Actress Gloria Foster: biography, filmography, personal life

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Gloria Foster is an American stage, film and television actress. Most viewers know her for her role as the Oracle (Pythia) in the first two parts of The Matrix. She also had a small role in the crime series Law & Order.

Biography

Gloria Foster was born in Chicago in 1933. Her grandparents were involved in her upbringing, since the mother was placed in a psychiatric clinic shortly after the birth of her daughter, and her father was not going to take part in raising her daughter.

After graduating from high school, Gloria entered the University of Illinois. During her studies, the girl took part in student theatrical productions, although at that time she had not yet thought about an acting career. Foster was interested in everything from theater arts to forensics, which she studied with great interest. However, for a long time she could not decide what exactly she wanted to do. In the end, she decided to devote herself to the theater. In the late 60s, Gloria Foster took part in several Broadway productions.

Movie roles

Gloria Foster's film debuttook place in 1964 - she received a supporting role in the drama "Cool World". The film was not successful at the box office and did not gain popularity.

In the same year, Foster starred in the independent drama "Nothing But a Man". The tape was very popular with critics, however, it remained unknown to most moviegoers.

In 1967, the actress was chosen to play the lead female role in the drama The Comedians. The literary primary source for the film was the novel of the same name by Graham Greene, which tells about the dictatorship of Francois Duvalier in Haiti. The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.

In 1971, Foster starred in the adventure drama Man and Boy. After this film, a long break in her film career awaited her - until 1987 she was not offered a role in a movie.

After 16 years, the actress returned to the big screen, playing the role of Medusa Johnson in the parody spy thriller "Leonard: Part 6". Her co-stars were Bill Cosby and Tom Courtney. It was directed by Paul Wheland, who had never made a feature film before. Despite a good cast, the film failed miserably at the box office: with a budget of $ 33 million, the box office was 4.5 million. The film received extremely negative reviews from film critics.

In 1991, the actress played in another failed film - the drama City of Hope by John Siles.

Real fame came to Gloria Foster only in 1999 after the role of the Oracle in the legendary "Matrix". Liked the movie very muchcritically acclaimed and became one of the most commercially successful projects of the year - on a budget of $63 million, The Matrix grossed $463 million.

The actress voiced the Oracle in the film "The Matrix Reloaded", which began filming in 2001. During filming, Gloria Foster died of diabetes. In the following parts of the franchise, her character was voiced by Mary Alice.

TV projects

The actress rarely appeared in serials and television films. Gloria Foster first appeared on television in 1968, playing a small role in the adventure series I Spy.

In 1987, the actress appeared in a cameo role in the popular comedy series The Crisby Show, which was watched by more than 20 million viewers in the US alone.

Another noteworthy project in Foster's television filmography is the legal drama "Law &Order", in which the actress played the small role of Mrs. Tail.

Private life

Gloria married actor Clarence Williams III in 1967.

The actors met in 1963 on the set of the drama "Cool World", which tells about the difficult life of African Americans in a society full of racial prejudice. The couple divorced in 1984, but remained friends until Gloria Foster's death in 2001.