{"id":158712,"date":"2026-04-28T09:41:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T09:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestnews11.online\/?p=158712"},"modified":"2026-04-28T09:41:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T09:41:30","slug":"why-this-actress-with-the-eyes-of-79-disappeared-from-our-screens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestnews11.online\/?p=158712","title":{"rendered":"Why this actress with \u201cthe eyes of \u201879\u201d disappeared from our screens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Her eyes are closer to\u00a0Siberian husky blue<\/em>\u00a0than anything typically human \u2014 and it\u2019s exactly that rare, striking look that made her impossible to ignore when she broke through in the 1970s.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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So much so that some film and television producers even asked her to wear contact lenses, believing her natural eyes were too distracting for the screen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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But she was never just a look. Alongside those unforgettable eyes, she delivered powerful performances and a voice that carried warmth, depth, and quiet strength \u2014 the kind of presence that lingers long after the credits roll.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Today, at 77, she remains a striking figure of grace and resilience, still inspiring fans with the way she carries herself and the authenticity she brings to everything she does.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Before this actress ever landed her first screen role, she spent years building her craft on the stage, performing in classic theatrical productions and studying under some of the most respected acting teachers of her time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to be a character actor,\u201d she once told\u00a0Where Hearts Collide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never wanted to be a leading lady. I\u2019d actually shy away from leading lady parts.\u201d<\/p>\n

That ambition may not have carried all the way through, but the actress was soon handed major opportunities. But just as her career began to gain real momentum, a sudden casting shake-up in a major TV role changed her trajectory.<\/p>\n

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When she eventually returned to our screens, it became clear how much the industry had changed \u2014 and how much she had endured.<\/p>\n

Steadily built her reputation<\/h2>\n

Born on May 10, 1948, in Reading, Pennsylvania, and raised in Rowayton, Connecticut, she grew up as one of five siblings with an early passion for performance. That passion eventually led her to New York City\u2019s prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, where she trained under legendary acting teacher Sanford Meisner.<\/p>\n

Her early stage work included roles in productions such as Miss Hardcastle\u00a0in She Stoops to Conquer,<\/em>\u00a0Feeney Evans in Bernard Shaw\u2019s\u00a0The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet,<\/em>\u00a0and The Blonde in\u00a0Between Two Thieves.<\/em><\/p>\n

These performances laid the foundation for her screen career, which officially began in 1969 with \u201cNET Playhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Throughout the 1970s, she steadily built her reputation with guest appearances on major television shows including\u00a0Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man,<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Hawaii Five-O.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0By the end of the decade, she landed what seemed like her breakthrough moment: a starring role as Christine Cagney in CBS\u2019s\u00a0Cagney & Lacey.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the cop show, she stepped in to replace\u00a0Loretta Swit<\/a>, who was unable to reprise her role as Detective Christine Cagney when the television film was developed into a full series.<\/p>\n

For those who don\u2019t remember the series, it follows two New York City police detectives with very different lives: Christine Cagney is a career-driven single woman, while Mary Beth Lacey (Tyne Daly) is a married working mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more than a cop show,\u201d the actress said when she landed the role at the age of 33 and added:<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s very demanding and dangerous, but women can do that and still remain women. The series shows that. This is a very chauvinistic world, and it\u2019s hard for women to get credit when credit is due.\u201d<\/p>\n

How she got \u201chit by a truck\u201d<\/h2>\n

But the opportunity didn\u2019t last very long.<\/p>\n

After six episodes, she was replaced in the role by Sharon Gless. That decision came without immediate explanation and quickly fueled speculation across the industry.<\/p>\n

\u201dIt isn\u2019t a pretty story, no matter who you talk to,\u201d entertainment columnist\u00a0Dick Kleiner\u00a0wrote in August 1982.<\/p>\n

The talented actress, known for her striking crystal-blue eyes, was so hurt and distraught that she struggled to even speak about it. She reportedly told friends that it felt as though she had been \u201chit by a truck.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to her own account, she worked extremely hard on the series, following a demanding seven-day shooting schedule for each episode, sometimes extending to eight days, with 12\u201315-hour workdays. So it\u2019s understandable that it felt like a real blow when she wasn\u2019t asked to continue in the role.<\/p>\n

