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Sissy Spacek facts for kids

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Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek by David Shankbone (cropped).jpg
Spacek in 2010
Born
Mary Elizabeth Spacek

(1949-12-25) December 25, 1949 (age 75)
Alma mater Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active 1968–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 1974)
Children 2, including Schuyler Fisk

Sissy Spacek is a famous American actress, born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1949. She has won many important awards, including an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2011, she received a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Sissy Spacek became well-known after starring in the crime film Badlands (1973). She later won an Oscar for her amazing role as country singer Loretta Lynn in the movie Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). She was also nominated for Oscars for her roles in Carrie (1976), Missing (1982), The River (1984), Crimes of the Heart (1986), and In the Bedroom (2001).

Besides movies, Sissy Spacek has also starred in many TV shows. She was in the Netflix series Bloodline (2015–2017) and the Hulu series Castle Rock (2018). She also appeared in the Amazon Prime Video series Homecoming (2018).

Sissy Spacek is also a talented singer. She sang songs for the Coal Miner's Daughter movie soundtrack. This album became very popular and earned her a Grammy Award nomination. She also released her own music album called Hangin' Up My Heart in 1983.

Early Life and Dreams

Sissy Spacek was born Mary Elizabeth Spacek in Quitman, Texas. Her father was an agricultural agent. Her family has roots from Czech and German backgrounds. Her mother was of English and Irish descent.

When she was six years old, Sissy performed on stage for the first time in a local talent show. Her brothers always called her "Sissy," which became her famous nickname. She went to Quitman High School.

A very sad event happened in Sissy's life when her 18-year-old brother, Robbie, passed away from leukemia in 1967. Sissy has said this was the most important event of her life. She believes it made her brave and fearless in her acting career. She felt that if she could get through such a big tragedy, nothing else would scare her.

Sissy first wanted to be a singer. She even recorded a song in 1968 under the name Rainbo. But when her music didn't sell well, she decided to try acting. She then joined the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute to learn more about acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Movies

After deciding to focus on acting, Sissy Spacek worked as a model. She also appeared as an extra in a film by Andy Warhol. With help from her cousin, actor Rip Torn, she studied acting in New York.

Her big break came in 1973 with the movie Badlands. This role led to more TV work, including two guest appearances on The Waltons. Sissy has called Badlands the "most incredible" experience of her career. Critics praised her performance. On the set of Badlands, she met Jack Fisk, an art director, whom she married in 1974.

Becoming a Film Star

Sissy Spacek's most famous early role was in the 1976 film Carrie. She played Carrie White, a shy high school student with special powers. Sissy worked hard to get this part. She even showed up to the audition looking messy to fit the character. Her performance was highly praised and earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination.

After Carrie, Sissy continued to impress critics. She starred in 3 Women (1977), where she played a mysterious character. The director, Robert Altman, was very impressed, calling her "one of the top actresses I've ever worked with."

The 1980s started with a huge success for Sissy Spacek. She won an Oscar for her role as country music legend Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). Loretta Lynn herself chose Sissy for the part! Sissy and Beverly D'Angelo, who played Patsy Cline, sang all their own songs in the movie. Critics loved her performance, saying she could look any age on screen. Sissy also received a Grammy Award nomination for the film's soundtrack. She then released her own country album, Hangin' Up My Heart, which had a hit song called "Lonely But Only For You."

Continued Success

SissySpacekHWOFAug2011
Sissy Spacek in 2011

Sissy Spacek continued to star in many important films. She was in the political thriller Missing (1982) with Jack Lemmon. She also appeared with Mel Gibson in The River (1984). In Crimes Of The Heart (1986), she starred alongside Diane Keaton and Jessica Lange. She received Oscar nominations for all these roles. She also showed her funny side by voicing a brain in the comedy The Man with Two Brains (1983).

In the 1990s, Sissy had a supporting role in Oliver Stone's JFK (1991). She also appeared in comedies and TV movies. She played Rose Straight in David Lynch's The Straight Story (1999).

The 2000s began with more praise for Sissy Spacek. She starred as Ruth Fowler in In the Bedroom (2001), playing a mother dealing with a difficult situation. Critics called her performance "devastating" and "one of Ms. Spacek's greatest." This role earned her a sixth Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

Expanding Her Roles

Sissy Spacek Get Low TIFF09 (cropped)
Spacek at the Get Low premiere in 2009

In 2002, Sissy Spacek was in the live-action Disney film Tuck Everlasting. That same year, she was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for her role as Zelda Fitzgerald in the TV movie Last Call. She also narrated the audiobook for Stephen King's Carrie in 2005 and Harper Lee's famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird in 2006.

In 2011, Sissy Spacek received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She also acted in The Help (2011), which won an award for its cast.

Sissy Spacek has appeared in films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar in four different decades. These include Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Missing (1982), JFK (1991), In the Bedroom (2001), and The Help (2011).

