Meg Foster is an American TV and film actress who has been working since 1969. Over the course of a long career she has played all sorts of roles –– though she is perhaps best known for her appearances in assorted action, comedy, and horror projects. Foster is also often recognized for her natural, shock-blue eyes.
Background Info
Meg Foster was born on May 10th, 1948 in the town of Reading, Pennsylvania. That said, she spent the majority of her childhood in Rowayton, Connecticut –– an affluent coastal community, and something of a distant suburb of New York City.
While growing up, Foster studied drama in New York at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre (which has produced dozens of noteworthy alumni, including James Caan, Robert Duvall, Allison Janney, Grace Kelly, and Diane Keaton).
Foster’s early life took place primarily in Reading and New York. She had four siblings (all born to the same parents): three sisters named Gray, Jan, and Nina, and a brother named Ian.
Early Career
Following work in a few theater productions in the late ‘60s, Meg Foster’s first on-screen role came in the TV series NET Playhouse in 1969. This was an anthology that ran for nearly a decade, and covered every conceivable subject.
Following this debut, Foster secured a number of small roles in TV and film alike throughout the early ‘70s. Her projects in this span included Here Come The Brides, Bonanza, and Mod Squad. It was in 1973 however that she began to score bigger roles and make a name for herself.
Acting Career
Beginning in 1973, Foster began to put together the core of a strong career on television and in film. The following are some of the most noteworthy projects from her prime years.
Sunshine
Sunshine was a 1973 TV movie, created in docudrama format and aired on CBS. The film concerned a young mother who dies of cancer at only 20 years of age, and the father Sam Hayden (Cliff DeYoung) who has to raise their daughter while trying to make it as a musician.
Foster played the part of Nora –– an eventual love interest for Sam.
She would later reprise the role in the 1975 TV series Sunshine (a dramedy that continued the story from the TV movie), as well as the 1977 TV movie Sunshine Christmas.
Masters Of The Universe
The 1987 superhero film Masters Of The Universe was based on Mattel toys, and can be viewed as something of a precursor to modern superhero cinema (though it was nowhere near as big).
Basically, it concerned a cosmic battle between He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) and the evil Skeletor (Frank Langella).
Meg Foster played the part of Evil-Lyn, who was effectively Skeletor’s right-hand woman.
The movie was a commercial flop in its time, but attained a sort of cult status, and helped to establish Foster’s bona fides in genre film.
They Live
They Live is a 1988 sci-fi film that was created by John Carpenter –– a legend of the horror and thriller genres.
The film concerns a mysterious force that is essentially infecting and enslaving the population –– and thus must be stopped.
The effort to stop the “signals” largely falls on the shoulders of Nada (Roddy Piper), who discovers that many seemingly ordinary people are actually members of an alien race.
For her part, Meg Foster plays the part of Holly –– a local news employee who winds up entangled in Nada’s efforts.
Leviathan
1989’s Leviathan is a horror/thriller about a stranded crew of sea miners who come into contact with a monstrous creature. And while she wasn’t involved in much of the hands-on action of the film, Foster played a crucial role.
She was Miss Martin, the CEO of the sea mining corporation who is, shall we say, less than helpful to the crew.
Relentless
Another 1989 thriller, Relentless is a classic crime film about the hunt for a serial killer in Los Angeles.
The main focus is on the detective duo of Sam Dietz (Leo Rossi) and Bill Malloy (Robert Loggia), but Foster appears as Sam’s wife, Carol.
Best Of The Best II
Best Of The Best II is a wild martial arts film, and a sequel to 1989’s Best Of The Best. In this follow-up, a handful of characters from the original become embroiled in the fights and drama of The Coliseum, a sort of underground combat network.
For the most part, it’s a film about a population of male fighters going at one another. Meg Foster plays one of the few female roles however –– starring as Sue MacCauley, a sportscaster and the girlfriend of Tommy Lee (Philip Rhee), one of the men up against The Coliseum’s sinister leader.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is an iconic television series that ran for seven seasons. Foster was not a recurring character, but she did appear in a season four episode titled “The Muse” in 1996.
She played the part of Onaya –– an alluring but mysterious woman who nurtures the artistic talents of protagonist Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) while more or less leeching his life force.
The Lords Of Salem
Directed by horror legend Rob Zombie, The Lords Of Salem is a 2012 film about the town of Salem, Massachusetts –– and a curse brought forth from the past via music.
While the bulk of the film takes place in modern times, Meg Foster played the crucial role of Margaret Morgan –– a 17th-century witch who established the curse, and who appears in visions (and in ghost form).
Pretty Little Liars
Aside from Star Trek, Pretty Little Liars is arguably the most significant property in which Meg Foster has appeared. This is a teen drama and thriller series that ran for seven seasons beginning in 2010.
It largely concerns a group of four friends who are brought back together after the disappearance of a fifth –– and made to heed mysterious warnings, lest their secrets be revealed.
Foster only appears in five episodes, as Carla Grunwald –– a local resident with supernatural sensibilities, but not a recurring member of the main cast.
Ravenswood
The main reason that the Pretty Little Liars role is so significant to Meg Foster’s career is that the Carla Grunwald character was ultimately included in this spinoff series.
Ravenswood ran for one season (between 2013 and 2014), and was based on a similar premise to that of Pretty Little Liars. The show received reasonably strong ratings (though its viewership was poor), and Foster appeared throughout the series.
31
31 is a 2016 horror project by Rob Zombie, and something of a classic freakshow thriller. Basically, this film depicts five people who work at a carnival, who are captured and made to survive a labyrinth full of horrifying dangers (and run by evil clowns).
Foster played the part of the “#2” carnival worker, Venus Virgo, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the BloodGuts UK Horror Awards for her work.
What is Meg Foster doing now?
Meg Foster is still a working actress today. As of this writing, her most recent appearance was in the tubi original film Hellblazers –– a thriller about a satanic cult unleashing a demon on Earth. Foster starred alongside Bruce Dern and Billy Zane.
The actress has also worked on a handful of forthcoming projects. These include the drama SDK, and horror films The Accursed (in which she stars with Mena Suvari) and Haunted: 333 (in which she is top-billed).
(photo: texasfrightmarevideo)
Foster also attends genre and horror festivals and conventions, having been featured in at least one such event almost every year of late. Her last convention appearance was in 2021 for the Texas Frightmare Weekend.
Relationships & Family
Meg Foster was briefly married to the Canadian actor Stephen McHattie Smith (who goes by Stephen McHattie). The two tied the knot in 1976, but did not stay together long.
Though Foster has not remarried, she does have a son (Christopher Starr) with actor Ron Starr.
What’s up with Meg Foster’s Eyes?
Without a doubt, the most striking thing about Meg Foster has always been her eye color. The actress is famous for a shocking blue color that –– particularly when it’s so often paired with dark styling and horror outfitting –– looks almost unnatural. Indeed, once upon a time Mademoiselle Magazine even highlighted her eyes, dubbing them “The Eyes of 1979.”
To date however, there is no real explanation. She neither has a mutation, nor does she wear colored contacts. Like a few other famous figures –– Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, and even modern-day news anchor Anderson Cooper –– Foster simply seems to possess a rare natural eye color.
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