Kathy Bates

7.3	Listal rating

Stats

Birth Name: Kathleen Doyle Bates

Age: 64, born 28 June 1948

Country of origin: United States

Height: 5' 3"

Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Lists

125 votes

Greatest Movie Villains (92 items)
list by Adriano Lopes

Published 3 years, 7 months ago

18 comments

101 votes

For the ♥ of "Bad" (81 items)
list by ♥ CHANi

Published 3 years, 10 months ago

20 comments

95 votes

I won an Oscar... (147 items)
list by propelas

Published 2 months, 3 weeks ago

13 comments

86 votes

My favorite mad ones (22 items)
list by Dan

Published 2 years, 4 months ago

10 comments

84 votes

Best perfomances in cinema (89 items)
list by propelas

Published 2 years, 5 months ago

13 comments

View all Kathy Bates lists (55 more)

Photos

2 votes

1 vote

View all Kathy Bates pictures (45 more)

About: Kathleen Doyle Bates was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, the youngest of three daughters born to Langdon Doyle Bates, a mechanical engineer, and his homemaker wife Bertye Talbot. Kathy's great-great Irish grandfather, who emigrated to New Orleans, once served as President Andrew Jackson's doctor. She 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 Kathleen Doyle Bates was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, the youngest of three daughters born to Langdon Doyle Bates, a mechanical engineer, and his homemaker wife Bertye Talbot. Kathy's great-great Irish grandfather, who emigrated to New Orleans, once served as President Andrew Jackson's doctor. She 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. She scored a tour-de-farce 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 when the successful show relocated to New York's off-Broadway Playhouse Theatre without Kathy. Walken wound up winning a Drama Desk award.

By the mid-to-late 1970s Kathy was trotting 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 Five and 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 and was hardly a strong consideration when the roles finally went to film.

Kathy Bates was forever losing out when her award-winning stage characters transferred to the screen. First Sissy Spacek took on 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 her 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 pure 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) and her quirky, liberal mom in About Schmidt (2002), receiving "Best Supporting Actress" nominations for both

Kathy has also done prolific work on TV as a seven-time Emmy nominee, and has taken to directing a couple of TV-movies on the sly. She was nominated for a DGA award after helming an episode of "Six Feet Under", in which she also had a recurring role. While some of her more recent movie parts have been generally unworthy of her talents, she has more than made up for it in TV-movies playing everything from cruel-minded caricatures (Little Orphan Annie's Miss Hannigan) to common, decent, every day folk.

Divorced from her husband 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. ... (more)

Actress (5), American (5), Oscar Winner (4), Brunette (4), Drama (3), Female (3), Straight (2), Born 1948 (2), Most Respected (2), Golden Globe Winner (2), Comedy (1), The Office (1), Fat (1), Chubby (1), Cool (1), Hefty (1), T.v. (1), Movies (1), Talented (1), Comedies (1)

Movies

1. Titanic (1997)

Rating:

7505 Watched

2. P.S. I Love You (2007)

Rating:

6.9

1531 Watched

3. The Golden Compass (2007)

Rating:

5.8

1482 Watched

4. Midnight in Paris (2011)

Rating:

7.6

1245 Watched

5. Misery (1990)

Rating:

7.5

1347 Watched

View all Kathy Bates movies (61 more)

TV

1. The Office (US) (2005)

Rating:

7.5

1871 Watched

2. Six Feet Under (2001)

Rating:

7.6

1141 Watched

3. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992)

Rating:

5.5

293 Watched

4. Entertainment Tonight (1981)

Rating:

5.1

182 Watched

5. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005)

Rating:

7.5

157 Watched

View all Kathy Bates TV (31 more)

TV directed by

1. Six Feet Under (2001)

Rating:

7.6

1141 Watched

2. NYPD Blue (1993)

Rating:

6.5

152 Watched

3. Dash and Lilly (1999)

2 want to see

4. Ambulance Girl (2005)

Rating:

