Gloria Foster is an American theater, film and television actress. For most viewers, she is known for her role as the Oracle (Pythia) in the first two parts of The Matrix. She also played a small role in the crime series Law and Order.
Biography
Gloria Foster was born in Chicago in 1933. Her grandparents were engaged in her upbringing, since the mother was placed in a psychiatric clinic shortly after the birth of her daughter, and the father was not going to take part in the upbringing of her daughter.
After leaving school, Gloria entered the University of Illinois. During her studies, the girl took part in student theater productions, although at that time she had not yet thought about an acting career. Foster was interested in everything from theater to forensic science, which she studied with great interest. However, for a long time I 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 made her film debut in 1964 - she got 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 played in the independent drama "Nothing But a Man". The tape really liked the critics, however, it remained unknown to most moviegoers.
In 1967, the actress was selected for the main female role in the drama "Comedians". The literary 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 viewers.
In 1971, Foster played in the adventure drama "Man and Boy." After this film, she was expecting a long break in her film career - until 1987, she was not offered a role in the movie.
After 16 years, the actress returned to the big screen, playing the role of Medusa Johnson in the parody of the spy thriller "Leonard: Part 6". Her co-workers were Bill Cosby and Tom Courtney. The director was Paul Wieland, who had never shot feature films before. Despite the good cast, the film failed miserably at the box office: with a budget of $ 33 million, box office revenues amounted to 4.5 million. The film received extremely negative reviews from film critics.
In 1991, the actress played in yet another disastrous film - the drama "City of Hope" by John Silas.
True fame came to Gloria Foster only in 1999 after the role of the Oracle in the legendary Matrix. The film really liked the critics and became one of the most commercially successful projects of the year - with a budget of $ 63 million, Matrix raised $ 463 million. Photos of Gloria Foster as Oracle are presented below.
The actress voiced the Oracle in the film "The Matrix: Reloaded", the shooting of which began in 2001. During the filming process, 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 TV shows and television films. Gloria Foster first appeared on television in 1968, playing a small role in the adventure series "I'm a Spy."
In 1987, the actress appeared in a cameo role in the popular comedy series "The Chrisby Show," which in the US alone was watched by more than 20 million viewers.
Another noteworthy project in Foster’s television filmography is the law drama Law and Order, in which the actress played the small role of Mrs. Tail.
Personal life
in 1967, Gloria married actor Clarence Williams III.
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. In 1984, the couple divorced, but remained friends until the death of Gloria Foster in 2001.