Mary Kay Place facts for kids

Mary Kay Place (born September 23, 1947) is an American actress, singer, and director. She is famous for playing Loretta Haggers in the TV show Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a role that won her an Emmy Award in 1977. Mary Kay Place has also appeared in many movies like Private Benjamin (1980), The Big Chill (1983), and The Rainmaker (1997). She also recorded three music albums and had a Top Ten country song called "Baby Boy." For her acting in the movie Diane (2018), she won important awards like the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress.

Early Life and Education

Mary Kay Place was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her parents were Gwendolyn Lucille and Bradley Eugene Place. She went to Nathan Hale High School. Later, she studied at the University of Tulsa, where her father was an art professor. She earned a degree in speech.

Starting Her Career in Hollywood

Mary Kay Place moved to Hollywood hoping to become an actress and a writer. In the 1970s, she started working as a production assistant for TV stars like Tim Conway and producer Norman Lear. Tim Conway gave her first chance to act on camera. Norman Lear helped her get her first writing credit for the show All in the Family. She also wrote for and appeared in an episode of M*A*S*H.

Becoming Loretta Haggers and a Music Star

Norman Lear then cast Mary Kay Place in the role of Loretta Haggers. Loretta was a character who wanted to be a country music star on the TV show Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976–1977). Mary Kay won an Emmy Award for playing Loretta. She was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1977 for her music album, Tonite! At the Capri Lounge Loretta Haggers. She wrote two songs on this album, "Vitamin L" and "Baby Boy," which she sang on the TV show.

Her albums featured famous country singers like Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Willie Nelson. Her duet with Willie Nelson, "Something to Brag About," became a hit song in 1977. While working on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Mary Kay also wrote scripts for other TV shows. These included The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Phyllis, and M*A*S*H. She often worked with Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, who later created Designing Women. In 1977, Mary Kay Place even hosted Saturday Night Live and performed as a musical guest with Willie Nelson.

Movies and TV Shows in the 1970s and 1990s

Mary Kay Place appeared in the 1977 musical movie New York, New York, directed by Martin Scorsese. She sang "Blue Moon" with Robert De Niro in the film. In 1979, she was in the romantic comedy Starting Over with Burt Reynolds.

In 1983, she had a main role as Meg in the movie The Big Chill. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, she acted in many TV movies. She also starred in the 1992 comedy Captain Ron with Kurt Russell and Martin Short. In 1994, she joined the TV show My So-Called Life as Camille Cherski. She also had a strong role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1997 movie The Rainmaker, playing a mother whose son is very ill.

Mary Kay Place was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her work in the 1996 film Manny & Lo, where she acted alongside Scarlett Johansson. She also directed episodes for TV shows like Dream On, Friends, and Baby Boom. She also lent her voice to characters in the animated show King of the Hill. In 1999, she appeared in the movies Being John Malkovich and Girl, Interrupted.

Career from 2000 to Today

In 2000, Mary Kay Place helped direct a music video for Don Henley. She also had a small role in the movie Committed. In 2001, she played the United States Surgeon General in an episode of NBC's The West Wing, a role she returned to in 2004.

In 2002, she played Pearl Smooter, the mother of Reese Witherspoon's character, in the movie Sweet Home Alabama. She also appeared in Human Nature and My First Mister. From 2006 to 2011, she had a regular role as Adaleen Grant in the HBO show Big Love. She also had a recurring role in the comedy show Bored to Death.

In 2009, she was the voice of Julie Powell's mother in the movie Julie & Julia. In 2015, she guest starred on The Mentalist and Looking. She also starred in the movies I'll See You in My Dreams and The Breakup Girl. She voiced Anne Hathaway's mother in The Intern. Mary Kay Place also had a recurring role on the show Grace and Frankie with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

In 2016, she acted in the movies The Hollars and Youth in Oregon. She also played Maria Bamford's mother in the comedy series Lady Dynamite. In 2017, she guest starred in Black-ish and had a voice cameo in Downsizing. She also had a recurring role on the show Imposters.

In 2018, Mary Kay Place starred in the movie Diane, which was written especially for her. This was her first main role in a film, and her performance received great reviews. She won several awards for this role, including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress. She also had a recurring role on Shameless.

More recently, in 2020, she guest starred on AJ and the Queen and 9-1-1: Lone Star. In 2021, she appeared in the musical drama Music and the musical movie The Prom for Netflix.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

As a Director or Writer

Music Albums

Albums

Singles

Images for kids

• Place in 2012

See also

In Spanish: Mary Kay Place para niños