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IMDbPro

Kathy Bates(I)

  • Actress
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000166
Kathy Bates
When her family moves from the city to the suburbs, 11-year-old Margaret navigates new friends, feelings, and the beginning of adolescence.
Play trailer2:20
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023)
99+ Videos
99+ Photos
Multi-talented, multi-award-winning actress Kathleen (Doyle) Bates was born on June 28, 1948, and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She is the youngest of three girls born to Bertye Kathleen (Talbot), a homemaker, and Langdon Doyle Bates, a mechanical engineer. Her grandfather was author Finis L. Bates. Kathy has English, as well as Irish, Scottish, and German, ancestry, and one of her ancestors, an Irish emigrant to New Orleans, once served as President Andrew Jackson's doctor.

Kathy discovered acting appearing in high school plays and studied drama at Southern Methodist University, graduating in 1969. With her mind firmly set, she moved to New York City in 1970 and paid her dues by working everything from a cash register to taking lunch orders. Things started moving quickly up the ladder after giving a tour-de-force performance alongside Christopher Walken at Buffalo's Studio Arena Theatre in Lanford Wilson's world premiere of "Lemon Sky" in 1970, but she also had a foreshadowing of the heartbreak to come after the successful show relocated to New York's off-Broadway Playhouse Theatre without her and Walken wound up winning a Drama Desk award.

By the mid-to-late 1970s, Kathy was treading the boards frequently as a rising young actress of the New York and regional theater scene. She appeared in "Casserole" and "A Quality of Mercy" (both 1975) before earning exceptional reviews for her role of Joanne in "Vanities". She took her first Broadway curtain call in 1980's "Goodbye Fidel," which lasted only six performances. She then went directly into replacement mode when she joined the cast of the already-established and highly successful "Fifth of July" in 1981.

Kathy made a false start in films with Taking Off (1971), in which she was billed as "Bobo Bates". She didn't film again until Straight Time (1978), starring Dustin Hoffman, and that part was not substantial enough to cause a stir. Things turned hopeful, however, when Kathy and the rest of the female ensemble were given the chance to play their respective Broadway parts in the film version of Robert Altman's Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982). It was a juicy role for Kathy and film audiences finally started noticing the now 34-year-old.

Still and all, it was the New York stage that continued to earn Kathy awards and acclaim. She was pure textbook to any actor studying how to disappear into a role. Her characters ranged from free and life-affirming to downright pitiable. Despite winning a Tony Award nomination and Outer Critic's Circle Award for her stark, touchingly sad portrait of a suicidal daughter in 1983's "'night, Mother" and the Obie and Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for her powerhouse job as a romantic misfit in "Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune," Kathy had no box-office pull, however, and was never a strong consideration when the roles transferred to the screen. Her award-winning stage went to established film stars. First Sissy Spacek took over her potent role as the suicidal Jessie Cates in 'night, Mother (1986), then Michelle Pfeiffer seized the moment to play her dumpy lover character in Frankie and Johnny (1991). It would take Oscar glory to finally rectify the injustice.

It was Kathy's fanatical turn as the drab, chunky, porcine-looking psychopath Annie Wilkes, who kidnaps her favorite author (James Caan) and subjects him to a series of horrific tortures, that finally turned the tide for her in Hollywood. With the 1990 shocker Misery (1990), based on the popular Stephen King novel, Bates and Caan were box office magic. Moreover, Kathy captured the "Best Actress" Oscar and Golden Globe award, a first in that genre (horror) for that category. To add to her happiness she married Tony Campisi, also an actor, in 1991.

Quality film scripts now started coming her way and the 1990s proved to be a rich and rewarding time for her. First, she and another older "overnight" film star, fellow Oscar winner Jessica Tandy, starred together in the modern portion of the beautifully nuanced, flashback period piece Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). She then outdid herself as the detached and depressed housekeeper accused of murdering her abusive husband (David Strathairn) in Dolores Claiborne (1995). Surprisingly, she was left out of the Oscar race for these two excellent performances. Not so, however, for her flashy political advisor Libby Holden in the movie Primary Colors (1998), receiving praise and a "Best Supporting Actress" nomination.

Kathy has continued to work prolifically on TV as a 14-time Emmy winner or nominee thus far. She has also taken to directing a couple of TV-movies on the sly. As most actors, she has been in hit and miss TV shows. On the hit side, she has earned a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Jay Leno's manager playing tough politics in The Late Shift (1996) and played to the hilt the cruel-minded orphanage operator, Miss Hannigan, in Annie (1999) for which she also earned an Emmy nom. She has done some eye-catching, offbeat turns on regular series such as Six Feet Under (2001) (for which she also earned a DGA award for helming an episode), The Office (2005), Harry's Law (2011) and especially American Horror Story (2011) for which she won an Emmy as Ethel Darling. She also won an Emmy for a guest episode on the hit sitcom Two and a Half Men (2003).

Interesting millennium filming have included a Catholic school's Mother Superior in the comic drama Bruno (2000); Jesse James' mother in American Outlaws (2001); a quirky, liberal mom in About Schmidt (2002) for which she earned another "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar nomination; a brief but potent turn as Gertrude Stein in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (2011); Queen Victoria in the adventurous remake of Around the World in 80 Days (2004); wacky parent types in the comedies Failure to Launch (2006) and Relative Strangers (2006); Mother Claus in the seasonal farce Fred Claus (2007); an over-gushy foster mother in the dramedy The Great Gilly Hopkins (2015); and a wrenching performance as the mother of a suspected terrorist in Richard Jewell (2019) for which she earned her third "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar nomination.

