Meg Foster

Last updated
Meg Foster
Meg Foster 2013.jpg
Foster at Phoenix Film Festival in 2013
Born
Margaret Foster [1]

(1948-05-10) May 10, 1948 (age 76) [2] [3]
Alma mater Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre
OccupationActress
Years active1968–present
Known for
Spouse Stephen McHattie (divorced)
PartnerRon Starr (former actor)
Childrenson, Christopher Starr, with Starr

Margaret "Meg" Foster [1] (born May 10, 1948) is an American film and television actress. Some of her many roles were in the 1979 TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter , and the films Ticket to Heaven , The Osterman Weekend and They Live . She also starred as Christine Cagney in the first season of Cagney & Lacey .

Contents

Early years

Foster was born in Reading, Pennsylvania to David and Nancy (née Adamson) Foster on May 10, 1948, [3] and grew up in Rowayton, Connecticut with four siblings: sisters Gray, Jan and Nina, and brother Ian. [1] [4] [5] She studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. [6]

Career

In 1968, Foster acted in a Cornell Summer Theatre production of John Brown's Body. [7] Later in the same year, she was in the off-Broadway production of The Empire Builders. [8]

When Loretta Swit was unable to reprise her television-film role of Detective Christine Cagney when the film was adapted into the Cagney & Lacey TV series, Foster took on the role for the short first season of only six episodes. [9] Foster was replaced by Sharon Gless for the remainder of the series. Entertainment columnist Dick Kleiner wrote in August 1982 about Foster's being dropped from the show: "It isn't a pretty story, no matter who you talk to. Meg was so hurt and distraught that she still isn't talking. But she told friends that she felt as though she had been hit by a truck." [10] Kleiner's story implied that Foster's dismissal from the show had cost her other opportunities. "Until that news spread," he wrote, "she was an in-demand actress." [10]

Foster worked throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. She guest-starred in numerous TV shows including two episodes of Hawaii Five-O (1973 and 1976), The Six Million Dollar Man season two episode "Straight on 'til Morning" (1974), Three for the Road (1975), and the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season four episode "The Muse" (1996).

Foster in 1974 Meg Foster 1974.JPG
Foster in 1974

Other TV shows include: Bonanza , The Twilight Zone , The F.B.I. , Here Come the Brides , Storefront Lawyers , Barnaby Jones , Murder, She Wrote , Miami Vice , Mannix , The Cosby Show , Quantum Leap , ER . She also portrayed Hera in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess .

She also appeared in films throughout the 1980s, beginning with a role as a woman who worked in the games in a travelling carnival in Carny , starring Jodie Foster, Gary Busey and Robbie Robertson; the villainous Evil-Lyn in the big-screen version of Masters of the Universe ; and Holly in the John Carpenter film They Live , with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

Personal life

Foster was married to Canadian actor Stephen McHattie, but they divorced sometime before 2013. [11] Foster has a son with actor Ron Starr.

As to Foster's striking pale-blue eyes being dubbed "the eyes of 1979" by Mademoiselle magazine, Foster stated she didn’t think her eyes were that distinctive. [12] [13] However, some film and television producers had Foster wear contact lenses to change her eye color as they considered her natural eyes distracting. [13]

