Mary Kay Place facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Kay Place
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | September 23, 1947 |
| Alma mater | University of Tulsa |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1973–present |
Mary Kay Place (born September 23, 1947) is an American actress, singer, director, and writer. She is famous for playing Loretta Haggers on the TV show Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. This role earned her an Emmy Award in 1977. Mary Kay Place has also appeared in many movies. These include Private Benjamin (1980) and The Big Chill (1983). She also recorded music, including a Top Ten country song called "Baby Boy." In 2018, she won awards for her acting in the movie Diane.
Contents
Early Life
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. Her father was an art professor there. Mary Kay Place earned a degree in speech.
Career Beginnings
Mary Kay Place moved to Hollywood. She wanted to become an actress and a writer. In the 1970s, she worked as a production assistant. This was for The Tim Conway Comedy Hour. Tim Conway gave her a chance to appear on camera. Producer Norman Lear helped her get her first writing job. This was for his show All in the Family. She also wrote for and appeared in an episode of M*A*S*H.
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Music
Norman Lear then cast Mary Kay Place in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. This show was a funny take on soap operas. She played Loretta Haggers, a character who wanted to be a country music star. She won an Emmy Award for this role in 1977.
Mary Kay Place also released a music album called Tonite! At the Capri Lounge Loretta Haggers. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for her singing. She wrote two songs on the album, "Vitamin L" and "Baby Boy." She sang both of these songs on the TV show.
Famous country singers helped with her music. Dolly Parton sang backup vocals. Emmylou Harris, Anne Murray, and Nicolette Larson also sang with her. In 1977, she sang a duet with Willie Nelson called "Something to Brag About." This song became popular on the music charts.
While working on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Mary Kay Place also wrote for other TV shows. These included The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Phyllis. She often worked with writer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. In 1977, she hosted Saturday Night Live. She was one of the few hosts who also performed as the musical guest.
Movies and TV Shows: 1970s to 1990s
In 1977, Mary Kay Place appeared in the musical movie New York, New York. She sang "Blue Moon" with Robert De Niro. In 1979, she was in the movie Starting Over with Burt Reynolds.
A big role for her was in the 1983 movie The Big Chill. She played Meg, a lawyer who wanted to have a child. In the early 1990s, she starred in the comedy Captain Ron (1992) with Kurt Russell.
From 1994 to 1995, she had a repeating role on the TV show My So-Called Life. In 1996, she played a funny character in the movie Citizen Ruth. She also had a serious role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1997 movie The Rainmaker. She played Dot Black, a mother whose son was very sick.
Mary Kay Place was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her work in the 1996 movie Manny & Lo. She played Elaine, a woman who worked in a maternity shop. She also appeared in Being John Malkovich (1999) and Girl, Interrupted (1999).
Directing and Voice Acting
Mary Kay Place has also directed TV shows. She directed episodes of Dream On and Friends. She also did voice work for the animated show King of the Hill. She voiced different characters in three episodes.
2000s and Beyond
In 2002, Mary Kay Place played Pearl Smooter in the movie Sweet Home Alabama. She was the mother of Reese Witherspoon's character. She also appeared in My First Mister (2001) and Human Nature (2001).
From 2006 to 2011, she had a regular role on the HBO show Big Love. She played Adaleen Grant. She also had a repeating role on the comedy show Bored to Death. In 2009, she was the voice of Mrs. Foster in the movie Julie & Julia.
In 2015, she was in the movie I'll See You in My Dreams. She also had a repeating role on Grace and Frankie. In 2016, she starred in the movie The Hollars. She also played Maria Bamford's mother in the comedy series Lady Dynamite.
In 2018, Mary Kay Place starred in the movie Diane. This was her first main role in a film. The movie was written especially for her. Her performance received great reviews from critics. She won awards for Best Actress from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics. She also had a repeating role on Shameless.
More recently, in 2020, she appeared on AJ and the Queen and 9-1-1: Lone Star. In 2021, she was in the musical movie Music and The Prom for Netflix. In 2022, she was the narrator's voice in the animated movie My Father's Dragon.
As Director or Writer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Shape of Things | Writer, TV special |
| 1973–1974 | M*A*S*H | Writer, 3 episodes |
| 1974 | Paper Moon | Writer, episode: "Gimme That Old Time Relation" |
| Friends and Lovers | Writer, episode: "The Groupie" | |
| 1975 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Writer, episode: "Mary's Delinquent" |
| Phyllis | Writer, episode: "So Lonely I Could Cry" | |
| 1988 | Baby Boom | Director, episode: "Stress" |
| 1994 | Dream On | Director, 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Friends | Director, episode: "The One with the List" |
| 1996 | Dream On | Director, episode: "Tenants, Anyone?" |
| Arliss | Director, episode: "The Company You Keep" | |
| 2007 | The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman | Director, 2 episodes |
Music Albums
Mary Kay Place released three studio albums.
- Tonite! At the Capri Lounge Loretta Haggers (1976)
- Aimin' to Please (1977)
- Almost Grown (2011)
Her song "Baby Boy" reached number 3 on the U.S. Country charts in 1976. She also had a hit duet with Willie Nelson called "Something to Brag About" in 1977.
See also
In Spanish: Mary Kay Place para niños
