The entertainment community is mourning the passing of All My Children alum Mary Alice (ex-Ellie Grant Hubbard). According to NPR, she died of natural causes at her home in New York.
Born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Mississippi, the actress spent several years as a schoolteacher in Chicago before moving to New York to pursue acting full-time. Her gamble paid off, and she enjoyed a career that spanned more than three decades, both on stage and on-screen.
Film audiences will likely remember Alice as the mysterious Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions, a role she took over from Gloria Foster, who passed away before the third film in the original trilogy could be completed. However, long before she joined the Keanu Reeves franchise, she appeared in early 80s episodes of All My Children as Jesse Hubbard's (Darnell Williams) mother, Eleanor "Ellie" Grant Hubbard. Alice's time in Pine Valley was short-lived, but her character was honored in 2011 when Jesse and Angie (Debbi Morgan) named their newborn "Ellie."
Some of Alice's other credits include Cosby, A Different World, American Playhouse, The Doctors, and I'll Fly Away -- the latter of which earned the actress an Emmy award in the Outstanding Supporting Actress category in 1993.
As for her on-stage career, Alice won a Tony in 1987 for her performance as Rose Maxson in the original Broadway production of August Wilson's Fences, and she won an Obie Award in 1979 for her performance as Portia in Joseph Papp's Off-Broadway production of Julius Caesar.
In a past interview with Contemporary Film, Theatre & Television, Alice said she was proud to be an actor. "I chose this profession because I feel this is how I can fulfill my service as a human being -- communicating the human condition," she shared. "My desire is to create interesting and complex characters on film and television."
Among the tributes to Alice on social media, actress Viola Davis, who played Rose in stage and movie versions of Fences, shared, "RIP Mary Alice...the original Rose Maxson. You were one of the greatest actresses of all time!! Thank you for the work, inspiration and thank you for Rose. Godspeed Queen."
RIP Mary Alice...the original Rose Maxson. You were one of the greatest actresses of all time!! Thank you for the work, inspiration and thank you for Rose. Godspeed Queen ❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Yv3CKGOrDE
- Viola Davis (@violadavis) July 28, 2022
How do you feel about the passing of AMC alum Mary Alice? Do you remember her short-lived role as Jesse Hubbard's mother, Ellie? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.
