While trying to break into Hollywood, this star took on everyday jobs, such as working in a deli. She had no idea that her perseverance and love for acting would eventually earn her a highly coveted accolade beating out other actresses.
This actress, recognized for her role in 1996’s “Twister,” has spent most of her life on stage. Now an icon in the industry, she made history by winning a Tony Award at age 90. Embracing aging naturally, she has evolved beautifully through the years. Here’s what we know about her.
The actress filming on location for “The Unforgivable Secret” on October 31, 1981, in East Hampton, New York | Source: Getty Images
The Celebrity’s Road to Stardom
This legendary star was born on November 3, 1930, in Topeka, Kansas. Her father worked for the telephone company during the day but directed biblical plays at a Protestant church in the evenings. For her, acting seemed like a true calling.
She clarified, “They weren’t for entertainment,” but explained that she found the plays entertaining. The star remembered enjoying rehearsals, and when her father needed someone to fill in, she already knew all the lines.
The star preparing for her English stage debut as Josephine Perry in “The Young and Beautiful” in London, August 14, 1956 | Source: Getty Images
Eventually, her father gave his youngest daughter an Old Testament costume and her own starring roles. She fondly recalled the joy of performing, stating, “That was the beginning.” By the age of 18, she was married.
She tied the knot with Wesley Smith, a teacher, and not long after, they moved to New York. While auditioning, the actress worked at a deli slicing salami and also checked hats at the Russian Tea Room.
Tennessee WilliamsHappy Birthday to actress Lois Smith, today celebrating her 94th birthday.
In 1957 Smith appeared in Tennessee Williams’ ORPHEUS DESCENDING, under the direction of Harold Clurman, and co-starring with Maureen Stapleton and Cliff Robertson.
In his review for The New York Times, Brooks Atkinson wrote that “Lois Smith gives a stunning performance as a high-strung, reckless ‘lewd vagrant,’ as she calls herself.”
Lois is seen here in rehearsal with Maureen Stapleton, and in performance with Cliff Robertson.
When she landed her first acting job, she briefly considered changing her name to something more glamorous than the one she uses now. However, she decided it wasn’t worth the trouble.
Ultimately, she kept her married name, which perfectly suited her—straightforward, simple, and honest. Her focus remained on acting rather than the fame that came with it.
The star seen on location filming “Three Days of the Condor” on February 21, 1975, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
In 1955, she reached a major milestone by appearing in LIFE Magazine alongside three young Broadway actresses like Jayne Mansfield. Reflecting on the opportunity, she shrugged and said, “Somebody must have gotten the idea to put us all on the cover.”
For the shoot, she wore her stage costume—an off-the-shoulder red dress—and looked straight into the camera. The magazine praised her “pale-faced intensity,” while Mansfield stood behind her in a strapless sequin dress.
The actress and her daughter at the premiere of “A Century of Women” on May 23, 1994, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
At the time, the actress was 25 and the oldest among the photographed starlets, many of whom were still teenagers. By 2017, the star had acted so long that when she spoke of developing a new line-learning method in “recent years,” she meant “the last 25 or so.”
She is the only surviving star from that shoot by then. Her longevity in the industry seems less like a calculated career path and more like the instinct of an actor drawn to new roles. The celebrity admitted, “I don’t think I was ever particularly a planner.”
The actress posing at the Tony Award Nominations in 1996 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Around the time of the magazine cover, she told a journalist she hadn’t “realized all my stage ambitions.” She wasn’t referring to fame or awards—she simply wished to play Nina in “The Seagull.”
On Broadway, the star eventually performed in works by Harold Pinter, Bertolt Brecht, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, John Steinbeck, Sam Shepard, and Tony Kushner—not to mention three Chekhov plays. However, by the time she took on “The Seagull,” she had aged out of Nina and portrayed the fierce Madame Arkadina instead.
The celebrity during the 51st Annual Village Voice Obie Awards in New York, on May 15, 2006 | Source: Getty Images