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
1970 Adam at 6 A.M. Joyce
1971 The Todd Killings
1972 Thumb Tripping Shay
1974 Welcome to Arrow Beach Robbin Stanley
1978 A Different Story Stella Cooke
1980 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Katrina Van Tassel
Carny Gerta
1981 Ticket to Heaven IngridNominated—Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress
1983 The Osterman Weekend Ali Tanner
1985 The Emerald Forest Jean Markham
1986 The Wind Sian Anderson
1987 Masters of the Universe Evil-Lyn
1988Riding FastSara
They Live Holly Thompson
1989 Leviathan Ms. Martin
Relentless Carol Dietz
Blind Fury Lynn Devereaux
Stepfather II Carol Grayland
1990 Tripwire Julia
Jezebel's Kiss Amanda Faberson
Back StabSara Rudnick
1991 Diplomatic Immunity Gerta Hermann
Future KickNancy
1992 Project Shadowchaser Sarah
Dead On: Relentless II Carol Dietz
1993Hidden FearsMaureen Dietz
Best of the Best 2 Sue MacCauley
1994 Oblivion Stell Barr
Shrunken Heads Maureen "Big Moe"
Immortal Combat Quinn
Lady in WaitingCarrie
1995The Killers WithinLaura Seaton
Undercover HeatMrs. V.
1996 Oblivion 2: Backlash Stell Barr
1997 Space Marines Commander Lasser
1998Lost ValleyMary-Ann Compton
The Man in the Iron Mask Queen Anne of France Not to be confused with the other The Man in the Iron Mask 1998 film, which featured Anne Parillaud as Anne
Spoiler Woman #1
1999 The Minus Man Irene
2003Being with EddieElinorShort film
2004Coming Up EasyMom
2011 25 Hill Audrey Gibbs
SebastianGloria
2012 The Lords of Salem Margaret Morgan
2016 Three Days in August Maggie
31 Venus Virgo
2017 Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Mother Mayhem Voice
Jeepers Creepers 3 Gaylen Brandon
2018A ReckoningDiane Maple
Any Bullet Will DoMa Whitman
Overlord Chloe's Aunt
2019Investigation 13Layla Parrish
2020 There's No Such Thing as Vampires Sister Frank
2022 Hellblazers Mary
TBDHaunted: 333Momma McDonaldPost-production

Television films

YearTitleRole
1971 The Death of Me Yet Alice
1973 Sunshine Nora
1974Things in Their SeasonJudy Pines
1975Promise Him AnythingMarjorie
1976 James Dean Dizzy Sheridan
1977Sunshine ChristmasNora
1979 The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne
1980 Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones Jean Richie
1983Desperate IntruderJoanna Walcott
1984Best Kept SecretsShari Mitchell
1987DesperateDorymae
1988Betrayal of SilenceJulie
1992 To Catch a Killer City Attorney Linda Carlson
1997 Deep Family Secrets Ellen

