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ESSENTIALS

Birth Name: Kathleen Doyle Bates

Nicknames: Bobo

Birth Date: June 28, 1948

Star Sign: Cancer

Birth Place: Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

Height: 5 ft. 3 in. (1.60 m)

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Brown

High School: White Station High, Memphis

University: Southern Methodist University

Parents: Bertye Kathleen and Langdon Doyle Bates

Marriage:
* Tony Campisi (April 1991 - 1997, divorced)

Essential Movies:

Revolutionary Road (2008)
About Schmidt (2002)
Annie (1999)
Primary Colors (1998)
Titanic (1997)
Dolores Claiborne (1995)
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Misery (1990)
Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)
Taking Off (1971)

TRIVIA

Kathy’s two older sisters, Patricia and Mary, made a brief appearance in Primary Colors (1998).

Kathy lived with her ex-husband, Tony Campisi, for 12 years before they were married.

Kathy’s made her first nude scene in At Play in the Fields of the Lord in 1991, at the age of 43. She also appeared nude in About Schmidt (2002).

Kathy won an Oscar for her role as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990), and her character was later ranked as #17 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years of the Greatest Screen Heroes and Villians.

Kathy is both an artist and writer, and has expressed her desire to write and illustrate a children’s book.

Kathy’s close personal friends include Kate Winslet, Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson, Elizabeth Perkins, John Travolta, Meryl Streep, and Oprah Winfrey.

Kathy donated $1 million to Hurricane Katrina victims.

Kathy was the first white actress to be featured in a leading role in a Tyler Perry movie, in The Family the Preys (2008).

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet weren’t the only actors from Titanic reunited for Revolutionary Road (2008)—Bates was featured in an excellent performance, as well.

Kathy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003, but did not make the information public until 2008, when she announced that she believed she was in complete recovery, after being in remission for five years.

QUOTES BY KATHY BATES

quote My mother used to tell this corny story about how the doctor smacked me on the behind when I was born and I thought it was applause, and I have been looking for it ever since."

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"I was never an ingénue. I've always just been a character actor. When I was younger, it was a real problem, because I was never pretty enough. It was hard, not just for the lack of work, but because you have to face up to how people are looking at you."

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"The Oscar changed everything. Better salary, working with better people, better projects, more exposure, less privacy."

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[On playing Terry Bradshaw's movie wife in Failure to Launch (2006)]"When I was told Terry Bradshaw would be playing my husband, I was like 'The star-quarterback Terry Bradshaw?’."

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[On losing the role of Frankie, which had been written for her by playwright Terrence McNally, to Michelle Pfeiffer in the movie version of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune]"I thought it was wonderful to see a love story about people over forty, ordinary people who were trying to connect. We haven't seen it before, and I don't think we will see it with this movie Frankie and Johnny."

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KATHY BATES

Even those who do not immediately recognize Kathy Bates’ name probably know her face. She has appeared in a number of the most popular films in recent memory, including Misery, Titanic, Fried Green Tomatoes, Failure to Launch, and About Schmidt. Primarily featured as a supporting actress, she has consistently captivated audiences throughout a long and thriving career, making her one of the most successful actresses in contemporary Hollywood.

Kathy was born on June 28, 1948, in Memphis, Tennesse, where she grew up with her parents and two older sisters. After appearing in several high school plays, she determined to pursue acting as a full time career. She studied drama at Southern Methodist University. Immediately following her graduation from the university in 1969, she moved to New York City, where she took several jobs while waiting for a break in her acting career.

After appearing in Lemon Sky opposite Christopher Walken in 1970, her popularity continued to rise, making her one of the most sought-after young actresses in New York. Her most notable role of the time was a critically acclaimed performance in Vanities.

In 1971, Kathy tried unsuccessfully to break into movies. Her first film, Taking Off (1971) was not a success, and she did not make another film until 1978, when she appeared in Straight Time, starring Dustin Hoffman. Although her role in the film was not substantial enough to draw attention to the young actress, her next part, in the film version of Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, gained her a lot of attention.

Despite her apparent success in the film, the stage continued to be Kathy’s most successful venue to show off her extensive acting skill. She received a Tony Award nomination for her role in night, Mother. One of her most important stage roles was in a role specifically wrote for her by playwright Terrence McNally, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. However, when the play was filmed, her role was given to Michelle Pfeiffer.

The biggest breakthrough of Kathy’s movie career came about in 1990, when she portrayed psychopath Annie Wilkes in Misery, based on a novel by Stephen King. Her performance was hailed by critics, and she won best actress at the Academy Awards that year. Suddenly, Kathy was in high demand as an actress in Hollywood. In addition, her personal life took a positive turn when she married long time partner (and fellow actor) Tony Campisi.

Kathy’s next role—opposite Jessica Tandy, in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)—was one of her best. She followed her success in that movie with another brilliant performance in a Stephen King adaption, as a housekeeper who is accused of murdering her husband in Dolores Claiborne. Although she did not receive an Oscar nomination for either of those two roles, she again received a nod from the Academy with her excellent performance in Primary Colors, as political advisor Libby Holden.

In 1997, Kathy delivered a strong performance as “Unsinkable” Molly Brown in Titanic. She worked steadily for the next several years, receiving another nomination for best supporting actress in 2002 for About Schmidt. In 2008, she was reunited with Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road.

In addition to her movie work, Kathy has been featured extensively on television, as well. She has been nominated for an Emmy Award seven times, for her role in Disney’s remake of Annie (1999), the Franklin Roosevelt biopic Warm Springs (2005), and several other made for TV movies.

Celebrating her sixtieth birthday in 2008, Kathy Bates continues to deliver exceptional performances in movie after movie. She is one of the greatest supporting actresses to grace the silver screen, and her brilliant talent ensures that she will continue to enjoy success for years to come.