Kathy Bates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathy Bates
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Bates at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
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Kathleen Doyle Bates
June 28, 1948 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Education | Southern Methodist University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1969–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Tony Campisi
(m. 1991; div. 1997) |
| Relatives | Finis L. Bates (grandfather) |
| Awards | Full list |
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Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is a famous American actress. She has been acting for over 50 years and has won many awards. These include an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.
Bates was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She studied theater in college and then moved to New York City to become an actress. She started with small roles in plays. Her first movie role was in Taking Off in 1971.
She became famous for her role as the scary fan Annie Wilkes in the thriller movie Misery (1990). This performance won her an Academy Award for Best Actress. She has also been nominated for Academy Awards for her roles in Primary Colors (1998), About Schmidt (2002), and Richard Jewell (2019).
You might also know her from movies like Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Titanic (1997), The Waterboy (1998), and The Blind Side (2009).
On television, Bates won Emmy Awards for her roles in Two and a Half Men and American Horror Story: Coven. Since 2024, she has starred in the TV series Matlock.
Besides acting, Bates is a strong supporter of health causes. After facing her own health challenges, she became a spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) to help others.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kathy Bates was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She was the youngest of three daughters. Her father, Langdon Doyle Bates, was a mechanical engineer, and her mother, Bertye Kathleen, was a homemaker. Her grandfather, Finis L. Bates, was a lawyer and author.
She graduated from White Station High School in 1965. She then went to Southern Methodist University, where she studied theater. After graduating in 1969, she moved to New York City in 1970 to start her acting career.
Career Journey
Starting on Stage
When Bates first moved to New York, it was hard to find acting jobs. She worked as a cashier at the Museum of Modern Art to support herself. She was told by some people in the movie business that she wasn't "pretty enough" to be a star. But Bates didn't give up and focused on becoming a great character actor, playing interesting and unique roles.
She got her first movie part in 1971 in Taking Off. She continued to work in theater and had her first big success on stage in a play called Vanities in 1976. Throughout the 1980s, she became known as one of America's best stage actresses. In 1983, she was nominated for a Tony Award, a major theater award, for the play 'night, Mother.
Breakthrough in Hollywood
Bates's big break in movies came in 1990 with the horror film Misery. She played Annie Wilkes, a fan who becomes dangerously obsessed with an author. Her performance was a huge hit with critics and audiences. For this role, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. The character of Annie Wilkes is now considered one of the greatest villains in movie history.
After Misery, Bates starred in many other successful films.
- Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), a popular drama.
- Dolores Claiborne (1995), another movie based on a Stephen King book.
- Titanic (1997), where she played the famous real-life passenger Molly Brown.
- Primary Colors (1998), where she played a tough political advisor, earning her another Oscar nomination.
- The Waterboy (1998), a comedy where she played Adam Sandler's protective mother.
During this time, Bates also started directing television shows, like episodes of NYPD Blue.
Success in the 2000s
In 2002, Bates received her third Academy Award nomination for the movie About Schmidt. She played a free-spirited woman alongside actor Jack Nicholson. One scene in the movie, where she appeared in a hot tub, got a lot of attention. Bates said she was happy that audiences, especially women, cheered for her for being brave on screen.
She continued to appear in popular movies like The Blind Side (2009) and Revolutionary Road (2008), where she acted with her Titanic co-stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
She also had great success on TV. She appeared in the series Six Feet Under, which earned her an Emmy nomination.
Recent Roles and TV Stardom
From 2011 to 2012, Bates starred in her own TV show, a legal drama called Harry's Law. In 2012, she won her first Emmy Award for a guest appearance on the comedy show Two and a Half Men.
In 2013, she joined the popular TV series American Horror Story. She played several different characters over many seasons.
- Coven (Season 3): She played Delphine LaLaurie, a real historical figure from New Orleans. This role won her a second Emmy Award.
- Freak Show (Season 4): She played Ethel Darling, a bearded lady in a circus.
- Hotel (Season 5): She played Iris, the manager of a spooky hotel.
- Roanoke (Season 6): She played two different characters in the same season.
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In 2019, she starred in the movie Richard Jewell, playing the mother of a man wrongly accused of a crime. Her powerful performance earned her a fourth Academy Award nomination.
In 2024, Bates began starring as the main character in the CBS series Matlock. The show was so popular that it was renewed for a second season after only two episodes. For her role, she won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series in February 2025.
Personal Life and Health
Bates was married to Tony Campisi from 1991 to 1997.
She has faced serious health issues with great courage. In 2003, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and recovered. In 2012, she learned she had breast cancer and had surgery.
After her surgery, she developed a condition called lymphedema, which causes swelling in the arms. Because of her experience, she became a national spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN). She works to raise awareness and money for research into lymphatic diseases. She has spoken to the United States Congress to ask for more support for people with this condition.
Activism and Advocacy
In 2016, Bates took part in a video tribute to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting, sharing the stories of those who were lost.
Her main advocacy work is for lymphedema awareness. She uses her fame to educate the public and government leaders about the disease. She has given speeches at major medical conferences and events, including at Harvard Medical School. Her goal is to make lymphedema a treatable disease and to support patients who have it.
Acting Credits and Awards
Kathy Bates is a highly respected actress. She has been nominated for major awards in theater, film, and television.
- 1 Academy Award win (with 4 nominations)
- 2 Primetime Emmy Award wins (with 14 nominations)
- 2 Golden Globe Award wins
- 2 Screen Actors Guild Award wins
See also
In Spanish: Kathy Bates para niños
- List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
- List of breast cancer patients by survival status
- List of female film directors
- List of women with ovarian cancer
