Kathy Bates
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Who is this?
Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress. Her work spans over five decades, and her accolades include an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and two BAFTA Awards. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Bates studied theater at Southern Methodist University before moving to New York City to pursue an acting career. She landed minor stage roles before being cast in her first on-screen role in Taking Off (1971). Her first Off-Broadway stage role was in the play Vanities (1976). She garnered a nomination for the Tony Award Best Lead Actress in a Play for the Marsha Norman play 'night, Mother (1983), and won an Obie Award for her role in Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1988). Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying Annie Wilkes in the psychological thriller Misery (1990). She was further Oscar-nominated for her roles as a tough political operative in Primary Colors (1998), a free-spirited neighbor in About Schmidt (2002), and the mother of a bombing suspect in Richard Jewell (2019). She has also acted in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1995), Titanic (1997), The Waterboy (1998), Revolutionary Road (2008), The Blind Side (2009), Midnight in Paris (2011), and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023). On television, Bates received Primetime Emmy Awards for her performance as the Ghost of Charlie Harper in Two and a Half Men (2012) and for her portrayal of Delphine LaLaurie in American Horror Story: Coven (2013). She was also Emmy-nominated for her roles in The Late Shift (1996), Annie (1999), Six Feet Under (2003), Warm Springs (2005), Harry's Law (2011–2012), American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014), and American Horror Story: Hotel (2015). Since 2024, she portrays the titular lead in the CBS series Matlock, for which she was also nominated for an Emmy. Outside of acting, Bates is also known for her advocacy. After undergoing a double mastectomy and developing lymphedema, Bates became a spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN).
Career
- 1948Born
- 1991Won Academy Award for Best Actress
- 2014Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
- Won Primetime Emmy Award
- Won Golden Globe Awards
- Won Actor Awards
Trivia
- •Place of birth: Memphis
- •Citizenship: United States
- •Known as: film actor, film director, character actor, stage actor
What happened recently
Emmy Nominations Snubs: Taylor Sheridan Shows Overlooked Again as Kathy Bates, Paul Anthony Kelly Miss Out on Expected Nominations
Kathy Bates fails to earn another Emmy nomination for ‘Matlock’ amid show turmoil
Kathy Bates' 100-Pound Weight Loss: The Simple Body Signal She Uses to Stop Overeating
Kathy Bates, 75, Lost 100 Pounds: The 4 Simple Daily Habits She Uses to Keep It Off
Kathy Bates on Her Close Collabs With Adam Sandler, Jessica Lange, ‘Matlock’ Cast & More
Kathy Bates' Rich Living Room Colors Embrace the 'Old Money' Palette Set to Replace Classic Coastal Shades in 2026
Kathy Bates' rich living room colors are replacing classic coastal shades in 2026
'Matlock' Actress Kathy Bates Lost 100 Pounds After Two Cancer Diagnoses, Doctors Explain Why GLP-1s Can Lower Cancer Risk
Kathy Bates' life in 6 must-see photos as she celebrates 78th birthday - HELLO! Magazine
See Kathy Bates' Life in Photos as the Oscar-Winning Actress Celebrates Her 78th Birthday
Famous birthdays list for today, June 28, 2026 includes celebrities Kathy Bates, Felicia Day
Kathy Bates Confirms ‘American Horror Story’ Season 13 Return — But There’s a Catch
Kathy Bates reveals how Adam Sandler shattered her view of him in 'The Waterboy'
Kathy Bates Admits She 'Didn't Know Who Adam Sandler Was' When She Got The Waterboy Script
Kathy Bates Threw ‘Waterboy’ Script in Trash Because She “Didn’t Know Who Adam Sandler Was”
Kathy Bates Admits She Was 'Surprised' She Won an Emmy for 'American Horror Story'
Kathy Bates reveals ‘American Horror Story’ is bringing back fan favorites | Watch the latest episode of The Actor’s Side via the link in bio.
Kathy Bates On The Twisty ‘Matlock’, Returning To ‘American Horror Story’, The Movie Role She Lost, And Getting Naked With Jack Nicholson – The Actor’s Side
For over 5 decades, Kathy Bates has worked in Hollywood across TV and film and is behind many iconic characters. But it’s her time on ‘Matlock’ that stands out to Bates for a very particular reason. In the clip below, Kathy Bates reflects on what she’s learned fr
Kathy Bates reflects on the importance of seeing seniors in love on TV and expresses her elation for the way ‘Matlock’ creator and showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman included those moments between Matty and her husband Edwin (Sam Anderson) in Season
Kathy Bates Reveals 'Life Is a Lot Easier Than I Thought It Would Be' Ahead of 78th Birthday (Exclusive)
‘This whole job has been a miracle’: Kathy Bates on her life-changing role in ‘Matlock’
If Kathy Bates Lost 100 Pounds After 70 With Walking, Patience and Determination, You Can Too
Inside Kathy Bates' Weight Loss Journey: Everything the Actress Has Said About Her Health
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