Cast & creator
Kathy Bates
Best known for Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
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).
Also known as: Kathleen Doyle Bates, Кейти Бейтс
122
film credits
62
television credits
173
1944–2025 · acting roles
6.5
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (184)
Showing 184 of 184 credits
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Guest
2015
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
The Office
Jo Bennett
2005
The Daily Show
Self
1996
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
American Dad!
D.O. Rothy (voice)
2005
American Horror Story
Delphine LaLaurie
2011American Horror Story
Ethel Darling
2011American Horror Story
Iris
2011American Horror Story
Agnes Mary Winstead
2011American Horror Story
Miriam Mead / Delphine LaLaurie
2011
The View
Self
1997
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self
2022
Two and a Half Men
Charlie Harper
2003
King of the Hill
Patrol Officer Jane Cooper (voice)
1997
The Love Boat
Sally Allison
1977
Great Performances
Self
1971
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee / Presenter
1944Golden Globe Awards
Self
1944Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944Golden Globe Awards
Self - Audience Member
1944Golden Globe Awards
Self - Winner
1944
NYPD Blue
Director
1993
L.A. Law
Charlotte Haley
1986
American Playhouse
Mary Beth Alder
1982
American Experience
Narrator (voice)
1988American Experience
Narrator
1988
3rd Rock from the Sun
Charlotte Everly
1996
St. Elsewhere
Polly Miller
1982
Everwood
Director
2002
The Big Bang Theory
Mrs. Fowler
2007
Homicide: Life on the Street
Director
1993
Six Feet Under
Bettina
2001Six Feet Under
Director
2001
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self
2014
Oz
Director
1997
Cagney & Lacey
1982
Matlock
Madeline 'Matty' Matlock
2024Matlock
Executive Producer
2024
Titanic
Molly Brown
1997
Mike & Molly
Kay
2010
Chelsea Lately
Self (archive footage)
2007
Chelsea
Self
2016
Lip Sync Battle
Self
2015
The Oscars
Self
1953
Harry's Law
Harriet 'Harry' Korn
2011
China Beach
1988
Bee Movie
Janet Benson (voice)
2007
The Blind Side
Miss Sue
2009
FEUD
Joan Blondell
2017
The Stand
Rae Flowers (uncredited)
1994
The Golden Compass
Hester (voice)
2007
Richard Jewell
Bobi Jewell
2019
Misery
Annie Wilkes
1990
Revolutionary Road
Mrs. Helen Givings
2008
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Regina Jackson
2008
Failure to Launch
Sue
2006
Midnight in Paris
Gertrude Stein
2011
Charlotte's Web
Bitsy the Cow (voice)
2006
P.S. I Love You
Patricia
2007
Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter
Self
2023
A Family Affair
Leila Ford
2024
Valentine's Day
Susan
2010
Fried Green Tomatoes
Evelyn Couch
1991
The Waterboy
Mama Boucher
1998
Fred Claus
Mother Claus
2007
Around the World in 80 Days
Queen Victoria
2004
The Highwaymen
Ma Ferguson
2019
Disjointed
Ruth
2017
Primary Colors
Libby Holden
1998
On the Basis of Sex
Dorothy Kenyon
2018
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Sylvia Simon
2023
Rumor Has It...