More recently, she co-starred with Robert Redford in The Old Man & the Gun (2018). She also had main roles in several TV series, like Bloodline, Castle Rock, and Homecoming. In 2022, she acted alongside J.K. Simmons in the science-fiction series Night Sky.

Personal Life

Sissy Spacek married production designer and art director Jack Fisk in 1974. They met while working on the movie Badlands. They have two daughters: Schuyler Fisk, born in 1982, and Madison Fisk, born in 1988. Schuyler has followed her mother's path as both an actress and a singer. In 1982, Sissy and her family moved to a farm near Charlottesville, Virginia.

Filmography

Film Roles

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Prime Cut Poppy Film debut
1973 Badlands Holly Sargis
1974 Ginger in the Morning Ginger
1976 Carrie Carrie White
Welcome to L.A. Linda Murray
1977 3 Women Pinky Rose
1980 Coal Miner's Daughter Loretta Lynn
Heart Beat Carolyn Cassady
1981 Raggedy Man Nita Longley
1982 Missing Beth Horman
1983 The Man with Two Brains Anne Uumellmahaye (voice) Uncredited
1984 The River Mae Garvey
1985 Marie Marie Ragghianti
1986 Violets Are Blue Augusta "Gussie" Sawyer
'night, Mother Jessie Cates
Crimes of the Heart Babe Magrath Botrelle
1990 The Long Walk Home Miriam Thompson
1991 Hard Promises Christine Ann Coalter
JFK Liz Garrison
1994 Trading Mom Mrs. Martin and various roles
1995 The Grass Harp Verena Talbo
1997 Affliction Margie Fogg
1999 Blast from the Past Helen Thomas Webber
The Straight Story Rose "Rosie" Straight
2001 In the Bedroom Ruth Fowler
Midwives Sibyl Danforth
2002 Tuck Everlasting Mae Tuck
2004 A Home at the End of the World Alice Glover
2005 Nine Lives Ruth
The Ring Two Evelyn Borden (née Osorio)
North Country Alice Aimes
An American Haunting Lucy Bell
2007 Gray Matters Sydney
Hot Rod Marie Powell
Pictures of Hollis Woods Josie Cahill
2008 Lake City Maggie
Four Christmases Paula
2009 Get Low Mattie Darrow
2011 The Help Mrs. Walters
2012 Deadfall June Mills
2016 River of Gold Narrator (voice) Documentary
2018 The Old Man & the Gun Jewel
2022 Sam & Kate Tina
TBA Die, My Love Not yet released Post-production

Television Roles

Year Title Notes Notes
1973 Love, American Style Teri Episode: "Love and the Older Lover"
The Girls of Huntington House Sara Television film
The Waltons Sarah Jane Simmonds Episodes: "The Townie", "The Odyssey"
The Rookies Barbara Tabnor Episode: "Sound of Silence"
1974 The Migrants Wanda Trimpin Television film
1975 Katherine Katherine Alman
1978 Verna: USO Girl Verna Vane
1992 A Private Matter Sherri Finkbine
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories Narrator Season 1 Episode 4
1994 A Place for Annie Susan Lansing Television film
1995 The Good Old Boys Spring Renfro
Streets of Laredo Lorena Parker 3 episodes
1996 Beyond the Call Pam O'Brien Television film
If These Walls Could Talk Barbara Barrows Television film; segment: "1974"
2000 Songs in Ordinary Time Marie Fermoyle Television film
2002 Last Call Zelda Fitzgerald
2009 Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People Narrator (voice) 4 episodes
2010 Gimme Shelter Adrienne Nourse Pilot
2010–2011 Big Love Marilyn Densham 5 episodes
2015–2017 Bloodline Sally Rayburn 33 episodes
2018 Castle Rock Ruth Deaver 8 episodes
Homecoming Ellen Bergman 6 episodes
2022 Night Sky Irene York 8 episodes
TBA Dying for ... Gail Upcoming miniseries

Music Videos

Year Title Artist Notes
2018 Oh Baby LCD Soundsystem

Music Albums

Sissy Spacek has also released music. Here are her albums and singles:

Albums

Year Album US Country Label
1983 Hangin' Up My Heart 17 Atlantic

Singles

Year Single Chart positions Album
US Country US Bubbling CAN Country
1980 "Coal Miner's Daughter" 24 7 Coal Miner's Daughter (Soundtrack)
"Back in Baby's Arms" 71
1983 "Lonely but Only for You" 15 10 13 Hangin' Up My Heart
1984 "If I Can Just Get Through the Night" 57 41
"If You Could Only See Me Now" 79

Awards and Nominations

To see a full list of awards Sissy Spacek has won or been nominated for, check out: List of awards and nominations received by Sissy Spacek.

Images for kids

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sissy Spacek para niños

  • List of actors with Academy Award nominations
  • List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
  • List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • List of actors with Hollywood Walk of Fame motion picture stars
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