Lois Smith

Biography

Lois Arlene Smith (née Humbert; born November 3, 1930) is a distinguished American actress. She embarked on her film career with a notable appearance in the 1955 drama East of Eden, subsequently taking on supporting roles in various films such as 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 garnered widespread praise for her leading role in the science-fiction drama Marjorie Prime, which earned her nominations for multiple awards, including the Independent Spirit Awards, Gotham Awards, and Saturn Award, along with a win for the Satellite Award. Her television career is also notable, featuring both daytime and prime-time roles. She was a regular on HBO's horror series True Blood and received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series for her work on The Americans.

Smith's contributions to theater are significant; she received two Tony Award nominations for her performances as Ma Joad in the original production of The Grapes of Wrath (1990) and Halie in the 1996 revival of Buried Child. Additionally, she starred in a celebrated Off-Broadway revival of The Trip to Bountiful in 2005, earning an Obie Award for Best Actress, as well as awards from the Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel, and Drama Desk. She is also an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago.