Kathy Bates

ActorProducerDirector Jun 28 (age 77) Memphis, Tennessee, USA 1949–2025 (76 year career)

6.3 avg rating

Biography

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 …

Known For

Film

Titanic

Molly Brown

Film

American Horror Story

Delphine LaLaurie

Film

The Blind Side

Miss Sue

Film

Midnight in Paris

Gertrude Stein

Film

Misery

Annie Wilkes

Film

P.S. I Love You

Patricia

Film

Richard Jewell

Bobi Jewell

Film

Revolutionary Road

Mrs. Helen Givings

Filmography

Acting (161)

Movies (117)

Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life

2025

as Self

A Family Affair

as Leila Ford

Summer Camp

as Ginny Moon

The Great Lillian Hall

2024

as Edith Wilson

7.0

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

as Sylvia Simon

The Miracle Club

as Eileen Dunne

Titanic: Stories from the Heart

2023

as Self / Molly Brown (archive footage)

7.0

Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony

2021

as Self (archive footage)

Home

as Bernadette

Richard Jewell

as Bobi Jewell

The Highwaymen

as Ma Ferguson

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan

2019

as Barbara Haggermaker

On the Basis of Sex

as Dorothy Kenyon

Krystal

as Vera

Bad Santa 2

as Sunny Soke

The Boss

as Ida Marquette

Complete Unknown

as Nina

Boychoir

as Headmistress

The Great Gilly Hopkins

as Maime Trotter

Tammy

as Lenore

Cadaver

as Beth

Reflections on Titanic

as Self

Midnight in Paris

as Gertrude Stein

A Little Bit of Heaven

2011

as Beverly Corbett

6.4

You May Not Kiss the Bride

as Bryan's Mother

Valentine's Day

as Susan Milton

The Blind Side

as Miss Sue

Chéri

as Madame Peloux

Personal Effects

as Gloria

The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club

2009

as Pancho Barnes (Voice)

6.2

Revolutionary Road

2008

as Mrs. Helen Givings

7.0

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2008

as Regina Jackson

5.7

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys

2008

as Charlotte Cartwright

6.7

Bee Movie

2007

as Janet Benson (voice)

The Golden Compass

as Hester (voice)

Guilty Hearts

as The Judge

P.S. I Love You

as Patricia

Fred Claus

as Mother Claus

Christmas Is Here Again

2007

as Miss Dowdy (voice)

Failure to Launch

as Sue

Charlotte's Web

as Bitsy the Cow (voice)

6.2

Bonneville

2006

as Margene Cunningham

Relative Strangers

as Agnes Menure

Rumor Has It...

as Aunt Mitsy (uncredited)

5.7

Warm Springs

2005

as Helena Mahoney

6.6

Six Feet Under: In Memoriam

2005

as Herself

8.5

Hansel and Gretel

2005

as Narrator (voice)

Ambulance Girl

2005

as Jane Stern

4.8

Around the World in 80 Days

2004

as Queen Victoria

6.0

The Bridge of San Luis Rey

as The Marquesa

Little Black Book

as Kippie Kann

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

2004

as Narrator (voice)

7.0

Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy

2004

as Siren / Sea Hag (voice)

6.7

Declaration of Independence

as Self

Misery Loves Company

as Self

Celebrity Naked Ambition

2003

as Self (archive footage)

Dragonfly

as Mrs. Belmont

Unconditional Love

as Grace Beasley

About Schmidt

as Roberta Hertzel

My Sister's Keeper

as Christine Chapman

Love Liza

as Mary Ann Bankhead

Making Rat Race

as Herself

Rat Race

2001

as The Squirrel Lady (uncredited)

American Outlaws

as Ma James

Bruno

as Mother Superior

Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood

2000

as Frances Marion (voice)

7.0

Annie

1999

as Miss Agatha Hannigan

6.4

Baby Steps

1999

as Mrs. Mellon

The Waterboy

1998

as Mama Boucher

6.0

A Civil Action

1998

as Bankruptcy Judge (uncredited)