Television series

YearTitleRoleNotes
1969 NET Playhouse PraxithiaEpisode: "The Prodigal"
1970 Here Come the Brides Callie MarshEpisode: "Two Worlds"
The Interns SharonEpisode: "Eyes of the Beholder"
Mod Squad CoraEpisode: "Who Are the Keepers, Who Are the Inmates?"
1971CarolynEpisode: "Death of a Nobody"
Men at LawBarbara MillettEpisode: "Hostage"
Bonanza Mrs. Evangeline WoodtreeEpisode: "The Silent Killer"
Dan August Em Jackson2 episodes
The F.B.I. Marcy BrownEpisode: "The Recruiter"
1972Episode: "A Second Life"
Young Dr. Kildare RebeccaEpisode: "The Legacy"
The Sixth Sense Carey EversEpisode: "Gallows in the Wind"
Mannix SheilaEpisode: "A Game of Shadows"
Medical Center Carol McKinnonEpisode: "Conflict"
Circle of Fear Julie BarnesEpisode: "At the Cradle Foot"
1973Penny WisemanEpisode: "Spare Parts"
Hawaii Five-O NinaEpisode: "The Child Stealers"
Cannon Linda MorrowEpisode: "Come Watch Me Die"
Barnaby Jones Doris TalbotEpisode: "A Little Glory, a Little Death"
1974GlendaEpisode: "A Cold Record for Murder"
Gina NelsonEpisode: "Blueprint for a Caper"
Medical Center CassieEpisode: "Web of Intrigue"
The F.B.I. Paula TaylorEpisode: "The Animal"
The Six Million Dollar Man MinoneeEpisode: "Straight on 'till Morning"
1975 Sunshine Nora13 episodes
The Streets of San Francisco Nancy Elizabeth MellonEpisode: "Trail of Terror"
Bronk Margaret LewisEpisode: "Short Fuse"
Three for the Road Patti HardyEpisode: "The Albatross"
Baretta LolaEpisode: "Ragtime Billy Peaches"
StellaEpisode: "Count the Days I'm Gone"
1976 Hawaii Five-O Anne WaringEpisode: "Double Exposure"
1977 Washington: Behind Closed Doors Jennie Jamison6 episodes
Police Story NancyEpisode: "Trigger Point"
1982 Cagney & Lacey Det. Chris Cagney6 episodes - first cancelled season
1985 The Twilight Zone JennyEpisode: "Dreams for Sale"
Murder, She Wrote Del ScottEpisode: "Joshua Peabody Died Here... Possibly"
1987 Miami Vice Alice CarsonEpisode: "Contempt of Court"
1988Episode: "Blood & Roses"
The Cosby Show Diane HemmingsEpisode: "Trust Me"
1989 Midnight Caller Annie DriscollEpisode: "Wait Until Midnight"
The Hitchhiker DeirdreEpisode: "The Martyr"
1990–91 The Trials of Rosie O'Neill D.A. Deb Grant3 episodes
1990 The Young Riders Mary LouEpisode: "Decoy"
1991 Shannon's Deal Eva MelvilleEpisode: "Trouble"
1992 Reasonable Doubts Anna DareEpisode: "Moment of Doubt"
Quantum Leap Laura Fuller3 episodes
1994 Fortune Hunter Georgia AppletonEpisode: "Millennium"
1995 ER Mrs. RoseEpisode: "Make of Two Hearts"
1996 Murder, She Wrote Laura KerwinEpisode: "The Dark Side of the Door"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine OnayaEpisode: "The Muse"
Mr. & Mrs. Smith AthenaEpisode: "The Kidnapping Episode"
1998–99 Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Hera 2 episodes
1999 Sliders Col. Margaret BurkeEpisode: "Slide by Wire"
2000 Xena: Warrior Princess HeraEpisode: "God-Fearing Child"
2013 Hjem MinaEpisode: "#2.7"
2013–16 Pretty Little Liars Carla Grunwald5 episodes
2013–14 Ravenswood 7 episodes
2015 The Originals Josephine LaRue5 episodes
2016 Baskets ThelmaEpisode: "Cowboys"
2017 Twin Peaks CashierEpisode: "Part 3"
2024 Masters of the Universe: Revolution Motherboard (voice)4 Episodes [14]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Paid Notice: Deaths Foster, Nancy Adamson". The New York Times. 16 March 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  2. Ward, Jack (1993). "Meg Foster". Television Guest Stars: An Illustrated Career Chronicle for 678 Performers of the Sixties and Seventies. McFarland & Company. p. 187. ISBN   978-0-89950-807-8.
  3. 1 2 Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 14-20 (May 9, 2017). APNews. Accessed 2023-01-27.
  4. "The Fosters of Ridgewood Drive". Rowaytonkids. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  5. "Meg Foster interview". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  6. "'Brown's Body' Continues". The Ithaca Journal. New York, Ithaca. July 20, 1968. p. 25. Retrieved August 13, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. "'Brown's Body' Set at Cornell". The Ithaca Journal. New York, Ithaca. July 13, 1968. p. 25. Retrieved August 13, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. Davis, James (October 2, 1968). "Don't Miss Abstruse Theater -- If You Can". Daily News. New York, New York City. p. 49. Retrieved August 13, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 151–152. ISBN   978-0-7864-6477-7.
  10. 1 2 Kleiner, Dick (August 22, 1982). "Story behind Meg's ouster". Longview News-Journal. Texas, Longview. p. 8 - F. Retrieved August 13, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  11. Stephen McHattie profile, nytimes.com; accessed October 13, 2014.
  12. "Just call her old blue eyes". Daily News. Kentucky, Bowling Green. April 4, 1979. p. 14-B. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  13. 1 2 Christy, Marian (March 29, 1979). "Meg Foster: 'We act every day of our life'". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. p. 21. Retrieved August 13, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  14. "'Masters of the Universe' Alum Meg Foster to Return to Franchise for Netflix Animated Series". 14 May 2023.