Sylvia Meals was an American actress who played Mary Anne Creed, the wife of Apollo Creed, in two of the Rocky movies. She was born on June 13, 1943, in Los Angeles, California, and died on March 29, 2011, in the same city. But what was Sylvia Meals cause of death? How did she pass away at the age of 67?
A Career in Acting
Sylvia Meals started her acting career in 1979, when she was cast as Mary Anne Creed in Rocky II. She reprised her role in Rocky IV in 1985, where she witnessed her husband’s death in the ring at the hands of Ivan Drago. She also appeared in a few other films and TV shows, such as Tournament of Dreams (2007), The White Shadow (1980), and The Jeffersons (1981). According to IMDb, she had a total of six acting credits.
A Private Life
Sylvia Meals was married to Robert L. Meals, a film producer and director, from June 13, 1965, to June 5, 1979. They divorced after 14 years of marriage. She had no children with him, but she was the grandmother of Akira Sky, a young actress who appeared in The Lion King (2019) and The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020). According to AncientFaces2, Sylvia Meals had five siblings: Larry Allen Hicks, Marjorie Ann Hicks, George Harvey Hicks Jr., Edward Hicks Jr., and one other brother. Her parents were Katherine Y. Jefferson and Edward Hicks.
A Mysterious Death
Sylvia Meals cause of death is not publicly known. She died on March 29, 2011, in Los Angeles, California, but the details of her passing have not been revealed. According to Looper, she was replaced by Phylicia Rashād as Mary Anne Creed in the Creed movies, which followed the story of Apollo’s son Adonis Johnson. Rashād paid tribute to Meals in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying that she watched her performance in Rocky IV and admired her work.
Sylvia Meals was a talented actress who left a mark on the Rocky franchise. She will be remembered by her fans and family for her portrayal of Mary Anne Creed, a strong and supportive wife and mother. May she rest in peace.
