Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress and director. Bates began her career on the stage, and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play in 1983 for her performance in \'night, Mother. For her portrayal of Annie Wilkes in the 1990 film Misery, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She followed this with roles in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1995), and Titanic (1997). She received her second and third Academy Award nominations for Primary Colors (1998) and About Schmidt (2002), in the category of Best Supporting Actress. She is also the recipient of two Golden Globes, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three American Comedy Awards, and two BAFTA nominations.\n', '

Bates\' television work has resulted in 14 Emmy Award nominations, including two for her role as Harriet "Harry" Korn on the NBC series Harry\'s Law (2011–12), and a win for her portrayal of Delphine LaLaurie on the third season of American Horror Story (2013–14). In 2012, she received the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her appearance on the ninth season of Two and a Half Men. She also received Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for her portrayal of Miss Hannigan in the 1999 television adaptation of Annie. Her directing credits include several episodes of the HBO series Six Feet Under (2001–03).\n', '

Bates was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the youngest of three daughters of mechanical engineer Langdon Doyle Bates and homemaker Bertye Kathleen (née Talbert; 1907–1997) Her paternal grandfather was lawyer and author Finis L. Bates. Her great-great-grandfather was an Irish emigrant to New Orleans, Louisiana, who served as President Andrew Jackson\'s doctor. She graduated early from White Station High School (1965) and from Southern Methodist University (1969), where she majored in Theatre and became a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She moved to New York City in 1970 to pursue an acting career.\n', '

Return to Kathy Bates Autograph Profile