Kathy Bates

Acting

Born Jun 28, 1948

From Memphis, Tennessee, USA

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).

Kathy Bates

Known For

Titanic

The Blind Side

Bee Movie

Misery

Revolutionary Road

Midnight in Paris

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Highwaymen

The Golden Compass

A Family Affair

Filmography — Acting

Titanic

The Blind Side

Bee Movie

Misery

Revolutionary Road

Midnight in Paris

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Highwaymen

The Golden Compass

A Family Affair

Fried Green Tomatoes

Valentine's Day

White Palace

Failure to Launch

Rat Race

Bad Santa 2

Around the World in 80 Days

Rumor Has It...

P.S. I Love You

Dick Tracy

The Boss

The Waterboy

Richard Jewell

Dragonfly

Charlotte's Web

Dolores Claiborne

A Civil Action

Tammy

Fred Claus

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

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

About Schmidt

Diabolique

On the Basis of Sex

North

A Little Bit of Heaven

The Great Gilly Hopkins

Primary Colors

Chéri

American Outlaws

Two of a Kind

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys

Annie

Little Black Book

Men Don't Leave

Shadows and Fog

Summer Camp

The Miracle Club

A Home of Our Own

Straight Time

Angus

Prelude to a Kiss

Krystal

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan

Love Liza

Warm Springs

Personal Effects

The Morning After

Bruno

Swept from the Sea

Taking Off

You May Not Kiss the Bride

Complete Unknown

Boychoir

Used People

Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony

The Bridge of San Luis Rey