Lois Smith
Known for
An American actress with one of the longest and most respected careers in the business, active on stage and screen since the 1950s. She has enriched films across the decades, appearing in 'Minority Report' (2002), 'The Nice Guys' (2016) and, memorably, as the wise nun in 'Lady Bird' (2017). A celebrated theatre veteran and Tony nominee, she brings quiet gravity and warmth to matriarchs and elders. Lois Smith is a genuinely esteemed American actress, a durable character player whose understated craft has anchored generations of American drama.
Lois Smith
60 Movies
45 Series
An American actress with one of the longest and most respected careers in the business, active on stage and screen since the 1950s. She has enriched films across the decades, appearing in 'Minority Report' (2002), 'The Nice Guys' (2016) and, memorably, as the wise nun in 'Lady Bird' (2017). A celebrated theatre veteran and Tony nominee, she brings quiet gravity and warmth to matriarchs and elders. Lois Smith is a genuinely esteemed American actress, a durable character player whose understated craft has anchored generations of American drama.
Movies
Plays Dr. Iris Hineman
Minority Report
2002
Plays Sister Sarah Joan
Lady Bird
2017
Plays Aunt Meg
Twister
1996
Plays Mrs. Glenn
The Nice Guys
2016
Plays D-Fens' Mother
Falling Down
1993
Plays Upshur 'Maw' Clampette
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
2021
Plays Margaret Conlon
Run All Night
2015
Plays Martha
Fatal Attraction
1987
Plays Mama Threadgoode
Fried Green Tomatoes
1991
Plays Mrs. Nelson, Mardukas's Friend
Midnight Run
1988
Plays Helen Jackson
The Pledge
2001
Plays Anne
East of Eden
1955
Plays Helen's Mother
Dead Man Walking
1995
Plays Sara
Black Widow
1987
Plays Aunt Mel
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
2012
Plays The Grande Dame
Tesla
2020
Plays Betty
Mack & Rita
2022
Plays Lenore
Killshot
2008
Plays Brontë's Mother
Green Card
1990
Plays Partita Dupea
Five Easy Pieces
1970
Plays Helen Bessolo
Hollywoodland
2006
Plays Sophia
How to Make an American Quilt
1995
Plays Aunt Butch
Uncle Frank
2020
Plays Dr. Imberman
Griffin & Phoenix
2006
Plays Ellie Silverstein
P.S.
2004
Plays Lois Blair
A Dog Year
2009
Plays Mrs. Ferriter
The Eternal
1998
Plays Miriam
The Comedian
2016
Plays Orna
Holy Matrimony
1994
Plays Luluna
Larger Than Life
1996
Plays Helen
The Uninvited
2025
Plays Mrs. Portman
Please Give
2010
Plays Mrs. Axman
Foxes
1980
Plays Belle
Diminished Capacity
2008
Plays Inge (as an older woman)
Sweet Land
2005
Plays Anita Cunningham
Next Stop, Greenwich Village
1976
Plays Spurs O'Brien
Strange Lady in Town
1955
Plays Abby
Turn the River
2008
Plays Marjorie
Marjorie Prime
2017
Plays Mrs. Prescott
Reckless
1984
Plays Elinore
Up the Sandbox
1972
Plays Mrs. Carnahan
Four Friends
1981
Plays Kathy
Resurrection
1980
Plays Mother
Powder Keg
2001
Plays Ginger
Tumbleweeds
1999
Plays Helen
The Best Thief in the World
2004
Plays Mrs. Bell
Hard Promises
1992
Plays Mare Spofford
Reuben, Reuben
1983
Plays Mom
Roadie
2012
Plays Ma Adams
A Foreign Affair
2004
TV Shows
Plays Adele Stackhouse
True Blood
2008
Plays Ruth
Ruth & Erica
2012
Plays Gracie
ER
1994
Plays Doris 'Mama' Boone
Law & Order: Organized Crime
2021
Plays Mrs. Tannen
Good Sports
1991
Plays Clara
Rage of Angels
1983
Plays Miss Maude
A Will of their Own
1998
Plays Mimi Waldenstock
On Becoming a God in Central Florida
2019
Plays Dolores
Ray Donovan
2013
Plays Mrs. Hanson
Grace and Frankie
2015
Plays Allison Scavo
Desperate Housewives
2004
Plays Reverend Ethel Landry
Sneaky Pete
2015
Plays Margaret
Switched at Birth
1991
Plays Mildred Mancini
Touched by an Angel
1994
Plays Fannie
Cold Case
2003
Plays Sara
Tales of the Unexpected
1979
Plays Dawn Garrison
Naked City
1958
Plays Moira
Frasier
1993
Plays Rose Sinclair
LAX
2004
Plays Lisa Molloy
Studio One
1948
Plays Marie Ganucci
The Equalizer
1985
Plays Libby
Just Shoot Me!
1997
Plays Betty Bennett
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2001
Plays Eunice Varick
Law & Order
1990
Plays Libby Clayton
Dr. Kildare
1961
Plays Esther Terranova
The Defenders
1961
Plays Jenny Musgrave
Letter to Loretta
1953
Plays Belinda Lacroix
Younger
2015
Plays Claire
Mom
2013
Plays Mrs. Dickerson
Grey's Anatomy
2005
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Uninvited
Full Filmography
Lightning Bug
Lydia
2025
Film
On the End
Trudie Ferreira
2025
Film
The Uninvited
Helen
2025
Film
Elsbeth
Delores Feinn · 1 episode
2024–
TV
Mack & Rita
Betty
2022
Film
This Fool
Beverly · 1 episode
2022–
TV
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
Upshur 'Maw' Clampette
2021
Film
Gossip Girl
Iris Lefferts · 1 episode
2021–
TV
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Doris 'Mama' Boone · 3 episodes
2021–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lois Smith and where are they from?
Lois Smith is 95 years old, born on November 3, 1930 in Topeka, Kansas, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Lois Smith?
Lois Smith is best known for roles in Minority Report, Lady Bird, The Nice Guys.
How many movies has Lois Smith been in?
Over a 71-year career (since 1955), Lois Smith has appeared in 60 movies and 45 TV shows.
What was Lois Smith's first movie?
The career of Lois Smith began with East of Eden (1955).
What is Lois Smith's most recent movie or series?
Lois Smith's most recent release is The Gettysburg Address, which premiered on November 19, 2025.
What TV shows has Lois Smith appeared in?
On television, Lois Smith has appeared in Grey's Anatomy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Blacklist, True Blood.
Lois Smith
1930-11-03 · Topeka, Kansas, USA
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.Lois Smith, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.