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. Kathy Bates has won many important awards. These include an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. She was also nominated for a Tony Award and two BAFTA Awards.
Kathy Bates was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She studied theater at Southern Methodist University. After college, she moved to New York City to become an actress. She started with small roles on stage. Her first movie role was in Taking Off (1971). She became well-known for her stage work. She was nominated for a Tony Award for the play 'night, Mother (1983). She also won an Obie Award for her role in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1988).
Kathy Bates won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Annie Wilkes in the movie Misery (1990). She also received 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), Titanic (1997), and The Blind Side (2009). More recently, she appeared in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023).
On television, Kathy Bates won Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in Two and a Half Men (2012) and American Horror Story: Coven (2013). She has been nominated for many other Emmy Awards. Since 2024, she has starred as the main character in the CBS series Matlock.
Beyond acting, Kathy Bates is known for helping others. She faced health challenges like a double mastectomy and lymphedema. Now, she works as a spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN). She helps raise awareness about these health issues.
Meet Kathy Bates!
Early Life and Dreams
Kathy Bates was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on June 28, 1948. She was the youngest of three daughters. Her father, Langdon Doyle Bates, was an engineer. Her mother, Bertye Kathleen, was a homemaker. Kathy's family has an interesting history. Her great-great-grandfather was a doctor for President Andrew Jackson.
Kathy finished White Station High School early in 1965. She then went to Southern Methodist University. There, she studied theater and joined a sorority called Alpha Delta Pi. In 1970, she moved to New York City. Her dream was to become an actress. She also studied acting at the William Esper Studio in Manhattan.
Starting Her Acting Journey
Stage Successes
When Kathy first moved to New York, she took many small jobs. She also performed in minor stage plays. She even worked as a cashier at the Museum of Modern Art. It was hard to find acting roles at first. Some casting agents told her she wasn't "pretty enough" for certain parts. But Kathy knew she was a talented character actress.
She kept working in theater throughout the 1970s. Her first Off-Broadway play was Vanities in 1976. She also starred in Crimes of the Heart in 1979. In the early 1980s, she became known as one of America's best stage actresses. In 1983, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in 'night, Mother. She won an Obie Award in 1988 for Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.
First Steps in Film and TV
Kathy's first movie role was a small part in Taking Off (1970). She later appeared with Dustin Hoffman in Straight Time (1978). She also started acting on television. She had roles in popular shows like The Love Boat, Cagney & Lacey, and St. Elsewhere. She also appeared in several soap operas.
Becoming a Star
Winning an Oscar for Misery
Kathy Bates became a big Hollywood star in 1990. This was after her role in the movie Misery. The film was based on a book by Stephen King. Her performance as Annie Wilkes was highly praised. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for this role. The American Film Institute even named Annie Wilkes one of the most iconic villains in film history.
Memorable Roles in Movies
After Misery, Kathy starred in many other successful films. She was in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), which earned her a BAFTA Award nomination. She also played the main character in another Stephen King adaptation, Dolores Claiborne (1995).
In 1997, she gained even wider fame as Molly Brown in James Cameron's epic movie Titanic. She received another Oscar nomination for her role as a sharp political advisor in Primary Colors (1998). That same year, she played Adam Sandler's mother in The Waterboy. She also appeared in Revolutionary Road (2008) and The Blind Side (2009).
Shining on Television
Kathy also started directing television shows in 1995. She directed episodes of Great Performances and NYPD Blue. She received her first Emmy Award nomination for her role in HBO's The Late Shift (1996). She won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for this performance. She was also nominated for an Emmy for her role as Miss Hannigan in Disney's Annie (1999).
Recent Roles and Continued Success
In the 2000s, Kathy Bates continued to work steadily in Hollywood. She often played important supporting roles. These included films like Rumor Has It... (2005) and P.S. I Love You (2007). She also directed her first feature film, Have Mercy (2006).
On television, she starred in ten episodes of the HBO series Six Feet Under. She received an Emmy nomination for this role in 2003. She also directed several episodes of the series. In 2010, she had a recurring role on The Office. Her first main role in a TV series was in Harry's Law (2011–2012).
In 2011, she played Gertrude Stein in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. In 2012, she won her first Emmy Award for a guest appearance on Two and a Half Men. She played the ghost of Charlie Harper.
In 2013, Kathy joined the American Horror Story series. She played an immortal socialite named Delphine LaLaurie in Coven. For this role, she won her second Emmy Award. She returned for other seasons, including Freak Show and Hotel. She received more Emmy nominations for these roles.
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On September 20, 2016, Kathy Bates received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star is located at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard. In 2017, she starred in the Netflix series Disjointed.
In 2019, Kathy played a politician named Miriam A. Ferguson in the Netflix film The Highwaymen. She also starred in Richard Jewell, playing the mother of a person involved in a big news story. She received a Golden Globe Award nomination and her fourth Academy Award nomination for this role.
In 2023, she appeared in the film Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.. Since 2024, she has portrayed the main character, Madeline Matlock, in the CBS TV series Matlock. In September 2024, the New York Times reported that Bates was considering retirement. However, she later said she had no plans to quit acting. In October 2024, CBS announced that Matlock was renewed for a second season. In February 2025, Bates won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Matlock.
Kathy's Life Off-Screen
Health and Helping Others
As a teenager, Kathy Bates faced personal challenges. She was married to Tony Campisi from 1991 to 1997. They had dated for 14 years before getting married.
In 2003, Kathy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. By 2009, she was in remission. In 2012, she shared that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a double mastectomy. In 2014, she announced that she developed lymphedema in both arms due to the surgery.
After these experiences, Kathy became a strong advocate for health awareness. She was named a spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN). She also became the chairperson for LE&RN's honorary board. She uses her voice to help others understand lymphatic diseases.
Kathy's Advocacy Work
In 2021, Kathy Bates took part in LE&RN’s National Lymphedema Awareness Campaign. This campaign was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She shared her personal story to highlight the risks of lymphedema for cancer patients.
In April 2019, Kathy testified to the United States Congress. She led advocates in a special day on Capitol Hill. They asked Congress for more research funding for lymphatic diseases. She asked for a National Commission on Lymphatic Disease Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She also wanted to expand research at the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2018, she spoke at the first-ever DC/VA Walk to Fight Lymphedema & Lymphatic Diseases. She received the 2018 WebMD Health Heroes "Game Changer" Award for her work.
Between 2017 and 2024, Kathy lost about 100 pounds. She said this weight loss gave her more energy for her leading role in Matlock.
Kathy has given many speeches about lymphedema. She spoke at the Gordon Research Conference in Lymphatics in 2016. In 2017, she received an award for raising awareness of lymphedema and lymphatic diseases. She also spoke at Harvard Medical School in 2018. In 2024, Kathy appeared on the MeSsy Podcast. She talked about her breast cancer diagnosis and managing lymphedema. She also discussed her advocacy work. On March 6, 2025, Kathy Bates helped celebrate World Lymphedema Day. She appeared in a video campaign for LE&RN.
Awards and Achievements
Kathy Bates is a very accomplished actress. She has been nominated for the Triple Crown of Acting. This means she has been 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.
See also
In Spanish: Kathy Bates para niños
- List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
- List of female film directors
