8.2
Movie
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
8.2
Movie
7.3
Movie
Carrie
5.8
Movie
The Ring Two
7.6
Movie
JFK
7.7
Movie
The Straight Story
6.4
Movie
The Old Man & the Gun
7.5
Movie
Badlands
6.8
Movie
Blast from the Past
5.8
Movie
Four Christmases
6.4
Movie
Hot Rod
7.5
Movie
Phantom of the Paradise
7.3
Movie
North Country
6.0
Movie
Deadfall
7.2
TV
Castle Rock
6.1
Movie
Die My Love
5.5
Movie
An American Haunting
6.9
TV
Saturday Night Live
6.7
Movie
Tuck Everlasting
Acting credits 100
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Year | Title | Job |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |