Lois Smith, born Lois Arlene Humbert on November 3, 1930, in Topeka, Kansas, is an American actress whose career spans over eight decades.

She made her film debut in the 1955 drama "East of Eden" and has since appeared in numerous films, including "Five Easy Pieces" (1970), "Resurrection" (1980), "Fatal Attraction" (1987), "Fried Green Tomatoes" (1991), "How to Make an American Quilt" (1995), "Dead Man Walking" (1995), "Twister" (1996), "Minority Report" (2002), "The Nice Guys" (2016), and "Lady Bird" (2017).

In 2017, she received critical acclaim for her leading performance in the science-fiction drama film "Marjorie Prime," for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, Gotham Award, and Saturn Award, and won a Satellite Award.

Lois Smith has also had many roles on television, both daytime and prime time, including a regular cast member role in the HBO horror drama "True Blood" and a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series for "The Americans".

In addition to her work in film and television, Lois Smith is known for her extensive work in the theatre. She has received 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" (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.

Lois Smith is an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago and was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2007 for her outstanding contributions to the theatre.