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Meg Foster photographed in 1982 in New York City. (Photo by Walter McBride\/Corbis via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cUntil the news spread, she was an in-demand actress,\u201d one report noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there was no official announcement of why she was fired, so some people jumped to some pretty wild conclusions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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There was speculation that CBS preferred someone who appeared more \u2018feminine,\u2019 as well as a blonde actress for the role instead of a brunette. The show\u2019s producers even considered dyeing the actress\u2019s hair, but were ultimately instructed by CBS that if the series was going to continue, they needed to make a more dramatic change than that.<\/p>\n

The network later stated the change was made to \u201cgive the show a better balance,\u201d but by then, the damage in perception had already been done.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe eyes of \u201879\u201d<\/h2>\n

Still, our star refused to disappear.<\/p>\n

One of her most defining traits, her striking, almost hypnotic blue eyes, continued to draw attention.<\/p>\n

Mademoiselle magazine famously called them \u201cthe eyes of \u201879,\u201d and producers sometimes even asked her to wear contacts to tone down their intensity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not aware that my eyes are so distinctive,\u201d she once said. \u201cI don\u2019t look at my eyes, I see through them.\u201d<\/p>\n

After stepping away from the series, she reinvented herself in film.<\/p>\n

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The actress attends the 14th Monster-Mania Con at the NJ Crowne Plaza Hotel on March 13, 2010 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank\/WireImage)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1987, she played Evil-Lyn in\u00a0Masters of the Universe,<\/em>\u00a0followed by the cult sci-fi hit\u00a0They Live<\/em>\u00a0in 1988, where she portrayed Holly. She also appeared in\u00a0Stepfather II<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Blind Fury<\/em>\u00a0in 1989, building a strong presence in genre filmmaking.<\/p>\n

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Through the 1990s, she remained active on television with appearances in shows like\u00a0Quantum Leap, ER, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Murder, She Wrote,<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Sliders.<\/em><\/p>\n

So who is the actress we\u2019re talking about? It is none other than the remarkable\u00a0Meg Foster.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Married an actor<\/h2>\n

Outside of Hollywood, Foster lived a quieter life centered on family. She was previously married to actor Stephen McHattie and raised her son Christopher in Los Angeles. She often described her home life as grounded and simple, far removed from industry chaos.<\/p>\n

\u201cI cook \u2014 by throwing things together. I cook every night. I taste as I go along,\u201d she\u00a0shared<\/a>. She also spoke warmly about her son, recalling a moment when he told her, \u201cNobody\u2019s perfect, Mommy.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the late 1990s, Foster\u2019s screen appearances became less frequent, though she never fully stepped away from acting. In later years, she continued to take selective roles, maintaining a steady if quieter presence in the industry.<\/p>\n

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Actress Meg Foster attends the premiere of \u201c31\u201d at NeueHouse Hollywood on October 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today, she remains admired by fans who continue to celebrate her individuality, her performances, and her unmistakable screen presence.<\/p>\n

She doesn\u2019t seem to have stepped away from acting entirely either, Meg\u2019s most recent credit on IMDb is as a voice actor in several episodes of\u00a0Masters of the Universe: Revolution<\/em>\u00a0(2024).<\/p>\n

Today, her natural beauty \u2014 especially as she\u2019s grown older \u2014 has earned admiration from longtime fans.<\/p>\n

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One\u00a0remarked,<\/a>\u00a0\u201cNo facelift and in her seventies, truly a breathtaking beauty!\u201d Another said, \u201cA natural beauty without the use of fillers, Botox, facelifts or a ton of makeup or foundation and still stunning for her age.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Meg Foster arrives to the \u201cThe Employer\u201d \u2013 Los Angeles Premiere \u2013 Arrivals at Regent Showcase Theatre on March 6, 2012 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jonathan Leibson\/FilmMagic)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As one fan put it: \u201cMeg Foster has such amazing eyes!\u201d<\/p>\n

Another wrote: \u201cFor a Hollywood actress she seems really down to earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201dIn the seventies, I didn\u2019t have a color TV and was always mesmerized about her eyes. Now I can see the real color of them. They\u2019re UNREAL!,\u201d a third shared.<\/p>\n

We hope to see more of Meg in the future, because she is a truly talented actress. Until then, we can look back on her earlier films and roles and appreciate her remarkable career \u2014 and of course, her unforgettable eyes. It\u2019s no surprise that fans still find themselves struck by them whenever she appears on screen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What are your memories of Meg Foster? Feel free to share them in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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