person image

Kathy Bates

Born: 1948

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). Description above from the Wikipedia article Kathy Bates, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia​
Known For Acting
Gender Female
Place of Birth Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Resources

Movies

Titanic

Molly Brown in Titanic

Fried Green Tomatoes

Evelyn Couch in Fried Green Tomatoes

Misery

Annie Wilkes in Misery

Dragonfly

Mrs. Belmont in Dragonfly

Swept from the Sea

Miss Swaffer in Swept from the Sea

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Regina Jackson in The Day the Earth Stood Still

Around the World in 80 Days

Queen Victoria in Around the World in 80 Days

Prelude to a Kiss

Leah Blier in Prelude to a Kiss

About Schmidt

Roberta Hertzel in About Schmidt

The Waterboy

Mama Boucher in The Waterboy

Revolutionary Road

Mrs. Helen Givings in Revolutionary Road

Diabolique

Det. Shirley Vogel in Diabolique

Fred Claus

Mother Claus in Fred Claus

My Sister's Keeper

Christine Chapman in My Sister's Keeper

Bee Movie

Janet Benson (voice) in Bee Movie

The Late Shift

Helen Kushnick in The Late Shift

Chéri

Madame Peloux in Chéri

P.S. I Love You

Patricia in P.S. I Love You

Krystal

Vera in Krystal

The Blind Side

Miss Sue in The Blind Side

Straight Time

Selma Darin in Straight Time

Failure to Launch

Sue in Failure to Launch

North

Alaskan Mom in North

Dolores Claiborne

Dolores Claiborne in Dolores Claiborne

Christmas Is Here Again

Miss Dowdy (voice) in Christmas Is Here Again

Angus

Meg Bethune in Angus

Valentine's Day

Susan Milton in Valentine's Day

Arthur 2: On the Rocks

Mrs. Canby in Arthur 2: On the Rocks

Annie

Miss Agatha Hannigan in Annie

Primary Colors

Libby Holden in Primary Colors

Rat Race

The Squirrel Lady (uncredited) in Rat Race

Charlotte's Web

Bitsy the Cow (voice) in Charlotte's Web

American Outlaws

Ma James in American Outlaws

White Palace

Rosemary in White Palace

Little Black Book

Kippie Kann in Little Black Book

Personal Effects

Gloria in Personal Effects

Relative Strangers

Agnes Menure in Relative Strangers

Love Liza

Mary Ann Bankhead in Love Liza

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys

Charlotte Cartwright in Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys

Unconditional Love

Grace Beasley in Unconditional Love

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

Narrator (voice) in The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

A Little Bit of Heaven

Beverly Corbett in A Little Bit of Heaven

The Bridge of San Luis Rey

The Marquesa in The Bridge of San Luis Rey

Bonneville

Margene Cunningham in Bonneville

Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean

Stella Mae in Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean

Guilty Hearts

The Judge in Guilty Hearts

At Play in the Fields of the Lord

Hazel Quarrier in At Play in the Fields of the Lord

You May Not Kiss the Bride

Bryan's Mother in You May Not Kiss the Bride

Men Don't Leave

Lisa Coleman in Men Don't Leave

Bruno

Mother Superior in Bruno

The War at Home

Maurine Collier in The War at Home

A Home of Our Own

Frances Lacey in A Home of Our Own

Midnight in Paris

Gertrude Stein in Midnight in Paris

Summer Heat

Ruth in Summer Heat

No Place Like Home

Bonnie Cooper in No Place Like Home

Tammy

Lenore in Tammy

Curse of the Starving Class

Ella Tate in Curse of the Starving Class

Shadows and Fog

Prostitute in Shadows and Fog

Ambulance Girl

Jane Stern in Ambulance Girl

On the Basis of Sex

Dorothy Kenyon in On the Basis of Sex

Boychoir

Headmistress in Boychoir

The Golden Compass

Hester (voice) in The Golden Compass

Cadaver

Beth in Cadaver

Murder Ordained

Bobbi Birk in Murder Ordained

The Great Gilly Hopkins

Maime Trotter in The Great Gilly Hopkins

Bad Santa 2

Sunny Soke in Bad Santa 2

Complete Unknown

Nina in Complete Unknown

The Road to Mecca

Elsa Barlow in The Road to Mecca

Declaration of Independence

Self in Declaration of Independence

Taking Off

Audition Singer in Taking Off

The Boss

Ida Marquette in The Boss

The Effects of Magic

in The Effects of Magic

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan

Barbara Haggermaker in The Death & Life of John F. Donovan

High Stakes

Jill in High Stakes

Used People

Bibby Berman in Used People

The West Side Waltz

Mr. Goo in The West Side Waltz

Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood

Frances Marion (voice) in Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood

Hostages

Peggy Say in Hostages

Dick Tracy

Mrs. Green in Dick Tracy

The Morning After

Woman on Mateo Street in The Morning After

The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful

Self in The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful

The Highwaymen

Ma Ferguson in The Highwaymen

Richard Jewell

Bobi Jewell in Richard Jewell

And the Oscar Goes To...

Self (archive footage) in And the Oscar Goes To...

Rumor Has It...

Aunt Mitsy (uncredited) in Rumor Has It...

Home

Bernadette in Home

Hansel and Gretel

Narrator (voice) in Hansel and Gretel

Warm Springs

Helena Mahoney in Warm Springs

Six Feet Under: In Memoriam

Herself in Six Feet Under: In Memoriam

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Sylvia Simon in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Tupperware!

Narrator in Tupperware!

Johnny Bull

Katherine Kovacs in Johnny Bull

Baby Steps

Mrs. Mellon in Baby Steps

The Miracle Club

Eileen Dunne in The Miracle Club

Reflections on Titanic

Self in Reflections on Titanic

Signs of Life

Mary Beth Alder in Signs of Life

Misery Loves Company

Self in Misery Loves Company

A Civil Action

Bankruptcy Judge (uncredited) in A Civil Action

Two of a Kind

Furniture Man's Wife in Two of a Kind

Thelma

Thelma in Thelma

Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony

Self (archive footage) in Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony

My Best Friend Is a Vampire

Helen Blake in My Best Friend Is a Vampire

A Family Affair

in A Family Affair

Roe vs. Wade

Jessie in Roe vs. Wade

Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy

Siren / Sea Hag (voice) in Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy

Summer Camp

Ginny in Summer Camp

Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun

Lunar Mom in Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun

The Smack

Babs in The Smack

Titanic: Stories From the Heart

Self (archive footage) / Molly Brown in Titanic: Stories From the Heart

The Great Lillian Hall

in The Great Lillian Hall

TV Shows