The following is a comprehensive list of the acting and directing credits of American actress Kathy Bates. With over 200 acting and directing credits to her name, Bates is perhaps best known for her breakout role in the 1990 horror film Misery, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. Her role as Annie Wilkes was met with much praise, earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama the following year. Since then she has acted in numerous other films, in both comedy and drama categories, earning three additional Academy Award nominations (all for Best Supporting Actress) as well as seven further Golden Globe Award nominations.
In 2011, Bates starred as Harriet Korn on the NBC legal drama series Harry's Law, her first starring role on television. The show ran for two seasons and Bates was nominated for two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2013, she starred in the third season of the FX anthology horror series American Horror Story, subtitled American Horror Story: Coven. Bates won her second Emmy Award for her role in the series. In 2024, Bates starred as Madeline Matlock on the CBS legal drama Matlock, for which she won a Critics' Choice Award.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1971 Taking Off Audition Singer Credited as Bobo Bates 1978 Straight Time Selma Darin 1982 Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean Stella Mae 1983 Two of a Kind Furniture Man's Wife 1986 Woman on Mateo Street 1987 Murder Ordained Bobbi Birk Summer Heat Ruth Stanton My Best Friend Is a Vampire Helen Blake Credited as Kathy D. Bates 1988 Arthur 2: On the Rocks Mrs. Canby 1989 Signs of Life Mary Beth Alder High Stakes Jill 1990 Men Don't Leave Lisa Coleman Dick Tracy Mrs. Green White Palace Rosemary Powers Misery Annie Wilkes 1991 The Road to Mecca Elsa Barlow Shadows and Fog Prostitute At Play in the Fields of the Lord Hazel Quarrier Fried Green Tomatoes Evelyn Couch 1992 Prelude to a Kiss Leah Blier Used People Bibby Berman 1993 Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun Lunar Mom Direct-to-video A Home of Our Own Frances Lacey 1994 North Alaskan Mom Curse of the Starving Class Ella Tate 1995 Dolores Claiborne Dolores Claiborne Angus Meg Bethune 1996 Diabolique Det. Shirley Vogel Maurine Collier 1997 Swept from the Sea Miss Swaffer Titanic Margaret “Molly” Brown 1998 Primary Colors Libby Holden Raphaella, the Magic Bunny Voice Helen "Mama" Boucher A Civil Action Bankruptcy Judge Uncredited cameo 1999 Baby Steps Mrs. Mellon Short film 2000 Bruno Mother Superior Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood Narrator Documentary 2001 Rat Race The Squirrel Lady Uncredited cameo American Outlaws Ma James 2002 Love Liza Mary Ann Bankhead Dragonfly Mrs. Miriam Belmont About Schmidt Roberta Hertzel Unconditional Love Grace Beasley 2004 Around the World in 80 Days Queen Victoria Little Black Book Kippie Kann Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy Sea Hag, Siren Voice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. The Judge Short film The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing Narrator Documentary The Marquesa 2005 Hansel and Gretel Narrator Direct-to-video Rumor Has It... Aunt Mitsy Uncredited cameo 2006 Failure to Launch Sue Solace Marrow's Wife Short film Relative Strangers Agnes Menure Bonneville Margene Cunningham Charlotte's Web Bitsy Voice Guilty Hearts The Judge 2007 Bee Movie Janet Benson Voice Fred Claus Mother Claus Hester Voice P.S. I Love You Patricia Reilly Christmas Is Here Again Miss Dowdy Voice 2008 Charlotte Cartwright Secretary of Defense Regina Jackson Revolutionary Road Helen Givings Personal Effects Gloria 2009 Chéri Madame Charlotte Peloux Miss Sue The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club Narrator Documentary 2010 Valentine's Day Susan Milton 2011 Midnight in Paris Gertrude Stein You May Not Kiss the Bride Mrs. Lighthouse Beverly Corbett 2012 Cadaver Beth Short film; Voice 2014 Tammy Lenore When Marnie Was There Mrs. Kadoya Voice 2015 Boychoir Headmistress The Great Gilly Hopkins Maime Trotter 2016 The Boss Ida Marquette Complete Unknown Nina Bad Santa 2 Sunny Soke 2017 Krystal Vera 2018 The Death & Life of John F. Donovan Barbara Haggermaker On the Basis of Sex Dorothy Kenyon 2019 The Highwaymen Miriam A. Ferguson Richard Jewell Bobi Jewell 2020 Home Bernadette 2023 Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Sylvia Simon The Miracle Club Eileen Dunne 2024 Summer Camp Ginny Moon A Family Affair Leila Ford
