Kathy Bates facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Kathy Bates
Bates at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Kathleen Doyle Bates (1948-06-28) June 28, 1948 (age 77) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Education	Southern Methodist University (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1969–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Tony Campisi (m. 1991; div. 1997)
Relatives	Finis L. Bates (grandfather)
Awards	Full list

Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is a famous American actress. She has been acting for over fifty years! Kathy Bates has won many important awards, including an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar), two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. She was also nominated for a Tony Award and two BAFTA Awards.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Kathy studied theater at Southern Methodist University. After college, she moved to New York City to start her acting career. She began with small roles on stage. Her first movie role was in Taking Off (1971). She became well-known on stage for plays like 'night, Mother (1983) and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1988).

Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her amazing role as Annie Wilkes in the thriller movie Misery (1990). She also earned Oscar nominations for her roles in Primary Colors (1998), About Schmidt (2002), and Richard Jewell (2019). Some of her other popular movies include Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1995), and Titanic (1997).

She is also very famous for her work on television. Kathy won her first Emmy Award for her guest role in Two and a Half Men (2012). She won another Emmy for playing Delphine LaLaurie in American Horror Story: Coven (2013). She has been nominated for many other Emmy Awards for shows like Six Feet Under (2003) and Harry's Law (2011–2012).

Early Life and Education
Acting Career Highlights
Personal Life
- Health and Advocacy
Activism
Awards and Achievements
See also

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 Talbert, was a homemaker. Her grandfather, Finis L. Bates, was a lawyer and author.

Kathy finished White Station High School early in 1965. She then graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1969. There, she studied theater and joined the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. In 1970, she moved to New York City to become an actress. She also studied at the William Esper Studio for performing arts in Manhattan.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out on Stage and Screen (1970s-1980s)

When Kathy Bates first moved to New York City, she took many different jobs while trying to find acting work. She even worked as a cashier at the Museum of Modern Art.

Her very first movie role was a small part in the comedy Taking Off in 1971. After that, she didn't appear in another movie until 1978. But she kept acting on stage. Her first Off-Broadway play was Vanities in 1976. She also starred in Crimes of the Heart (1979) and Fifth of July (1980).

In the 1980s, Kathy Bates became known as one of America's best stage actresses. In 1983, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the play 'night, Mother. She also won an Obie Award for her role in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune in 1988. Around this time, she started focusing more on movies and TV shows.

Becoming a Film Star (1990s-2000s)

Bates at the 1999 Emmy Awards

Kathy Bates became a huge star in Hollywood with her role in the 1990 horror film Misery. This movie was based on a book by Stephen King. Her performance as Annie Wilkes was highly praised by critics. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for this role. The American Film Institute even named Annie Wilkes one of the top villains in film history!

After Misery, she starred in the popular film Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). She was nominated for a BAFTA Award for this movie. In 1995, she played the main character in Dolores Claiborne, another movie based on a Stephen King book.

In 1995, Kathy Bates also started directing TV shows. She directed episodes of Great Performances and NYPD Blue. In 1996, she received her first Emmy Award nomination for her role in the TV movie The Late Shift. She also won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for this role.

Kathy Bates became even more famous in 1997 when she played Molly Brown in James Cameron's huge movie Titanic. This movie was about the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Titanic became the highest-grossing film of all time worldwide for many years.

She received her second Oscar nomination for her role in Primary Colors (1998). In 1999, she was nominated for an Emmy for her guest role in 3rd Rock from the Sun. She also got an Emmy nomination for directing the movie Dash and Lilly. In 2000, she was nominated for another Emmy for playing Miss Hannigan in Disney's Annie (1999).

Bates at the 2006 Giffoni Film Festival

In 2002, she received her third Oscar nomination for her role in About Schmidt, starring opposite Jack Nicholson. Throughout the 2000s, Kathy Bates continued to act in many movies. She often played supporting roles in films like The Blind Side (2009). In 2006, she directed her first feature film, Have Mercy. In 2008, she worked again with her Titanic co-stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, in Revolutionary Road.

During this time, she also appeared often on television. She was in ten episodes of the HBO drama series Six Feet Under. She also directed several episodes of that show. Kathy Bates received another Emmy nomination for her role in the film Ambulance Girl (2006), which she also directed.

Recent Roles and Continued Success (2010-Present)

In 2010, Kathy Bates was in the romantic comedy Valentine's Day. From 2010 to 2011, she had a recurring role on the TV show The Office. Her first main role in a TV series was in Harry's Law (2011–2012). In 2011, she played the famous art collector Gertrude Stein in Woody Allen's movie Midnight in Paris.

In 2012, Kathy Bates made a guest appearance on Two and a Half Men. This role earned her first Emmy Award!

Bates at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2013, she joined the TV series American Horror Story for its third season, Coven. She played Delphine LaLaurie, an old New Orleans socialite. For this role, she won her second Emmy Award. Kathy Bates has said that the creator of the series, Ryan Murphy, helped "resurrect" her career.

She returned for more seasons of American Horror Story, playing different characters in Freak Show (2014), Hotel (2015), and Roanoke (2016). She received more Emmy nominations for these roles.

On September 20, 2016, Kathy Bates received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for her work in movies. Her star is located at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard.

In 2019, Kathy Bates played an American politician in the Netflix movie The Highwaymen. She also starred in the movie Richard Jewell, playing the mother of the main character. For this performance, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and her fourth Academy Award.

In 2023, she appeared in the film Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., based on a popular book by Judy Blume. It was reported in 2024 that Kathy Bates would star in a new CBS TV series called Matlock. She later said she has no plans to stop acting.

Personal Life

Kathy Bates was married to Tony Campisi from 1991 to 1997. They had dated for 14 years before getting married. She is a member of the United Methodist Church.

Health and Advocacy

In 2003, Kathy Bates was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She announced in 2009 that she had been cancer-free for over five years. In 2012, she shared that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery.

In 2014, Kathy Bates announced that she has lymphedema in both arms. This condition can happen after certain surgeries, like the one she had. Since then, she has become a national spokesperson for lymphedema awareness. She is also the chairperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network's (LE&RN) honorary board.

In 2018, Kathy Bates led a special day on Capitol Hill to ask for more research funding for lymphedema. She also spoke at a walk to fight lymphedema at the Lincoln Memorial. She received an award for her work in raising awareness about this condition.

Between 2017 and 2024, Kathy Bates lost a lot of weight. She said this gave her more energy for her acting roles, like in Matlock.

Activism

In June 2016, Kathy Bates was part of a video tribute to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. In the video, she and others shared the stories of the people who were lost.

Awards and Achievements

Kathy Bates is one of the few actors to be nominated for a Tony Award, four Academy Awards, and 14 Emmy Awards. She has won an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.