Aunt Mitsy (uncredited)
2005
The Emmy Awards
Self
1949
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Christine Chapman
1951
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
Narrator (voice)
1992
The Boss
Ida Marquette
2016
Bad Santa 2
Sunny Soke
2016
Little Black Book
Kippie Kann
2004
Rat Race
The Squirrel Lady (uncredited)
2001
Dolores Claiborne
Dolores Claiborne
1995
Dick Tracy
Mrs. Green
1990
Dragonfly
Mrs. Belmont
2002
Summer Camp
Ginny Moon
2024
Personal Effects
Gloria
2009
Alice
Queen of Hearts
2009
About Schmidt
Roberta Hertzel
2002
A Civil Action
Bankruptcy Judge (uncredited)
1998
American Outlaws
Ma James
2001
White Palace
Rosemary
1990
Scholastic Storybook Treasures: The Classic Collection
Stand Up to Cancer
Self
2008
The Miracle Club
Eileen Dunne
2023
MADtv
Stuart's Grandma
1995
Prelude to a Kiss
Leah Blier
1992
The Death & Life of John F. Donovan
Barbara Haggermaker
2019
A Little Bit of Heaven
Beverly Corbett
2011
Diabolique
Det. Shirley Vogel
1996
Murder Ordained
Bobbi Birk
1987
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Maime Trotter
2015
Straight Time
Selma Darin
1978
The Great Lillian Hall
Edith Wilson
2024The Great Lillian Hall
Executive Producer
2024
Tammy
Lenore
2014
A Home of Our Own
Frances Lacey
1993
North
Alaskan Mom
1994
Complete Unknown
Nina
2016
Chéri
Madame Peloux
2009
Reflections on Titanic
Self
2012
Shadows and Fog
Prostitute
1991
Swept from the Sea
Miss Swaffer
1998
My Best Friend Is a Vampire
Helen Blake
1987
Two of a Kind
Furniture Man's Wife
1983
You May Not Kiss the Bride
Bryan's Mother
2011
Boychoir
Headmistress
2015
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Marquesa
2004
Unconditional Love
Grace Beasley
2002
Home
Bernadette
2021
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
Self (archive footage)
2021
Annie
Miss Agatha Hannigan
1999
Warm Springs
Helena Mahoney
2005
The Morning After
Woman on Mateo Street
1986
Inside the Actors Studio
Self
1994
Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy
Siren / Sea Hag (voice)
2004
Men Don't Leave
Lisa Coleman
1990
The Late Shift
Helen Kushnick
1996
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
Charlotte Cartwright
2008
Arthur 2: On the Rocks
Mrs. Canby
1988
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing
Narrator (voice)
2004
The War at Home
Maurine Collier
1996
Celebrity Naked Ambition
Self (archive footage)
2003
Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life
Self
2025
My Sister's Keeper
Christine Chapman
2002
Relative Strangers
Agnes Menure
2006
Used People
Bibby Berman
1992
Murder Ordained
Bobbi Birk
1987
Krystal
Vera
2018
At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Hazel Quarrier
1991
Christmas Is Here Again
Miss Dowdy (voice)
2007Baby Steps
Mrs. Mellon
1999
No Place Like Home
Bonnie Cooper
1989
Summer Heat
Ruth
1987
The Effects of Magic
Raphaella, the Magic Bunny
1998
Love Liza
Mary Ann Bankhead
2002
Titanic: Stories from the Heart
Self (archive footage)
2023
Moments of Discovery: The Making of Fried Green Tomatoes
Self
1998
Making Rat Race
Herself
2002
Six Feet Under: In Memoriam
Herself
2005
Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood
Frances Marion (voice)
2000
Bonneville
Margene Cunningham
2006
Taking Off
Audition Singer
1971
Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun
Lunar Mom
1993
Roe vs. Wade
Jessie
1989
Fargo
Director
2003
Titanic: Breaking New Ground
Self
1998
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
Self
1996
Curse of the Starving Class
Ella Tate
1994Cadaver
Beth
2012
The West Side Waltz
Mr. Goo
1995
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
Stella Mae
1982
Angus
Meg Bethune
1995Return to the 5 & Dime: An Interview with Ed Graczyk
Self – Stella Mae (archive footage)
2014
Tupperware!
Narrator
2004Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life
Self
1997
Bruno
Mother Superior
2000
Declaration of Independence
Self
2003
Dash and Lilly
Director
1999
Ambulance Girl
Jane Stern
2005Ambulance Girl
Director
2005
Guilty Hearts
The Judge
2007
The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club
Pancho Barnes (Voice)
2009
Signs of Life
Mary Beth Alder
1989
Talking With
Big Eight (segment "Rodeo")
1995Talking With
Director
1995
High Stakes
Jill
1989The Road to Mecca
Elsa Barlow
1991
Misery Loves Company
Self
2003
Johnny Bull
Katherine Kovacs
1986The Smack
Babs
Hostages
Peggy Say
1992
Hansel and Gretel
Narrator (voice)
2005