6.5

Primary Colors

1998

as Libby Holden

6.3

Moments of Discovery: The Making of Fried Green Tomatoes

1998

as Self

Swept from the Sea

1998

as Miss Swaffer

6.4

Titanic: Breaking New Ground

1998

as Self

7.0

The Effects of Magic

1998

as Raphaella, the Magic Bunny

1.0

Titanic

1997

as Molly Brown

7.9

Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life

as Self

The War at Home

as Maurine Collier

The Late Shift

as Helen Kushnick

Diabolique

as Det. Shirley Vogel

5.5

The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful

as Self

Dolores Claiborne

as Dolores Claiborne

Angus

as Meg Bethune

The West Side Waltz

as Mr. Goo

Talking With

as Big Eight (segment "Rodeo")

North

as Alaskan Mom

Tupperware!

as Narrator

Curse of the Starving Class

as Ella Tate

A Home of Our Own

as Frances Lacey

Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun

as Lunar Mom

Used People

as Bibby Berman

Hostages

as Peggy Say

Prelude to a Kiss

as Leah Blier

Fried Green Tomatoes

as Evelyn Couch

Shadows and Fog

as Prostitute

At Play in the Fields of the Lord

as Hazel Quarrier

The Road to Mecca

as Elsa Barlow

Misery

as Annie Wilkes

Dick Tracy

as Mrs. Green

White Palace

as Rosemary

Men Don't Leave

as Lisa Coleman

No Place Like Home

as Bonnie Cooper

High Stakes

as Jill

Roe vs. Wade

as Jessie

Signs of Life

as Mary Beth Alder

Arthur 2: On the Rocks

1988

as Mrs. Canby

5.4

My Best Friend Is a Vampire

as Helen Blake

Murder Ordained

as Bobbi Birk

Summer Heat

as Ruth

The Morning After

as Woman on Mateo Street

Johnny Bull

as Katherine Kovacs

Two of a Kind

as Furniture Man's Wife

5.8

Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean

as Stella Mae

Straight Time

as Selma Darin

Taking Off

as Audition Singer

The Smack

as Babs

Thelma

as Thelma

Television (44)

Matlock

2024

as Madeline 'Matty' Matlock

7.0

Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter

2023

as Self

4.0

The Jennifer Hudson Show

as Self

FEUD

as Joan Blondell

Disjointed

as Ruth

Chelsea

as Self

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

as Self

Lip Sync Battle

as Self

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

2014

as Self

4.5

American Horror Story

2011

as Delphine LaLaurie

8.1

Harry's Law

2011

as Harriet 'Harry' Korn

7.3

Mike & Molly

2010

as Kay

6.7

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

as Self - Guest

Alice

as Queen of Hearts

Stand Up to Cancer

as Self

The Big Bang Theory

as Mrs. Fowler

Chelsea Lately

as Self (archive footage)

4.5

American Dad!

2005

as D.O. Rothy (voice)

The Office

as Jo Bennett

Two and a Half Men

as Charlie Harper

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

as Self

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

as Self

Six Feet Under

as Bettina

The View

as Self

King of the Hill

as Patrol Officer Jane Cooper (voice)

7.4

The Daily Show

1996

as Self

6.4

3rd Rock from the Sun

as Charlotte Everly

MADtv

as Stuart's Grandma

The Stand

as Rae Flowers (uncredited)

6.8

Inside the Actors Studio

1994

as Self

7.5

Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories

as Narrator (voice)

American Experience

as Narrator

China Beach

Murder Ordained

as Bobbi Birk

L.A. Law

as Charlotte Haley

St. Elsewhere

as Polly Miller

Cagney & Lacey

The Love Boat

as Sally Allison

Great Performances

as Self

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self

The Oscars

as Self

Hallmark Hall of Fame

as Christine Chapman

The Emmy Awards

as Self

Golden Globe Awards

as Self - Nominee

Crew (11)

Movies (5)

The Great Lillian Hall

Executive Producer

Ambulance Girl

Director

Fargo

Director

Dash and Lilly

Director

Talking With

Director

Television (6)

Matlock

Executive Producer

Everwood

Director

Six Feet Under

Director

Director

NYPD Blue

Director

Homicide: Life on the Street

1993

Director

8.1