Sissy Spacek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sissy Spacek
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Spacek in 2010
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Mary Elizabeth Spacek
December 25, 1949 |
| Alma mater | Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1968–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2, including Schuyler Fisk |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Atlantic |
Mary Elizabeth "Sissy" Spacek (born December 25, 1949) is a famous American actress and singer. Over her long career, she has won many awards for her acting. These include an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.
In 2011, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work in movies. Spacek is known for playing many different kinds of characters in films and on television.
Her first big role was in the 1973 movie Badlands. She became even more famous for playing the main character in the horror film Carrie (1976). In the movie, she played a shy teenager with the power to move things with her mind. This role earned her a nomination for an Academy Award.
Spacek won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the movie Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). In this film, she played the real-life country singer Loretta Lynn. Spacek did all her own singing for the movie. She has also acted in many other popular films, like The Help (2011) and The Old Man & the Gun (2018).
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Early Life and Family
Mary Elizabeth Spacek was born on Christmas Day in 1949, in Quitman, Texas. Her parents were Virginia and Edwin Spacek. Her father's family was from the Czech Republic and Germany. Her mother's family was from England and Ireland.
She was always called "Sissy" by her older brothers, and the nickname stuck. When she was six, she performed in a local talent show. A sad event in her life was when her older brother Robbie died of leukemia in 1967. Spacek said this experience made her brave in her acting career.
At first, Spacek wanted to be a singer. She even recorded a song in 1968 under the name "Rainbo." When her music career didn't take off, she decided to focus on acting. She moved to New York City and studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
Acting Career
Getting Started
With help from her cousin, actor Rip Torn, Spacek started her acting journey. She worked as a model and an extra in movies. Her first major film role was in Prime Cut (1972).
Her big break came with the movie Badlands (1973). She played Holly, a 15-year-old girl who goes on the run with a criminal. The movie received great reviews. While filming Badlands, she met art director Jack Fisk, and they got married in 1974.
Becoming a Star
Spacek became a huge star after playing Carrie White in the horror movie Carrie (1976). She played a shy high school student who is bullied and discovers she has special powers. Her performance was so good that she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
After Carrie, she starred in the drama 3 Women (1977). Director Robert Altman said she was one of the best actresses he had ever worked with.
In 1980, Spacek won the Academy Award for her role as country singer Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter. Lynn herself chose Spacek to play her in the movie. Spacek sang all of Lynn's songs in the film, which also led to a Grammy Award nomination.
An Established Actress
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Throughout the 1980s, Spacek starred in many successful films. She earned Academy Award nominations for her roles in Missing (1982), The River (1984), and Crimes of the Heart (1986).
In the 1990s, she appeared in films like JFK (1991) and The Straight Story (1999). She also acted in the comedy Blast from the Past (1999).
In 2001, she received another Academy Award nomination for the drama In the Bedroom. For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award. This made her one of the few actresses to be nominated for six Best Actress Oscars.
Recent Work
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Spacek has continued to act in both movies and television. She was part of the cast of the hit movie The Help (2011). The cast won a Screen Actors Guild Award for their performance.
She has also appeared in several TV series. She played the mother of the Rayburn family in the Netflix show Bloodline (2015–2017). She also starred in Castle Rock (2018) and Homecoming (2018). In 2022, she starred in the science fiction series Night Sky.
In 2012, Spacek published a book about her life called My Extraordinary Ordinary Life.
Personal Life
Spacek married art director Jack Fisk in 1974. They have two daughters, Schuyler and Madison. Her daughter Schuyler Fisk is also an actress and singer.
In 1982, Spacek and her family moved to a farm in Virginia. She wanted to raise her children away from Hollywood. She continues to live there with her husband.
See also
In Spanish: Sissy Spacek para niños
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
