Highest Rated: 99% Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023)
Lowest Rated: 0% You May Not Kiss the Bride (2011)
Birthday: Jun 28, 1948
Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
To the general moviegoer, Kathy Bates seemed to materialize from nowhere, giving an Academy Award-winning performance as a psychotic literary fan-turned-kidnapper in the screen adaptation of Stephen King's "Misery" in 1990. Unbeknownst to those outside theater circles, Bates had already enjoyed an over 20-year career as a Tony Award-winning actress on Broadway. Even more impressive, she was over 40 when she first made a dent in Hollywood; a town with a poor track record for accepting anyone who is past society's idea of "a woman's prime" - never mind if she was also plus-sized. But this challenge gave the honest, unflinching actress opportunities to sink her teeth into eccentric character roles like her revered turn in "About Schmidt" (2002), as well as charismatic supporting roles in "Titanic" (1997) and "Primary Colors" (1998). Bates enjoyed a third career incarnation as a director, beginning with network police dramas, before earning acclaim both behind and in front of the camera on HBO's darkly comic "Six Feet Under" (HBO, 2001-05). Her work in films like the marital drama "Revolutionary Road" (2008), the crowd-pleasing "The Blind Side" (2009), bawdy comedy sequel"Bad Santa 2" (2016) and as one of the stars of Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story" (FX 2011- ) franchise kept the performer in high esteem with both critics and audiences. Still in her prime, Bates continued to break the Hollywood law of averages by letting her talent rather than her age define her as an actress.
Photos
Kathy Bates
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
35% | | A Family Affair | Leila Ford (Character) | - | 2024 |
8% | | Summer Camp | Ginny (Character) | $2.4M | 2024 |
87% | | The Great Lillian Hall | Edith Wilson (Character), Executive Producer | - | 2024 |
67% | | The Miracle Club | Eileen Dunne (Character) | $2.4M | 2023 |
99% | | Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. | Sylvia Simon (Character) | $20.3M | 2023 |
No Score Yet | | Titanic: 25th Anniversary | The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Character) | - | 2023 |
No Score Yet | | The Bridge of San Luis Rey Remastered | Doña Maria, la Marquesa de Montemayor (Character) | - | 2022 |
71% | | Home | Bernadette (Character) | - | 2020 |
77% | | Richard Jewell | Bobi Jewell (Character) | $22.3M | 2019 |
59% | | The Highwaymen | Governor Ma Ferguson (Character) | - | 2019 |
19% | | The Death and Life of John F. Donovan | Barbara Haggermaker (Character) | - | 2018 |
72% | | On the Basis of Sex | Dorothy Kenyon (Character) | $24.7M | 2018 |
13% | | Krystal | Vera (Character) | - | 2017 |
23% | | Bad Santa 2 | Sunny Soke (Character) | $17.7M | 2016 |
65% | | The Great Gilly Hopkins | Maime Trotter (Character) | - | 2016 |
52% | | Complete Unknown | Nina (Character) | $166.8K | 2016 |
22% | | The Boss | Ida Marquette (Character) | $63.0M | 2016 |
92% | | When Marnie Was There | Mrs. Kadoya (Voice) | $314.3K | 2014 |
46% | | Boychoir | Headmistress (Character) | - | 2014 |
24% | | Tammy | Lenore (Character) | $84.5M | 2014 |
0% | | You May Not Kiss the Bride | Bryan's Mother (Character) | - | 2011 |
4% | | A Little Bit of Heaven | Beverly Corbett (Character) | $10.0K | 2011 |
93% | | Midnight in Paris | Gert (Character) | $56.8M | 2011 |
18% | | Valentine's Day | Susan (Character) | $110.5M | 2010 |
66% | | The Blind Side | Miss Sue (Character) | $256.0M | 2009 |
51% | | Chéri | Charlotte Peloux (Character) | $2.7M | 2009 |
