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Alice Drummond

Alice Drummond was the kind of actor who could give a relatively small role its own pulse. Working across stage, television and film, she built a career from sharply observed character parts, often bringing an appealing mix of nervous energy, warmth and comic precision to the screen. Born Alice Elizabeth Ruyter in Rhode Island on May 21, 1928, Drummond graduated from Pembroke College, then the women’s college of Brown University, in 1950. Her television work included playing Nurse Jackson on Dark Shadows in 1967. She later became a regular on the CBS soap opera Where the Heart Is, originating the role of Loretta Jardin and remaining with the series until it ended in 1973. She also had a short-term role on As the World Turns. Drummond continued to appear in guest roles on series including Kate & Allie, Law & Order, Boston Legal and Yes, Dear. Her film work showed how effectively she could establish a character in limited screen time. In Ghostbusters, she played the librarian frightened by a poltergeist at the beginning of the film, setting its supernatural machinery in motion with a memorable burst of terror. In Awakenings, she took a markedly different part as Lucy, a catatonic patient. Her other film appearances included Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Pieces of April and Furry Vengeance, in which she played a senior citizen. Across those varied projects, Drummond remained a dependable presence: expressive, distinctive and attentive to the particular rhythm of each role. She died in 2016, leaving behind work that continues to reward viewers who notice the character actors giving a movie’s world its texture.