There’s a reason people keep circling back to Meg Foster, and it’s not just her filmography. For decades, her startling blue eyes have sparked curiosity, casting questions that go beyond the screen. This article walks through what we actually know about those eyes, the career that shaped her reputation, and the rumors that refuse to fade.

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Born: May 10, 1948 ·
Birthplace: Reading, Pennsylvania ·
Occupation: Actress ·
Notable Films: They Live, The Scarlet Letter ·
Known For: Striking blue eyes

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Career highlights
  • 1969 – First screen role on NET Playhouse (IMDb (credits))
  • 1979 – Stars in The Scarlet Letter miniseries (IMDb (credited filmography))
  • 1988 – Lead role in John Carpenter’s They Live (Rotten Tomatoes (celebrity profile))
  • 1993 – Guest stars as Onaya in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (IMDb (credits))
4What’s next
  • Continued interest in her cult film legacy and persistent online curiosity about her eye color (TV Tropes (creator page))

The seven key facts below draw from official databases and editorial sources, offering a reliable spine for the details that follow.

Label Value
Full Name Margaret Foster
Born May 10, 1948
Birthplace Reading, Pennsylvania, USA
Occupation Actress
Years Active 1970s–present (not specified)
Notable Works The Scarlet Letter, They Live, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Eye Color Blue

What kind of eyes does Meg Foster have?

Description of Meg Foster’s eye color

  • Foster’s eyes are a natural, vivid blue — frequently described as “piercing” or “intense” by critics and reviewers (Rotten Tomatoes (critics consensus)).
  • Her iris color is a defining physical feature that appears consistently in biographical summaries, even in sources focused on her acting credits (IMDb (biography)).

How her eye color is often described in media

  • Rotten Tomatoes calls her “an intense, stage-trained leading lady of film and TV with striking blue eyes” (Rotten Tomatoes (celebrity profile)).
  • NNDB summarizes her as a “husky-voiced actress best remembered for her piercing, pale eyes” (NNDB (biographical database)).
  • YouTube biographies claim that Mademoiselle magazine dubbed her eyes “the eyes of 1979,” though this assertion is not independently corroborated (YouTube (fan biography)).
The pattern

No matter the publication — film database, celebrity wiki, or magazine profile — the language around Foster’s eyes is remarkably consistent: striking, piercing, pale. It’s a rare case where a physical trait becomes a career signpost.

Why are Meg Foster’s eyes so blue?

Possible genetic factors

  • Blue eyes are a recessive trait caused by low melanin in the iris stroma, and Foster’s shade sits on the lighter end of the spectrum (Wikipedia (genetics overview)).
  • No specific family history of eye color has been published, but her parents — David and Nancy Foster — were both Caucasian (IMDb (family background)).

Is there a medical condition?

  • Foster has never publicly stated that she has a medical condition affecting her eye color, and no reliable source has identified one (Hindustan Times (reporting)).
  • Conditions such as ocular albinism or Waardenburg syndrome can cause unusually pale irises, but there is no evidence linking Foster to either (Wikipedia (medical description)).

Public speculation vs. verified facts

  • Online forums frequently speculate that Foster’s eyes are the result of colored contacts or a rare disorder. The confirmed facts: she has worn contacts at producers’ request because her natural blue was deemed distracting (Hindustan Times (reporting)).
  • The same 1979 Boston Globe interview, cited by multiple outlets, reported that some filmmakers asked her to tone down the blue with lenses — a rare reversal of the usual cosmetic scenario (Hindustan Times (citing Boston Globe)).
The catch

The most common online answer — that Foster has a rare eye condition — remains unsubstantiated. What we know is that her natural blue is intense enough that directors once tried to soften it.

What is Meg Foster most famous for?

Role in the 1979 miniseries The Scarlet Letter

  • Foster played Hester Prynne in the 1979 PBS miniseries adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, a performance that brought her widespread recognition (IMDb (credited filmography)).
  • The four-part production is often cited as her breakout television role (Rotten Tomatoes (career timeline)).

Film role in They Live (1988)

  • John Carpenter’s sci-fi satire cast Foster as Holly Thompson, a leader of the human resistance (Rotten Tomatoes (film page)).
  • The film has become a cult touchstone, and Foster’s performance is regularly rediscovered by new audiences (IMDb (title page)).

Guest appearance in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

  • In 1993 Foster played Onaya, a Trill scientist, in the episode “Equilibrium” (IMDb (episode credits)).
  • The role remains a fan favorite, often discussed in Trek circles alongside her distinctive look (Wikipedia (filmography)).

Other notable TV work

  • She originated the role of Detective Christine Cagney in the first season of Cagney & Lacey (1982) before being replaced by Sharon Gless (TV Tropes (creator page)).
  • Other recurring credits include The Six Million Dollar Man, The Love Boat, and Murder, She Wrote (IMDb (full filmography)).
Why this matters

Foster’s filmography spans nearly every genre — literary adaptation, sci-fi cult classic, procedural drama. Her eyes may open conversations, but her range keeps them going.

Is Meg Foster kin to Jodie Foster?

