Her eyes are closer to Siberian husky blue than anything typically human — and it’s exactly that rare, striking look that made her impossible to ignore when she broke through in the 1970s.
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.
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 — the kind of presence that lingers long after the credits roll.
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.
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.
“I’ve always wanted to be a character actor,” she once told Where Hearts Collide.
“I never wanted to be a leading lady. I’d actually shy away from leading lady parts.”
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.
When she eventually returned to our screens, it became clear how much the industry had changed — and how much she had endured.
Steadily built her reputation
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’s prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, where she trained under legendary acting teacher Sanford Meisner.
Her early stage work included roles in productions such as Miss Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer, Feeney Evans in Bernard Shaw’s The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet, and The Blonde in Between Two Thieves.
These performances laid the foundation for her screen career, which officially began in 1969 with “NET Playhouse.”
Throughout the 1970s, she steadily built her reputation with guest appearances on major television shows including Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Hawaii Five-O.” By the end of the decade, she landed what seemed like her breakthrough moment: a starring role as Christine Cagney in CBS’s Cagney & Lacey.
In the cop show, she stepped in to replace Loretta Swit, who was unable to reprise her role as Detective Christine Cagney when the television film was developed into a full series.
For those who don’t 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.
“It’s more than a cop show,” the actress said when she landed the role at the age of 33 and added:
“It’s 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’s hard for women to get credit when credit is due.”
How she got “hit by a truck”
But the opportunity didn’t last very long.
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.
”It isn’t a pretty story, no matter who you talk to,” entertainment columnist Dick Kleiner wrote in August 1982.
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 “hit by a truck.”
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 12–15-hour workdays. So it’s understandable that it felt like a real blow when she wasn’t asked to continue in the role.
“Until the news spread, she was an in-demand actress,” one report noted.
“But there was no official announcement of why she was fired, so some people jumped to some pretty wild conclusions.”
There was speculation that CBS preferred someone who appeared more ‘feminine,’ as well as a blonde actress for the role instead of a brunette. The show’s producers even considered dyeing the actress’s 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.
The network later stated the change was made to “give the show a better balance,” but by then, the damage in perception had already been done.
“The eyes of ‘79”
Still, our star refused to disappear.
One of her most defining traits, her striking, almost hypnotic blue eyes, continued to draw attention.
Mademoiselle magazine famously called them “the eyes of ‘79,” and producers sometimes even asked her to wear contacts to tone down their intensity.
“I’m not aware that my eyes are so distinctive,” she once said. “I don’t look at my eyes, I see through them.”
After stepping away from the series, she reinvented herself in film.
In 1987, she played Evil-Lyn in Masters of the Universe, followed by the cult sci-fi hit They Live in 1988, where she portrayed Holly. She also appeared in Stepfather II and Blind Fury in 1989, building a strong presence in genre filmmaking.
Through the 1990s, she remained active on television with appearances in shows like Quantum Leap, ER, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Murder, She Wrote, and Sliders.
So who is the actress we’re talking about? It is none other than the remarkable Meg Foster.
Married an actor
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.
“I cook — by throwing things together. I cook every night. I taste as I go along,” she shared. She also spoke warmly about her son, recalling a moment when he told her, “Nobody’s perfect, Mommy.”
After the late 1990s, Foster’s 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.
Today, she remains admired by fans who continue to celebrate her individuality, her performances, and her unmistakable screen presence.
She doesn’t seem to have stepped away from acting entirely either, Meg’s most recent credit on IMDb is as a voice actor in several episodes of Masters of the Universe: Revolution (2024).
Today, her natural beauty — especially as she’s grown older — has earned admiration from longtime fans.
One remarked, “No facelift and in her seventies, truly a breathtaking beauty!” Another said, “A natural beauty without the use of fillers, Botox, facelifts or a ton of makeup or foundation and still stunning for her age.”
As one fan put it: “Meg Foster has such amazing eyes!”
Another wrote: “For a Hollywood actress she seems really down to earth.”
”In the seventies, I didn’t have a color TV and was always mesmerized about her eyes. Now I can see the real color of them. They’re UNREAL!,” a third shared.
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 — and of course, her unforgettable eyes. It’s no surprise that fans still find themselves struck by them whenever she appears on screen.
What are your memories of Meg Foster? Feel free to share them in the comments below.
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