Meg Foster

Meg Foster's pale blue eyes draw attention before she has said a word. Then comes the velvety voice, and the effect is more persuasive than an unusual appearance alone could be. We value the authority she brings to character parts, particularly in science fiction and fantasy, where an actor can help a far-fetched situation feel worth taking seriously. John Carpenter's They Live (1988), in which she plays Holly Thompsen, is the place we would start.

The earlier television leads are worth keeping in mind: Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter (1979), followed by Christine Cagney in the first season of Cagney & Lacey (1982). These were substantial parts before the supporting genre work became more prominent. Her replacement on the latter programme was followed by more sporadic television work. By Masters of the Universe (1987), she was playing Evil-Lyn, a more obvious use of the intensity that makes her convincing in authoritative roles.

We were unsettled by They Live, because its alien-invasion premise turns consumer culture into something threatening. Carpenter gives Foster's intensity a useful setting, and her supporting presence is memorable without being the main reason to watch. That remains the sharp visual premise, helped along by Roddy Piper's awkward charm. The story wanders, the dialogue is sometimes clumsy, and there is too much gunfire; liking Foster does not require us to overlook any of that.

Repeatedly playing strong or villainous women risks making an actor's work predictable, however persuasive she is in those parts. Evil-Lyn makes immediate sense as casting; Hester Prynne is a useful reminder that fantasy villains were never the whole job. We would welcome more parts that ask something of Foster's voice beyond authority, rather than simply relying on the force she already brings. For They Live, bring some patience for the gunfire.