No Score Yet | | Personal Effects | Gloria (Character) | - | 2009 |
67% | | Revolutionary Road | Helen Givings (Character) | $22.9M | 2008 |
21% | | The Day the Earth Stood Still | Regina Jackson (Character) | $79.4M | 2008 |
53% | | Tyler Perry's the Family That Preys | Charlotte (Character) | $37.0M | 2008 |
No Score Yet | | Christmas Is Here Again | Miss Dowdy (Voice) | - | 2007 |
25% | | P.S. I Love You | Patricia (Character) | $53.7M | 2007 |
42% | | The Golden Compass | Hester (Voice) | $70.1M | 2007 |
21% | | Fred Claus | Mother Claus (Character) | $72.0M | 2007 |
50% | | Bee Movie | Janet Benson (Voice) | $126.6M | 2007 |
No Score Yet | | The Judge (Character) | - | 2006 | |
41% | | Bonneville | Margene (Character) | - | 2006 |
79% | | Charlotte's Web | Bitsy (Voice) | $82.5M | 2006 |
No Score Yet | | Relative Strangers | Agnes Menure (Character) | - | 2006 |
23% | | Failure to Launch | Sue (Character) | $88.7M | 2006 |
No Score Yet | | The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing | Unknown (Character) | - | 2006 |
No Score Yet | | Ambulance Girl | Jane Stern (Character), Director | - | 2005 |
No Score Yet | | Warm Springs | Helena Mahoney (Character) | - | 2005 |
21% | | Rumor Has It ... | Aunt Mitsy (Character) | $43.0M | 2005 |
4% | | The Bridge of San Luis Rey | The Marquesa (Character) | $42.9K | 2004 |
22% | | Little Black Book | Kippie Kann (Character) | $20.4M | 2004 |
32% | | Around the World in 80 Days | Queen Victoria (Character) | $24.0M | 2004 |
No Score Yet | | Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy | The Sea Hag (Voice) | - | 2004 |
14% | | Unconditional Love | Grace Beasley (Character) | - | 2002 |
54% | | Love Liza | Mary Ann Bankhead (Character) | $211.7K | 2002 |
85% | | About Schmidt | Roberta Hertzel (Character) | $65.0M | 2002 |
No Score Yet | | My Sister's Keeper | Christine Chapman (Character) | - | 2002 |
7% | | Dragonfly | Mrs. Belmont (Character) | $30.1M | 2002 |
13% | | American Outlaws | Ma James (Character) | $13.3M | 2001 |
45% | | Rat Race | Squirrel Lady (Character) | $56.6M | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood | Unknown (Character) | - | 2001 |
20% | | Bruno | Mother Superior (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet | | Dash and Lilly | Director | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet | | Annie | Miss Agatha Hannigan (Character) | - | 1999 |
34% | | The Waterboy | Helen 'Mama' Boucher (Character) | $161.5M | 1998 |
80% | | Primary Colors | Libby Holden (Character) | $39.0M | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Effects of Magic | Voice of Raphaella (Character) | - | 1998 |
28% | | Swept From the Sea | Miss Swaffer (Character) | $283.1K | 1997 |
88% | | Titanic | The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Character) | $658.8M | 1997 |
23% | | Diabolique | Shirley Voguel (Character) | $16.5M | 1996 |
No Score Yet | | The Late Shift | Helen Kushnick (Character) | - | 1996 |
60% | | The War at Home | Maurine Collier (Character) | $43.9K | 1996 |
67% | | Angus | Meg Bethune (Character) | $4.8M | 1995 |
No Score Yet | | Curse of the Starving Class | Ella Tate (Character) | - | 1995 |
85% | | Dolores Claiborne | Dolores Claiborne (Character) | $22.8M | 1995 |
No Score Yet | | The West Side Waltz | Mr. Goo (Character) | - | 1995 |
14% | | North | Alaskan Mom (Character) | $6.6M | 1994 |
No Score Yet | | Hostages | Peggy Say (Character) | - | 1993 |
55% | | A Home of Our Own | Frances Lacey (Character) | $1.5M | 1993 |
63% | | Prelude to a Kiss | Leah Blier (Character) | $19.3M | 1992 |
54% | | Shadows and Fog | Prostitute (Character) | $2.4M | 1992 |
