Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress and director. She has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she studied theatre at the 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 performance was in the 1976 production of Vanities. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, she continued to perform on screen and on stage, and garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Play in 1983 for her performance in 'night, Mother, and won an Obie Award in 1988 for her performance in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. Bates' performance as Annie Wilkes in the tense psychological thriller Misery (1990) marked her Hollywood breakthrough, winning her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Further acclaim came for her starring role in Dolores Claiborne (1995), The Waterboy (1998), and supporting roles in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and Titanic (1997). Bates received subsequent Oscar nods in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work in Primary Colors (1998), About Schmidt (2002), and Richard Jewell (2019). Bates' television work has resulted in 14 Emmy Award nominations, including two for her leading role on the NBC series Harry's Law (2011–12). She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her appearance on the ninth season of Two and a Half Men (2012) and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her portrayal of Delphine LaLaurie on the third season of American Horror Story (2013). She also received accolades for her portrayal of Miss Hannigan in the 1999 television adaptation of Annie. Her directing credits include several episodes of the HBO television series Six Feet Under (2001–03) and the television film Ambulance Girl (2005).
116 movies · 46 shows
Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life
2025·0.0
The Great Lillian Hall
2024·7.1
A Family Affair
2024·5.7
Summer Camp
2024·5.3
Titanic: Stories from the Heart
2023·7.0
The Miracle Club
2023·6.3
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
2023·7.2
Home
2021·6.7
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
2021·4.5
Richard Jewell
2019·7.4
The Highwaymen
2019·6.8
The Death & Life of John F. Donovan
2019·6.9
On the Basis of Sex
2018·7.3
Krystal
2018·5.1
Bad Santa 2
2016·5.4
Complete Unknown
2016·5.1
The Boss
2016·5.8
The Great Gilly Hopkins
2015·6.6
Boychoir
2015·6.8
Return to the 5 & Dime: An Interview with Ed Graczyk
2014·0.0
Tammy
2014·5.3
Cadaver
2012·3.0
Reflections on Titanic
2012·7.2
Midnight in Paris
2011·7.5
You May Not Kiss the Bride
2011·5.6
A Little Bit of Heaven
2011·6.3
Valentine's Day
2010·5.9
The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club
2009·6.2
The Blind Side
2009·7.7
Chéri
2009·6.1
Personal Effects
2009·6.0
Revolutionary Road
2008·7.0
The Day the Earth Stood Still
2008·5.7
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
2008·6.9
The Golden Compass
2007·6.1
P.S. I Love You
2007·7.2
Fred Claus
2007·5.8
Bee Movie
2007·6.0
Christmas Is Here Again
2007·4.3
Guilty Hearts
2007·5.8
Charlotte's Web
2006·6.2
Bonneville
2006·5.6
Relative Strangers
2006·5.3
Failure to Launch
2006·5.8
Rumor Has It...
2005·5.7
Six Feet Under: In Memoriam
2005·8.7
Ambulance Girl
2005·5.6
Warm Springs
2005·6.6
Hansel and Gretel
2005·0.0
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
2004·5.2
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing
2004·7.0
Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy
2004·6.8
Little Black Book
2004·5.3
Around the World in 80 Days
2004·6.0
Tupperware!
2004·7.5
Celebrity Naked Ambition
2003·5.0
Declaration of Independence
2003·7.7
Misery Loves Company
2003·8.0
Love Liza
2002·6.4
About Schmidt
2002·6.9
Unconditional Love
2002·6.0
Dragonfly
2002·6.6
Making Rat Race
2002·0.0
My Sister's Keeper
2002·7.2
American Outlaws
2001·5.9
Rat Race
2001·6.3
Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood
2000·7.7
Bruno
2000·6.5
Annie
1999·6.5
Baby Steps
1999·10.0
A Civil Action
1998·6.5
Moments of Discovery: The Making of Fried Green Tomatoes
1998·9.0
The Waterboy
1998·6.1
The Effects of Magic
1998·4.5
Titanic: Breaking New Ground
1998·7.0
Primary Colors
1998·6.3
Swept from the Sea
1998·6.4
Titanic
1997·7.9
Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life
1997·7.3
The War at Home
1996·7.0
Diabolique
1996·5.5
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
1996·10.0
The Late Shift
1996·6.4
The West Side Waltz
1995·6.2
Angus
1995·6.6
Talking With
1995·0.0
Dolores Claiborne
1995·7.3
Curse of the Starving Class
1994·4.6
North
1994·5.1
A Home of Our Own
1993·7.0
Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun
1993·5.0
Used People
1992·5.8
Hostages
1992·6.1
Prelude to a Kiss
1992·5.6
Fried Green Tomatoes
1991·7.7
At Play in the Fields of the Lord
1991·6.5
Shadows and Fog
1991·6.7
The Road to Mecca
1991·5.5
Misery
1990·7.8
White Palace
1990·6.6
Dick Tracy
1990·6.2
Men Don't Leave
1990·6.3
No Place Like Home
1989·6.7
High Stakes
1989·3.4
Roe vs. Wade
1989·6.0
Signs of Life
1989·4.9
Arthur 2: On the Rocks
1988·5.5
My Best Friend Is a Vampire
1987·6.0
Summer Heat
1987·4.6
Murder Ordained
1987·5.0
The Morning After
1986·6.0
Johnny Bull
1986·5.5
Two of a Kind
1983·5.9
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
1982·6.0
Straight Time
1978·7.1
Taking Off
1971·6.9