Kathy Bates
Acting
Born: June 28, 1948 (age 78) · Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Highest Rated
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).
Known for
Titanic
1997
The Big Bang Theory
2007
Midnight in Paris
2011
The Blind Side
2009
American Horror Story
2011
Bee Movie
2007
The Office
2005
Misery
1990
The Golden Compass
2007
Revolutionary Road
2008
The Day the Earth Stood Still
2008
Two and a Half Men
2003
Photos (7)
Movies (99)
Titanic
Molly Brown
The Blind Side
Miss Sue
Bee Movie
Janet Benson (voice)
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Regina Jackson
Misery
Annie Wilkes
The Golden Compass
Hester (voice)
Midnight in Paris
Gertrude Stein
Fried Green Tomatoes
Evelyn Couch
Around the World in 80 Days
Queen Victoria
Revolutionary Road
Mrs. Helen Givings
Charlotte's Web
Bitsy the Cow (voice)
Richard Jewell
Bobi Jewell
Failure to Launch
Sue
Boychoir
Headmistress
Rat Race
The Squirrel Lady (uncredited)
Valentine's Day
Susan
Dolores Claiborne
Dolores Claiborne
Dick Tracy
Mrs. Green
P.S. I Love You
Patricia
Fred Claus
Mother Claus
The Waterboy
Mama Boucher
The Highwaymen
Ma Ferguson
A Family Affair
Leila Ford
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Sylvia Simon
The Boss
Ida Marquette
Dragonfly
Mrs. Belmont
Rumor Has It...
Aunt Mitsy
About Schmidt
Roberta Hertzel
Bad Santa 2
Sunny Soke
A Civil Action
Bankruptcy Judge (uncredited)
On the Basis of Sex
Dorothy Kenyon
White Palace
Rosemary
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Maime Trotter
Diabolique
Det. Shirley Vogel
Straight Time
Selma Darin
American Outlaws
Ma James
Shadows and Fog
Prostitute
Primary Colors
Libby Holden
Complete Unknown
Nina
North
Alaskan Mom
Personal Effects
Gloria
Tammy
Lenore
You May Not Kiss the Bride
Bryan's Mother
A Little Bit of Heaven
Beverly Corbett
A Home of Our Own
Frances Lacey
The Death & Life of John F. Donovan
Barbara Haggermaker
Chéri
Madame Peloux
Arthur 2: On the Rocks
Mrs. Canby
Little Black Book
Kippie Kann
Summer Camp
Ginny Moon
The Great Lillian Hall
Edith Wilson
The Miracle Club
Eileen Dunne
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
Charlotte Cartwright
Annie
Miss Agatha Hannigan
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Marquesa
Prelude to a Kiss
Leah Blier
Relative Strangers
Agnes Menure
The Morning After
Woman on Mateo Street
Two of a Kind
Furniture Man's Wife
Unconditional Love
Grace Beasley
Warm Springs
Helena Mahoney
Home
Bernadette
Used People
Bibby Berman
At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Hazel Quarrier
Christmas Is Here Again
Miss Dowdy (voice)
Bonneville
Margene Cunningham
The Late Shift
Helen Kushnick
Men Don't Leave
Lisa Coleman
Murder Ordained
Bobbi Birk
My Best Friend Is a Vampire
Helen Blake
Taking Off
Audition Singer
Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun
Lunar Mom
Krystal
Vera
Love Liza
Mary Ann Bankhead
Guilty Hearts
The Judge
Swept from the Sea
Miss Swaffer
Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy
Siren / Sea Hag (voice)
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing
Narrator (voice)
The War at Home
Maurine Collier
Angus
Meg Bethune
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
Stella Mae
Signs of Life
Mary Beth Alder
Curse of the Starving Class
Ella Tate
Roe vs. Wade
Jessie
My Sister's Keeper
Christine Chapman
High Stakes
Jill
Summer Heat
Ruth
Bruno
Mother Superior
Tupperware!
Narrator
The West Side Waltz
Mr. Goo
Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood
Frances Marion (voice)
Johnny Bull
Katherine Kovacs
Ambulance Girl
Jane Stern
Talking With
Big Eight (segment "Rodeo")
No Place Like Home
Bonnie Cooper
Hostages
Peggy Say
The Effects of Magic
Raphaella, the Magic Bunny
Hansel and Gretel
Narrator (voice)
The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club
Pancho Barnes (Voice)
TV Shows (31)
American Dad!
D.O. Rothy (voice) · 1 eps
The Office
Jo Bennett · 8 eps
American Horror Story
Delphine LaLaurie · 13 eps
American Horror Story
Ethel Darling · 13 eps
American Horror Story
Iris · 12 eps
American Horror Story
Agnes Mary Winstead · 10 eps
American Horror Story
Miriam Mead / Delphine LaLaurie · 10 eps
King of the Hill
Patrol Officer Jane Cooper (voice) · 1 eps
Two and a Half Men
Charlie Harper · 1 eps
The Love Boat
Sally Allison · 1 eps
The Big Bang Theory
Mrs. Fowler · 3 eps
American Playhouse
Mary Beth Alder · 1 eps
L.A. Law
Charlotte Haley · 1 eps
Six Feet Under
Bettina · 11 eps
St. Elsewhere
Polly Miller · 2 eps
American Experience
Narrator (voice) · 1 eps
American Experience
Narrator · 1 eps
3rd Rock from the Sun
Charlotte Everly · 1 eps
Cagney & Lacey
1 eps
Matlock
Madeline 'Matty' Matlock · 35 eps
Mike & Molly
Kay · 1 eps
China Beach
1 eps
Harry's Law
Harriet 'Harry' Korn · 34 eps
The Stand
Rae Flowers (uncredited) · 1 eps
FEUD
Joan Blondell · 5 eps
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
Narrator (voice) · 1 eps
Disjointed
Ruth · 20 eps
Alice
Queen of Hearts · 2 eps
Murder Ordained
Bobbi Birk · 2 eps
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Christine Chapman · 1 eps
MADtv
Stuart's Grandma · 1 eps
Self / Appearances (36)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · 1 eps
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Guest · 1 eps
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self · 1 eps
The Daily Show
Self · 1 eps
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · 2 eps
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self · 1 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee / Presenter · 2 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self · 1 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee · 1 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Audience Member · 1 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Winner · 1 eps
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest · 1 eps
The View
Self · 2 eps
Great Performances
Self · 1 eps
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self · 1 eps
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · 1 eps
Chelsea Lately
Self (archive footage) · 1 eps
The Oscars
Self · 5 eps
Chelsea
Self · 1 eps
Lip Sync Battle
Self · 1 eps
Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · 1 eps
Celebrity Naked Ambition
Self (archive footage)
The Emmy Awards
Self · 1 eps
Stand Up to Cancer
Self · 1 eps
Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life
Self
Reflections on Titanic
Self
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
Self (archive footage)
Inside the Actors Studio
Self · 1 eps
Declaration of Independence
Self
Making Rat Race
Herself
Six Feet Under: In Memoriam
Herself
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
Self
Titanic: Stories from the Heart
Self (archive footage)
Moments of Discovery: The Making of Fried Green Tomatoes
Self
Titanic: Breaking New Ground
Self
Misery Loves Company
Self