Divorced from husband Campisi since 1997, Kathy has been the Executive Committee Chair of the Actors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors.
BornJune 28, 1948
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJune 28, 1948
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000166
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Won 1 Oscar

Before They Were Famous: Actors' Early Roles

Before They Were Famous: Actors' Early Roles

See photos of celebrities like Jenna Ortega and Noah Centineo before they hit the big-time, and revisit some of their earliest onscreen roles.
See the full gallery
[object Object]
Photos

Photos552

Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, David Warner, and Bernard Hill in Titanic (1997)
Kathy Bates and James Caan in Misery (1990)
Kathy Bates and James Caan in Misery (1990)
Kathy Bates in Straight Time (1978)
Kathy Bates in Straight Time (1978)
Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Gary Busey, and Jake Busey in Straight Time (1978)
Kathy Bates in Taking Off (1971)
Kathy Bates, Sam Rockwell, and Paul Walter Hauser in Richard Jewell (2019)
Kathy Bates in Kathy Bates (2019)
Kathy Bates and Conan O'Brien in Kathy Bates (2019)
Kathy Bates and Conan O'Brien in Kathy Bates (2019)
Kathy Bates in Kathy Bates (2019)

Known for

Misery (1990)
Misery
7.8
  • Annie Wilkes
  • 1990
Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kathy Bates in Dolores Claiborne (1995)
Dolores Claiborne
7.4
  • Dolores Claiborne
  • 1995
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Gloria Stuart, and Frances Fisher in Titanic (1997)
Titanic
7.9
  • Molly Brown
  • 1997
Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt (2002)
About Schmidt
7.2
  • Roberta Hertzel
  • 2002

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress

  • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
    • Post-production
  • A Family Affair
    • Post-production
  • The Miracle Club
    • Post-production
  • Thelma
    • Pre-production
  • The Smack
    • Pre-production
  • Jake McLaughlin in Home (2020)
    Home
  • Kathy Bates, Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, and Paul Walter Hauser in Richard Jewell (2019)
    Richard Jewell
  • Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson in The Highwaymen (2019)
    The Highwaymen
  • American Horror Story (2011)
    American Horror Story
    • ...
  • Mayim Bialik, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Jim Parsons, Melissa Rauch, and Kunal Nayyar in The Big Bang Theory (2007)
    The Big Bang Theory
  • Felicity Jones in On the Basis of Sex (2018)
    On the Basis of Sex
  • Kit Harington in The Death & Life of John F. Donovan (2018)
    The Death & Life of John F. Donovan
  • Moose (2018)
    Moose
  • Kathy Bates in Disjointed (2017)
    Disjointed
  • Rosario Dawson in Krystal (2017)
    Krystal
  • Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange in Feud (2017)
    Feud
  • Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa 2 (2016)
    Bad Santa 2
  • Melissa McCarthy in The Boss (2016)
    The Boss
  • Rachel Weisz in Complete Unknown (2016)
    Complete Unknown
  • Glenn Close, Kathy Bates, Octavia Spencer, Sophie Nélisse, and Zachary Hernandez in The Great Gilly Hopkins (2015)
    The Great Gilly Hopkins

Director

  • Have Mercy
  • Ambulance Girl (2005)
    Ambulance Girl
  • Edie Falco in Fargo (2003)
    Fargo
  • Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodríguez, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, and Mathew St. Patrick in Six Feet Under (2001)
    Six Feet Under
  • Treat Williams, Gregory Smith, and Emily VanCamp in Everwood (2002)
    Everwood
  • Judy Davis and Sam Shepard in Dash and Lilly (1999)
    Dash and Lilly
  • Oz (1997)
    Oz
  • Dennis Franz, Jimmy Smits, Sharon Lawrence, James McDaniel, Gordon Clapp, and Nicholas Turturro in NYPD Blue (1993)
    NYPD Blue
  • Homicide: Life on the Street (1993)
    Homicide: Life on the Street
  • Great Performances (1971)
    Great Performances

Producer

  • Kathy Bates in The Ingrate (2004)
    The Ingrate
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos171

Clip; First Class
Clip 1:02
Clip; First Class
Clip: "Cut Her Meat Too?"
Clip 0:57
Clip: "Cut Her Meat Too?"
Boychoir
Clip 1:22
Boychoir
American Horror Story: The Complete Fourth Season
Clip 1:25
American Horror Story: The Complete Fourth Season
American Horror Story: The Complete Fourth Season
Clip 1:30
American Horror Story: The Complete Fourth Season
Tammy
Clip 0:51
Tammy
Tammy
Clip 0:51
Tammy
Midnight In Paris
Clip 0:40
Midnight In Paris
Midnight In Paris
Clip 0:36
Midnight In Paris
The Blind Side
Clip 1:00
The Blind Side
The Blind Side
Clip 0:49
The Blind Side
The Blind Side
Clip 1:17
The Blind Side

Personal details

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    • Official Site
    • Twitter
    • June 28, 1948
    • Memphis, Tennessee, USA
    • Tony CampisiApril 1991 - 1997 (divorced)
    • (Grandparent)
  • Other works
    Play: "'night, Mother", by Marsha Norman. Dir. Tom Moore. John Golden Theatre.
  • Publicity listings
    • 4 Interviews
    • 7 Articles
    • 3 Pictorials
    • 7 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    She was the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress in a horror/thriller for her role as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990).
  • Quotes
    The Oscar changed everything. Better salary, working with better people, better projects, more exposure, less privacy.
    • Often portrays kind-hearted or cold-hearted characters

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