Sissy Spacek

Acting

Sissy Spacek

Born
(age 76)
Birthplace
Quitman, Texas, USA
Credits
103 titles

Biography

Mary Elizabeth 'Sissy' Spacek (born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominations for four British Academy Film Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. Spacek was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.

Born and raised in Texas, she initially aspired to a career as a recording artist. In 1968, at age 18, she recorded a single, "John, You Went Too Far This Time," under the name Rainbo. She began her professional acting career in the early 1970s, making her debut as an extra in Andy Warhol's Women in Revolt (1971). Her breakout role came with Terrence Malick's influential crime film Badlands (1973), which earned her a nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. She rose to international prominence with her portrayal of Carrie White in Brian De Palma's horror film Carrie (1976), for which she received her first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. After appearing in the acclaimed films Welcome to L.A. (1976) and Robert Altman's 3 Women (1977), she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Loretta Lynn in the biographical musical film Coal Miner's Daughter (1980).

Her other Oscar-nominated roles include Missing (1982), The River (1984), Crimes of the Heart (1986), and In the Bedroom (2001). Her other prominent films include Raggedy Man (1981), JFK (1991), Affliction (1997), The Straight Story (1999), Tuck Everlasting (2002), Nine Lives (2005), North Country (2005), Four Christmases (2008), Get Low (2010), The Help (2011), and The Old Man & the Gun (2018). She received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the television films The Good Old Boys (1995) and Last Call (2002), and for her guest role on the HBO drama series Big Love (2011). She portrayed matriarch Sally Rayburn on the Netflix drama thriller series Bloodline (2015–2017), Ruth Deaver on the Hulu psychological horror series Castle Rock (2018), and Ellen Bergman on the Amazon Prime Video psychological thriller series Homecoming (2018).

She has also ventured into music, and recorded vocals for the soundtrack album of Coal Miner's Daughter, which peaked at number two on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and garnered her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She released a studio album, Hangin' Up My Heart (1983), which was critically well-received and peaked at number 17 on Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

Signature work

Known For

Acting credits 100

YearTitleRole
TBA A Woman in the Sun Film
2027 The Catch Film
2026 Love Letter to Texas Film Narrator
2025 Die My Love Film Pam
2025 Dying for Sex TV Gail (8 ep)
2025 Henry Fonda for President Film Self (archive footage)
2022 Sam & Kate Film Tina
2022 Night Sky TV Irene York (8 ep)
2021 Without Getting Killed or Caught Film Narrator / Voice of Susanna Clark (voice)
2018 Homecoming TV Ellen Bergman (10 ep)
2018 The Old Man & the Gun Film Jewel
2018 Castle Rock TV Ruth Deaver (10 ep)
2018 GQ Presents: Iconic Characters TV Self (1 ep)
2016 HyperNormalisation Film Self (archive footage)
2016 River of Gold Film Narrator
2016 Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl Film Self / Loretta Lynn
2015 Bloodline TV Sally Rayburn (33 ep)
2014 Off Camera with Sam Jones TV Self (1 ep)
2013 Making Badlands Film Self
2012 Deadfall Film June
2011 A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King Film Self (archive footage)
2011 The Help Film Missus Walters
2010 Get Low Film Mattie Darrow
2009 Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People TV
2008 Four Christmases Film Paula
2008 Lake City Film Maggie
2007 Pictures of Hollis Woods Film Josie Cahill
2007 Hot Rod Film Marie Powell
2007 Gray Matters Film Dr. Sydney
2006 Big Love TV Marilyn Densham
2005 Nine Lives Film Ruth
2005 An American Haunting Film Lucy Bell
2005 The Ring Two Film Evelyn
2005 North Country Film Alice Aimes
2004 A Home at the End of the World Film Alice Glover
2003 Absence of Malick Film Self
2003 A Decade Under the Influence Film Self
2002 Tuck Everlasting Film Mae Tuck
2002 Rosy-Fingered Dawn: A Film on Terrence Malick Film Self
2002 Last Call Film Zelda Fitzgerald
2001 In the Bedroom Film Ruth Fowler
2001 Acting 'Carrie' Film Self
2001 Visualizing 'Carrie' Film Self (archive footage)
2001 Midwives Film Sibyl Danforth
2000 Songs In Ordinary Time Film Marie Fermoyle
1999 The Straight Story Film Rose
1999 The Rage: Carrie 2 Film Carrie White (archive footage) (uncredited)
1999 Blast from the Past Film Helen
1998 Affliction Film Margie Fogg
1997 The View TV Self (2 ep)
1996 The Grass Harp Film Verena Talbo
1996 If These Walls Could Talk Film Barbara Barrows
1996 Beyond the Call Film Pam O'Brien
1996 The Rosie O'Donnell Show TV Self - Guest (1 ep)
1995 Streets of Laredo TV Lorena (3 ep)
1995 Thomas Jefferson: A View from the Mountain TV Martha Jefferson Randolph (voice) (2 ep)
1995 The Good Old Boys Film Spring Renfro
1994 Inside the Actors Studio TV Self (1 ep)
1994 A Place for Annie Film Susan Lansing
1994 Trading Mom Film Mommy / Mama / Mom / Natasha

Crew credits 4

YearTitleJob
1997 Eye of God Film Thanks
1977 Death Game Film Set Dresser
1974 Phantom of the Paradise Film Set Dresser
1974 Ginger in the Morning Film Songs
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