44% | | Used People | Bibby Berman (Character) | $17.1M | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Road to Mecca | Elsa Barlow (Character) | - | 1992 |
57% | | At Play in the Fields of the Lord | Hazel Quarrier (Character) | $1.3M | 1991 |
76% | | Fried Green Tomatoes | Evelyn Couch (Character) | $81.2M | 1991 |
91% | | Misery | Annie Wilkes (Character) | $54.7M | 1990 |
50% | | White Palace | Rosemary (Character) | $16.9M | 1990 |
83% | | Men Don't Leave | Lisa Coleman (Character) | $5.8M | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | No Place Like Home | Bonnie Cooper (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet | | High Stakes | Jill (Character) | - | 1989 |
13% | | Arthur 2: On the Rocks | Mrs. Canby (Character) | $14.1M | 1988 |
No Score Yet | | Summer Heat | Ruth (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Murder Ordained | Bobbi Birk (Character) | - | 1987 |
63% | | The Morning After | Woman on Mateo Street (Character) | $22.4M | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Johnny Bull | Katherine Kovacs (Character) | - | 1986 |
86% | | Stella Mae (Character) | - | 1982 | |
83% | | Straight Time | Selma Darin (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hansel and Gretel: Full Story | Unknown (Character) | - |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
100% | 81% | Matlock | Madeline "Matty" Matlock (Character), Executive Producer | 2024 |
No Score Yet | 28% | The Drew Barrymore Show | Guest | 2024 |
No Score Yet | 49% | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Guest | 2017 2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Wendy Williams Show | Guest | 2019-2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2016 2018-2019 |
No Score Yet | 62% | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Guest | 2019 |
No Score Yet | 19% | The Late Late Show With James Corden | Guest | 2017 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Conan | Guest | 2017-2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dr. Phil | Guest | 2019 |
77% | 66% | American Horror Story | Iris (Character) | 2013-2016 2018 |
81% | 84% | The Big Bang Theory | Mrs. Fowler (Guest Star) | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lip Sync Battle | Contestant | 2018 |
19% | 87% | Disjointed | Ruth (Character) | 2017-2018 |
41% | 61% | Chelsea | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Dr. Oz Show | Guest | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tavis Smiley | Guest | 2015-2016 |
No Score Yet | 61% | Late Night With Seth Meyers | Guest | 2016 |
No Score Yet | 63% | Kay McKinnon (Guest Star) | 2014-2015 | |
No Score Yet | 90% | American Dad! | D.O. Rothy (Guest Voice) | 2015 |
No Score Yet | 100% | The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson | Guest | 2014 |
43% | 77% | Harry's Law | Harry Korn (Character) | 2011-2012 |
65% | 66% | Two and a Half Men | Charlie Harper (Guest Star) | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Late Night With Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Guest | 2011 |
81% | 89% | The Office | Jo Bennett (Guest Star) | 2010-2011 |
33% | No Score Yet | Alice | Unknown (Character) | 2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Bonnie Hunt Show | Guest | 2009 |
81% | 96% | Six Feet Under | Bettina (Guest Star), Director | 2001-2005 |
93% | No Score Yet | Everwood | Director | 2002 |
No Score Yet | 73% | King of the Hill | Patrol Officer Jane Cooper (Guest Voice) | 2001 |
No Score Yet | 71% | 3rd Rock From the Sun | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Inside the Actors Studio | Guest | 1999 |
93% | 95% | Oz | Director | 1998 |
83% | 95% | NYPD Blue | Director | 1997 |