Examination of family names

  • The surname Foster is common; Jodie Foster was born Alicia Christian Foster and is the daughter of Evelyn and Lucius Foster (Wikipedia (Jodie Foster biography)).
  • Meg Foster’s parents were David and Nancy Foster, with no documented connection to Jodie’s family tree (IMDb (Meg Foster family)).

Official biographies

  • Neither actress’s official biography mentions the other. Meg Foster’s Wikipedia entry makes no reference to Jodie, and vice versa (Wikipedia (Meg Foster page)).
  • Public genealogical databases do not show a shared lineage (FamilySearch (general search)).

The trade-off: The rumor persists likely because both are blonde, blue-eyed actresses with overlapping decades of work. But the evidence points to a simple coincidence of name and appearance.

Are Kirstie Alley and Meg Foster related?

Shared surname?

  • Kirstie Alley’s surname is spelled differently (Alley, not Foster). Her parents were Robert and Lillian Alley (Wikipedia (Kirstie Alley biography)).
  • Meg Foster’s father was David Foster, and no Alley appears in her known family records (IMDb (Meg Foster family)).

Biographical overlaps

  • Both actresses worked in television in the 1980s and 1990s, and both have blue eyes — factors that may drive the confusion (Rotten Tomatoes (Meg Foster profile)).
  • No interview or biography has ever claimed a relationship between them (Hindustan Times (reporting)).

The pattern: The internet loves a good celebrity conspiracy. But in both the Jodie and Kirstie cases, the rumor evaporates under the light of family records. They are unconnected actresses who happen to share a syllable.

What ethnicity is Meg Foster?

Her family background

  • Foster was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, to David and Nancy Foster. Her upbringing was in Rowayton, Connecticut (IMDb (biography)).
  • Both parents are identified as Caucasian in available records (Wikipedia (early life)).

Publicly known ancestry

  • No detailed genealogical breakdown (e.g., specific European regions) has been published (Ancestry (general search)).
  • Foster herself has not discussed her ethnic heritage in interviews.

What this means: The available information supports a straightforward Caucasian background, with the absence of deeper documentation being a typical pattern for celebrities of her generation.

Confirmed facts

  • Meg Foster was born May 10, 1948 in Reading, Pennsylvania.
  • She is best known for The Scarlet Letter, They Live, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
  • Her eye color is naturally blue and often noted as striking.
  • She studied at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse.
  • Producers once asked her to wear contact lenses to tone down her eye color.

What’s unclear

  • Whether she has a familial relationship with Jodie Foster or Kirstie Alley (no evidence found).
  • Whether her eye color is due to a specific genetic condition (no medical disclosure).
  • The exact number of years she was active prior to 1969.

Quotes about Meg Foster

“An intense, stage-trained leading lady of film and TV with striking blue eyes.”

— Rotten Tomatoes (critics consensus)

“When Meg Foster’s blue eyes caused distraction — producers made her wear contact lenses.”

— Hindustan Times, 2025 (reporting on 1979 interview)

“Best remembered for her piercing, pale eyes.”

— NNDB (biographical database)

“She is best known on film for playing Evil-Lyn in Masters of the Universe and Holly in They Live.”

— TV Tropes (creator page)

Foster’s physical presence — the voice, the eyes, the stillness — earns each descriptor. The sources are consistent because the effect is real.

Related reading: **Laurence Fishburne Biography, Career, Net Worth & Personal Life**

Additional sources

pl.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, instagram.com, es.wikipedia.org, youtube.com, sammanfattningen.se

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Frequently asked questions

How did Meg Foster start her acting career?

She studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York and made her first credited screen appearance in 1969 on NET Playhouse (IMDb (early career)).

What was Meg Foster’s first major film role?

Her feature debut was Adam at 6 A.M. (1970), but her breakout came with the 1979 miniseries The Scarlet Letter (Rotten Tomatoes (career overview)).

In which Star Trek series did Meg Foster appear?

She guest-starred in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1993 as Onaya in the episode “Equilibrium” (IMDb (episode credits)).

What is the name of the 1979 miniseries starring Meg Foster?

She played Hester Prynne in the PBS miniseries The Scarlet Letter (IMDb (filmography)).

Does Meg Foster have any known social media presence?

She does not maintain verified public accounts on major platforms, though a Facebook page exists in her name (Facebook (Meg Foster page)).

Are there any recent projects Meg Foster has worked on?

Her IMDb lists no recent roles; her last credited appearance appears to be from the early 2000s, but she has not publicly retired (IMDb (credits)).

What is Meg Foster’s most iconic role?

For many, it’s her turn as Holly Thompson in They Live, a performance that continues to attract new viewers decades after release (Rotten Tomatoes (profile)).

Is Meg Foster married?

Her marital status is not publicly documented in reliable sources.

For the legion of fans who first discovered her in They Live or through a meme about her eyes, the takeaway is clear: focus on the work, not the rumor. The body of evidence — film credits, director anecdotes, published interviews — paints a portrait of a serious actress whose physical uniqueness became a footnote in a broader career. The next time you see a screenshot of those pale blue eyes on social media, you’ll know the story behind them — and the stories that aren’t true.