Kathy Bates

Born: 1948-06-28 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Known For: Acting

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).

Filmography

2024

Matlock as Madeline 'Matty' Matlock
Summer Camp as Ginny Moon
A Family Affair as Leila Ford
The Great Lillian Hall as Edith Wilson

2023

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. as Sylvia Simon
The Miracle Club as Eileen Dunne
Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
Titanic: Stories from the Heart as Self / Molly Brown (archive footage)

2022

The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self

2021

Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony as Self (archive footage)
Home as Bernadette

2019

The Highwaymen as Ma Ferguson
The Death & Life of John F. Donovan as Barbara Haggermaker
Richard Jewell as Bobi Jewell

2018

Krystal as Vera
On the Basis of Sex as Dorothy Kenyon

2017

FEUD as Joan Blondell
Disjointed as Ruth

2016

Chelsea as Self
The Boss as Ida Marquette
Complete Unknown as Nina
Bad Santa 2 as Sunny Soke

2011

American Horror Story as Delphine LaLaurie
Midnight in Paris as Gertrude Stein
Harry's Law as Harriet 'Harry' Korn
A Little Bit of Heaven as Beverly Corbett
You May Not Kiss the Bride as Bryan's Mother

2010

Mike & Molly as Kay
Valentine's Day as Susan Milton

2009

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
The Blind Side as Miss Sue
Chéri as Madame Peloux
Personal Effects as Gloria
Alice as Queen of Hearts
The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club as Pancho Barnes (Voice)

2008

Revolutionary Road as Mrs. Helen Givings
The Day the Earth Stood Still as Regina Jackson
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys as Charlotte Cartwright
Stand Up to Cancer as Self

2007

The Big Bang Theory as Mrs. Fowler
Bee Movie as Janet Benson (voice)
Fred Claus as Mother Claus
The Golden Compass as Hester (voice)
Chelsea Lately as Self (archive footage)
Guilty Hearts as The Judge
Christmas Is Here Again as Miss Dowdy (voice)
P.S. I Love You as Patricia

2006

Charlotte's Web as Bitsy the Cow (voice)
Failure to Launch as Sue
Bonneville as Margene Cunningham
Relative Strangers as Agnes Menure

2005

The Office as Jo Bennett
American Dad! as D.O. Rothy (voice)
Rumor Has It... as Aunt Mitsy (uncredited)
Ambulance Girl as Jane Stern
Warm Springs as Helena Mahoney
Six Feet Under: In Memoriam as Herself
Hansel and Gretel as Narrator (voice)

2004

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing as Narrator (voice)
Around the World in 80 Days as Queen Victoria
Little Black Book as Kippie Kann
Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy as Siren / Sea Hag (voice)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey as The Marquesa

2003

Two and a Half Men as Charlie Harper
Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
Fargo ... (Director)
Misery Loves Company as Self
Declaration of Independence as Self

2002

Everwood ... (Director)
Dragonfly as Mrs. Belmont
Unconditional Love as Grace Beasley
Love Liza as Mary Ann Bankhead
About Schmidt as Roberta Hertzel
Making Rat Race as Herself
My Sister's Keeper as Christine Chapman

2001

Six Feet Under as Bettina
Rat Race as The Squirrel Lady (uncredited)
American Outlaws as Ma James

2000

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

1999

Annie as Miss Agatha Hannigan
Baby Steps as Mrs. Mellon
Dash and Lilly ... (Director)

1998

The Waterboy as Mama Boucher
Primary Colors as Libby Holden
A Civil Action as Bankruptcy Judge (uncredited)
Swept from the Sea as Miss Swaffer
Moments of Discovery: The Making of Fried Green Tomatoes as Self
Titanic: Breaking New Ground as Self
The Effects of Magic as Raphaella, the Magic Bunny

1997

Titanic as Molly Brown
King of the Hill as Patrol Officer Jane Cooper (voice)
The View as Self
Oz ... (Director)
Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life as Self

1996

The Daily Show as Self
3rd Rock from the Sun as Charlotte Everly
Diabolique as Det. Shirley Vogel
The War at Home as Maurine Collier
The Late Shift as Helen Kushnick
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful as Self

1995

Angus as Meg Bethune
Talking With as Big Eight (segment "Rodeo")
Dolores Claiborne as Dolores Claiborne
MADtv as Stuart's Grandma
The West Side Waltz as Mr. Goo

1994

North as Alaskan Mom
The Stand as Rae Flowers (uncredited)
Curse of the Starving Class as Ella Tate
Tupperware! as Narrator
Inside the Actors Studio as Self

1993

NYPD Blue ... (Director)
Homicide: Life on the Street ... (Director)
A Home of Our Own as Frances Lacey
Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun as Lunar Mom

1992

Used People as Bibby Berman
Prelude to a Kiss as Leah Blier
Hostages as Peggy Say
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories as Narrator (voice)

1991

Shadows and Fog as Prostitute
At Play in the Fields of the Lord as Hazel Quarrier
Fried Green Tomatoes as Evelyn Couch
The Road to Mecca as Elsa Barlow

1990

White Palace as Rosemary
Misery as Annie Wilkes
Dick Tracy as Mrs. Green
Men Don't Leave as Lisa Coleman

1989

High Stakes as Jill
No Place Like Home as Bonnie Cooper
Signs of Life as Mary Beth Alder
Roe vs. Wade as Jessie

1988

American Experience as Narrator (voice)
China Beach
Arthur 2: On the Rocks as Mrs. Canby

1987

Summer Heat as Ruth
Murder Ordained as Bobbi Birk
My Best Friend Is a Vampire as Helen Blake
Murder Ordained as Bobbi Birk

1986

L.A. Law as Charlotte Haley
The Morning After as Woman on Mateo Street
Johnny Bull as Katherine Kovacs

1983

Two of a Kind as Furniture Man's Wife

1982

St. Elsewhere as Polly Miller
Cagney & Lacey
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean as Stella Mae

1978

Straight Time as Selma Darin

1977

The Love Boat as Sally Allison

1971

Great Performances as Self
Taking Off as Audition Singer

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self

1953

The Oscars as Self

1951

Hallmark Hall of Fame as Christine Chapman

1949

The Emmy Awards as Self

1944

Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee / Presenter