Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates

Born 1948-06-28 (age 78) Memphis, Tennessee, USA
View on IMDb ↗

Biography

Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress and director. She has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she studied theatre at the Southern Methodist University before moving to New York City to pursue an acting career. She landed minor stage roles before being cast in her first on screen role in Taking Off (1971). Her first Off-Broadway stage performance was in the 1976 production of Vanities. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, she continued to perform on screen and on stage, and garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Play in 1983 for her performance in 'night, Mother, and won an Obie Award in 1988 for her performance in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

Bates' performance as Annie Wilkes in the tense psychological thriller Misery (1990) marked her Hollywood breakthrough, winning her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Further acclaim came for her starring role in Dolores Claiborne (1995), The Waterboy (1998), and supporting roles in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and Titanic (1997). Bates received subsequent Oscar nods in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work in Primary Colors (1998), About Schmidt (2002), and Richard Jewell (2019).

Bates' television work has resulted in 14 Emmy Award nominations, including two for her leading role on the NBC series Harry's Law (2011–12). She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her appearance on the ninth season of Two and a Half Men (2012) and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her portrayal of Delphine LaLaurie on the third season of American Horror Story (2013). She also received accolades for her portrayal of Miss Hannigan in the 1999 television adaptation of Annie. Her directing credits include several episodes of the HBO television series Six Feet Under (2001–03) and the television film Ambulance Girl (2005).

Photos

Known For

Titanic
Titanic

1997

as Molly Brown

Bee Movie
Bee Movie

2007

as Janet Benson (voice)

The Blind Side
The Blind Side

2009

as Miss Sue

Misery
Misery

1990

as Annie Wilkes

Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy

1990

as Mrs. Green

The Golden Compass
The Golden Compass

2007

as Hester (voice)

Midnight in Paris
Midnight in Paris

2011

as Gertrude Stein

Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes

1991

as Evelyn Couch

Around the World in 80 Days
Around the World in 80 Days

2004

as Queen Victoria

Revolutionary Road
Revolutionary Road

2008

as Mrs. Helen Givings

Failure to Launch
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day

2010

as Susan

Rat Race
Rat Race

2001

as The Squirrel Lady (uncredited)

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Day the Earth Stood Still

2008

as Regina Jackson

Charlotte's Web
Charlotte's Web

2006

as Bitsy the Cow (voice)

Richard Jewell
Richard Jewell

2019

as Bobi Jewell

The Waterboy
The Waterboy

1998

as Mama Boucher

P.S. I Love You
P.S. I Love You

2007

as Patricia

The Highwaymen
The Highwaymen

2019

as Ma Ferguson