Portrait of Lois Smith

Lois Smith

Acting

Biography

Lois Arlene Smith (née Humbert; born November 3, 1930) is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1955 drama film East of Eden, and later played supporting roles in a number of movies, including Five Easy Pieces (1970), Resurrection (1980), Fatal Attraction (1987), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Dead Man Walking, Twister (1996), Minority Report (2002), The Nice Guys (2016) and Lady Bird (2017). In 2017, Smith received critical acclaim for her leading performance in the science-fiction drama film Marjorie Prime, for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Awards, Gotham Awards and Saturn Award, and well as won Satellite Award. Smith also has had many roles on television, both daytime and prime time. She was regular cast member in the HBO horror drama True Blood, and well as received Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series nomination for The Americans. Smith also is known for her extensive work in the theatre, receiving two Tony Award nominations for originating the role of Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1990) and for the role of Halie in a revival of Buried Child in 1996. She also starred in an acclaimed Off-Broadway revival of The Trip to Bountiful in 2005 for which she received an Obie Award for Best Actress, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Lucille Lortel Award, and a Drama Desk Award. Smith is an ensemble member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lois Smith, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Born: November 3, 1930

Place of Birth: Topeka, Kansas, USA

Filmography

2025
The Gettysburg Address

as Elizabeth Crawford (voice)

2025
On the End

as Trudie Ferreira

2025
2024
Elsbeth

as Delores Feinn

2022
This Fool

as Beverly

2022
Mack & Rita

as Betty

2021
Gossip Girl

as Iris Lefferts

2021
Law & Order: Organized Crime

as Doris 'Mama' Boone

2020
Uncle Frank

as Aunt Butch

2020
Tesla

as The Grande Dame

2018
Impulse

as Deirdre 'Dippy' Jones

2017
9JKL

as Wrong Nana

2017
Lady Bird

as Sister Sarah Joan

2017
Marjorie Prime

as Marjorie

2016
The Comedian

as Miriam

2016
The Nice Guys

as Mrs. Glenn

2015
Sneaky Pete

as Reverend Ethel Landry

2015
Grace and Frankie

as Mrs. Hanson

2015
Younger

as Belinda Lacroix

2015
Run All Night

as Margaret Conlon

2014
Showing Up

as Self

2013
The Man Who Came Out Only at Night

as The Youngest Daughter (later)

2013
The Blacklist

as Lucy Game

2013
Mom

as Claire

2013
Ray Donovan

as Dolores

2013
The Americans

as Betty Turner

2012
2012
Roadie

as Mom

2010
Please Give

as Mrs. Portman

2009
A Dog Year

as Lois Blair

2008
True Blood

as Adele Stackhouse

2008
2007
Army Wives

as Elsie

2006
Griffin & Phoenix

as Dr. Imberman

2006
Hollywoodland

as Helen Bessolo

2005
Sweet Land

as Inge (as an older woman)

2005
Grey's Anatomy

as Mrs. Dickerson

2004
P.S.

as Ellie Silverstein

2004
Desperate Housewives

as Allison Scavo

2004
LAX

as Rose Sinclair

2004
Iron Jawed Angels

as Reverend Anna Howard Shaw

2003
Cold Case

as Fannie

2003
Red Betsy

as Helen Rounds

2002
Minority Report

as Dr. Iris Hineman

2002
The Laramie Project

as Lucy Thompson

2001
2001
Powder Keg

as Mother

2001
The Hire

as Mother

2001
The Pledge

as Helen Jackson

1999
Tumbleweeds

as Ginger

1999
1998
A Will of their Own

as Miss Maude

1998
The Eternal

as Mrs. Ferriter

1997
The Practice

as Mary Beth Berluti

1997
1996
1996
Twister

as Aunt Meg

1995
Dead Man Walking

as Helen's Mother

1995
Truman

as Madge Wallace Gates

1994
Touched by an Angel

as Mildred Mancini

1994
ER

as Gracie

1994
1993
Frasier

as Moira

1993
Falling Down

as D-Fens' Mother

1993
Skylark

as Lou Wheaton

1992
Deadly Matrimony

as Dianne's Mother

1992
1992
1992
Hard Promises

as Mrs. Bell

1991
Fried Green Tomatoes

as Mama Threadgoode

1991
1991
1991
Coney Island

as (voice)

1990
Green Card

as Brontë's Mother

1990
Law & Order

as Eunice Varick

1988
1988
Midnight Run

as Mrs. Nelson, Mardukas's Friend

1987
1987
1985
Doubletake

as Sarah

1985
The Equalizer

as Marie Ganucci

1985
The Equalizer

as Dorothy Hermes

1985
Twisted

as Helen Giles

1984
Reckless

as Mrs. Prescott

1983
Reuben, Reuben

as Mare Spofford

1983
1981
Four Friends

as Mrs. Carnahan

1980
Resurrection

as Kathy

1980
Foxes

as Mrs. Axman

1976
Next Stop, Greenwich Village

as Anita Cunningham

1972
Up the Sandbox

as Elinore

1970
Dragon Country

as Woman (segment "Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen")

1970
Five Easy Pieces

as Partita Dupea

1970
The Way We Live Now

as Jane Aldridge

1961
Dr. Kildare

as Libby Clayton

1961
The Defenders

as Esther Terranova

1960
Route 66

as Dana

1960
Route 66

as Lucy Brown

1960
1958
Naked City

as Dawn Garrison

1956
Tony Awards

as Self - Nominee

1956
Tony Awards

as Self - Nominee/Performer

1955
Strange Lady in Town

as Spurs O'Brien

1955
1953
Letter to Loretta

as Jenny Musgrave

1948
Studio One

as Lisa Molloy