
Mary Alice was born on December 3, 1936 in Indianola, Mississippi, USA to parents Ozelar Jurnakin (Smith) and Sam Smith.
She was an actress, known for The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Awakenings (1990) and Malcolm X (1992). She taught in Elementary School before her acting career took off. When she was still a struggling actress doing stage plays, she made a living doing her castmate's laundry for a salary of $200 a week. She was a lifelong liberal Democrat, feminist, and civil rights activist. Was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2000. She retired from acting in 2005.
She died of natural causes on July 27, 2022 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. Upon her death, she was buried with her siblings at Oak Wood Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois, in regard for her last wishes.

The Matrix Revolutions
2003 · as The Oracle

Malcolm X
1992 · as School Teacher

Awakenings
1990 · as Nurse Margaret

A Perfect World
1993 · as Lottie

The Bonfire of the Vanities
1990 · as Annie Lamb

Heading Home
1995 · as Mary Jones

Bed of Roses
1996 · as Alice

Sunshine State
2002 · as Eunice Stokes

Beat Street
1984 · as Cora

Teachers
1984 · as Linda Ganz

Life with Mikey
1993 · as Mrs. Gordon

The Photographer
2000 · as Violet

The Matrix Recalibrated
2004 · as Self

A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion
1982 · as Beck

The Inkwell
1994 · as Evelyn

Sparkle
1976 · as Effie

The Mother
1994 · as Black Lady

Down in the Delta
1998 · as Rosa Lynn Sinclair