Television films Year Title Role Notes 1986 Johnny Bull Katherine Kovacs 1987 Murder Ordained Bobbi Birk 1989 Roe vs. Wade Jessie No Place Like Home Boonie Cooper 1992 Hostages Peggy Say 1995 The West Side Waltz Mrs. Goo 1996 Helen Kushnick 1999 Annie Miss Agatha Hannigan 2000 Possessed Student Credited as Katherine Bates 2002 My Sister's Keeper Christine Chapman 2005 Ambulance Girl Jane Stern Warm Springs Helena Mahoney 2024 The Great Lillian Hall Edith Wilson Also executive producer
Television Year Title Role Notes1978 Phyllis Episodes aired June 28 & 30, July 3 & 4 Sally Allison Episode: "Too Hot to Handle / Family Reunion / Cinderella Story" 1984 All My Children Belle Bodelle Unknown episode One Life to Live Evelyn Maddox Episode: "December 17, 1984" 1986 Cagney & Lacey Brenda Harris Episode: "Revenge" 1986–1987 St. Elsewhere Polly 2 episodes 1989 China Beach Nurse Jan Wyatt Episode: "The World (Part 2)" L.A. Law Charlotte Haley Episode: "One Rat, One Ranger" 1993 American Experience Narrator Episode: "Amelia Earhart: The Price of Courage" 1994 Rae Flowers Episode: "The Plague"; uncredited 1997 Adventures from the Book of Virtues Mother Voice, episode: "Respect" 1999 3rd Rock from the Sun Charlotte Everly Episode: "Alien Hunter" 2000 MADtv Stuart's Grandma Episode: "#6.2" 2001 King of the Hill Police Officer Voice, episode: "Lupe's Revenge" 2003–2005 Six Feet Under Bettina 10 episodes 2004 American Experience Narrator Episode: "Tupperware!" 2009 Alice Queen of Hearts 2 episodes 2010–2011 The Office Jo Bennett 8 episodes 2011–2012 Harry's Law Harriet Korn 34 episodes 2012 Two and a Half Men Ghost of Charlie Harper Episode: "Why We Gave Up Women" 2013–2014 American Horror Story: Coven Delphine LaLaurie 10 episodes2014–2015 American Horror Story: Freak Show Ethel Darling 10 episodes Mike & Molly Kay McKinnon 2 episodes 2015 American Dad! D.O. Rothy Voice, episode: "Manhattan Magical Murder Mystery Tour" 2015–2016 American Horror Story: Hotel Iris 11 episodes 2016 American Horror Story: Roanoke Thomasin White / The Butcher 5 episodes Agnes Mary Winstead 4 episodes 2017 Feud: Bette and Joan Joan Blondell 5 episodes 2017–2018 Disjointed Ruth Whitefeather Feldman 20 episodes 2018 Lip Sync Battle Herself Episode: "Kathy Bates vs. Tone Bell" The Big Bang Theory Mrs. Fowler 3 episodes American Horror Story: Apocalypse Miriam Mead 10 episodes Delphine LaLaurie Episode: "Apocalypse Then" 2024–present Matlock Madeline "Matty" Matlock / Madeline KingstonLead role and executive producer 2026 American Horror Story: 13 Delphine LaLaurie
Theater Year Title Role Notes 1975Casserole Performer Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway A Quality of Mercy 1976 Vanities Joanne 1979 Crimes of the Heart Lenny Magrath Actors Theatre of Louisville The Art of Dining Herrick Simmons The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1980 Goodbye Fidel Isabel New Ambassador Theatre, Broadway Fifth of July June Talley (replacement) New Apollo Theatre, Broadway 1981 Chocolate Cake performer Actors Theatre of Louisville 1982 Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean Stella May Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway 1982–1984 'night, Mother Jessie Cates American Repertory Theatre John Golden Theatre, Broadway Music Box Theatre, Broadway 1985 The Rain of Terror Oletta Crews Actors Theatre of Louisville Curse of the Starving Class Ella Promenade Theatre, Off-Broadway 1987 Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Frankie Manhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway 1988 The Road to Mecca Elsa Barlow (replacement) Promenade Theatre; Off-Broadway 2006 Master Class Maria Callas Stage reading; Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway
Director Year Title Notes 1995 Great Performances Episode: "Talking With" 1996 Homicide: Life on the Street Episode: "Scene of the Crime" 1997 NYPD Blue Episode: "I Love Lucy" 1998 Oz Episode: "Family Bizness" 1999 Dash and Lilly 2001–2003 Six Feet Under 5 episodes 2002 Everwood Episode: "The Great Doctor Brown" 2003 Fargo Unsold TV pilot 2005 Ambulance Girl 2006 Have Mercy
See also List of awards and nominations received by Kathy Bates List of 1990 box office number-one films in the United States List of 1991 box office number-one films in the United States
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