1 Watched

View all Kathy Bates TV

Updates feed

Onion Jack added this to a list 6 days, 10 hours ago

She Who Would Be Queen (200 person items)

" 28 June 1948 Around the World in 80 Days (2004) "

Fortunato added this to a list 1 week, 2 days ago

Hollywood's Most Distinctive Voices (100 person items)

miranda Franco added this to a list 1 week, 2 days ago

Stars I met (63 person items)

Holy Godiva posted a image 1 week, 3 days ago

Rod_Serling added this to a list 1 week, 6 days ago

Psychos (9 person items)

"Annie Wilkes (Misery) You're not a number one fan until you keep your favorite author hostage, force him to write a book, and break both of his angles with a jack hammer. "

madi90 added this to a list 1 week, 6 days ago

Academy Award for Best Actress In A Leading Role (71 person items)

" 1991 - Misery "

Zane added this to a list 3 weeks, 4 days ago

Slightly Crazy, Somewhat Deadly (Females) (26 person items)

" Role: Misery (Annie Wilkes) Iconic Weapon: A giant hammer Info: My favorite psycho-bitch. Her character kept James Caan locked in a room for her own personal desire. Nothing beats her spine tingling 'You Dirty Birdy' quote."

Rod_Serling added this to a list 1 month ago

Good vs Evil (31 person items)

"Good in: Titanic- Margaret "Molly" Brown (A rich woman who helps Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio0 in attending a wealthy party to find the love of his life) *couldn't find a picture* Evil in: Misery- Annie Wilkes (a psycho woman who keeps her favorite author hostage, forcing him to write another book in her favor and broke both his ankles when he tried to escape

170890 voted for an image 1 month, 1 week ago

arnott added this to a list 1 month, 2 weeks ago

100 Greatest Female Performances by Digitaldreamdo (61 person items)

"#4 Annie Wilkes - Misery (1990) #41 Evelyn Couch - Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) #45 Dolores Claiborne - Dolores Claiborne (1995)"

dannyjai added this to a list 1 month, 3 weeks ago

Actresses over 60 who I like (20 person items)

"Fav Movies Misery Titanic About Schmidt Fried Green Tomatoes "

Miki58 added this to a list 2 months ago

Favorite actresses (87 person items)

propelas added this to a list 2 months, 3 weeks ago

I won an Oscar... (147 person items)

"for the movie "Misery" "

arnott added this to a list 2 months, 4 weeks ago

100 Greatest Movie Actresses by Digitaldreamdoor (100 person items)

milica added this to a list 3 months, 3 weeks ago

Female Actors Piñata (133 person items)

" Annie Wilkes, Misery "

alex316 added this to a list 4 months ago

Top 30 Movie Villians (30 person items)

"Annie Wilkes "

milica added this to a list 6 months ago

My Favorite Actresses (50 person items)

Moon River added this to a list 7 months, 2 weeks ago

"I've just won an Oscar!" (118 person items)

"Misery "

SFG¿mystic added this to a list 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Good Guys Gone Bad (45 person items)

"Annie Wilkes - Misery (1990) "

nusch added this to a list 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Celebrities' favourite books (57 person items)

" Beyond the Paw Paw Trees: The Story of Anna Laviniaby Palmer Brown "

DORA added this to a list 8 months, 3 weeks ago

same faces (34 person items)

"William Howard Taft & Kathy Bates "

SwtChaos added this to a list 9 months ago

Actors/Actresses who are in their 60's (42 person items)

"Born: June 28, 1948 (Age: 64)"

Mad Bess Flint added this to a list 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Gods and Goddesses of the Big Screen (21 person items)

vulpeszerda added this to a list 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Best actors/actresses (84 person items)

Nattkrypet added this to a list 11 months, 2 weeks ago

Actresses who Can Save Even Shit (256 person items)

" Has delivered some powerful performances in forgettable movies but her "Dolores Claiborne" would never have been the same movie without her. Easily the most gripping and more complex role that she has ever done. "

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