed by the NYPD, per Variety. It is not clear how old she was as sources have listed two different years, 1936 and 1941, for her date of birth.
The versatile Alice is known for many roles, including Lettie Bostic on "A Different World," Nurse Margaret on the Robin Williams film "Awakenings," single mom Effie in the 1976 version of "Sparkle," and taking over as the Oracle after Gloria Foster's 2001 death in 2003's "The Matrix Revolutions," the third film in the series. She was twice nominated for an Emmy award, per The Hollywood Reporter, for her role as Marguerite Peck in the NBC drama "I'll Fly Away," and took home the award that second year, in 1993. She was also a lauded star of the stage, and won a Tony award for creating the role of Rose in the 1987 production of August Wilson's "Fences," the same role Viola Davis revived in 2010 and made into a 2016 film. The one-time schoolteacher was also inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2000. She retired from acting in 2005.
As the entertainment world reels from the news of her death, Twitter is abuzz with tributes to the beloved actor.
Viola Davis among the first to honor Mary Alice
As news spread of the death of actor Mary Alice, Twitter came alive with fans, well-known and not, sharing condolences and memories. "Exquisite actress. Beautiful, kind soul," tweeted fellow actor Bradley Whitford. Coleman Domingo showed his deep respect, calling Alice, "A shoulder we all stood on," and Viola Davis, who played one of Alice's most famous roles, said, "You were one of the greatest actresses of all time!!"
Not all of Alice's fans were famous. One fan was particularly fond of her work in "The Matrix Revolutions," especially her line, "I don't yet recognize my face in the mirror, but I still love candy," tweeting, "this legitimately spoke to me when I was 14." Another fan said, "How I love this woman." They also spoke for many when they added, "All our childhood favs and legends, great ones are leaving now." One fan pointed out another of Alice's varied roles, saying, "Her performance in Charles Burnett's 'To Sleep With Anger' is one of my absolute favorite performances of all time."
The tributes are fitting for someone who was so accomplished, a trait Alice set out to achieve from a young age. "I think I decided very early that I did not want – well, not so much that I did not want to get married, but that I did want to find out about the world," she told The New York Times. "I did that through college, through learning, through books and travel.”