Sissy Spacek
1.2Acting

Sissy Spacek

Dec 25, 1949 - Quitman, Texas, USA

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.

Credits

Cast

Media
Movie1999The Straight StoryRose
Movie2005An American HauntingLucy Bell
Movie1991JFKLiz Garrison
Movie1974BadlandsHolly Sargis
Movie2007Hot RodMarie Powell
Movie2005The Ring TwoEvelyn
Movie2001In the BedroomRuth Fowler
Movie2001Acting 'Carrie'Self
Movie1976CarrieCarrie
Movie1999Blast from the PastHelen
Movie1997AfflictionMargie Fogg
Movie2001Visualizing 'Carrie'Self (archive footage)
Movie2008Four ChristmasesPaula
Movie1972Prime CutPoppy
Movie2005North CountryAlice Aimes
Movie1986'night, MotherJessie Cates
Movie2002Tuck EverlastingMae Tuck
Movie1996If These Walls Could TalkBarbara Barrows
Movie1994Trading MomMommy / Mama / Mom / Natasha
Movie19773 WomenMildred "Pinky" Rose
Movie2008Lake CityMaggie
Movie1982MissingBeth Horman
Movie2005Nine LivesRuth
Movie2010Get LowMattie Darrow
Movie1991Voices That CareSelf - Choir Member
Movie1984The RiverMae Garvey
Movie1980Coal Miner's DaughterLoretta Lynn
Movie1996The Grass HarpVerena Talbo
Movie1986Crimes of the HeartBabe Magrath
Movie2004A Home at the End of the WorldAlice Glover
Movie2011The HelpMissus Walters
Movie1990The Long Walk HomeMiriam Thompson
Movie1994A Place for AnnieSusan Lansing
Movie1976Welcome to L.A.Linda Murray
Movie1985Marie: A True StoryMarie Ragghianti
Movie1981Raggedy ManNita
Movie2012DeadfallJune
Movie1992Hard PromisesChristine Ann Coalter
Movie1992A Private MatterSherri Finkbine
Movie2001MidwivesSibyl Danforth
Movie2000Songs In Ordinary TimeMarie Fermoyle
Movie2002Last CallZelda Fitzgerald
Movie1996Beyond the CallPam O'Brien
Movie1974Ginger in the MorningGinger Brown
Movie2002Rosy-Fingered Dawn: A Film on Terrence MalickSelf
Movie1975KatherineKatherine Alman
Movie1986Violets are BlueAugusta "Gussie" Sawyer
Movie1973The Girls of Huntington HouseSara
Movie1980Heart BeatCarolyn Cassady
Movie1974The MigrantsWanda Trimpin
Movie1995The Good Old BoysSpring Renfro
Movie1977Rolling Stone Magazine: The 10th AnniversarySelf
Movie1999The Rage: Carrie 2Carrie White (archive footage) (uncredited)
Movie2007Pictures of Hollis WoodsJosie Cahill
Movie2016HyperNormalisationSelf (archive footage)
Movie2016Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain GirlSelf / Loretta Lynn
Movie1978Verna: USO GirlVerna Vane
Movie2018The Old Man & the GunJewel
Movie2025Die My LovePam
Movie1983The Man with Two BrainsAnne Uumellmahaye (uncredited) (voice)
Movie2003Absence of MalickSelf
Movie2014And the Oscar Goes To...Self (archive footage)
Movie2013Making BadlandsSelf
Movie2021Without Getting Killed or CaughtNarrator / Voice of Susanna Clark (voice)
Movie2007Gray MattersDr. Sydney
Movie2016River of GoldNarrator
Movie1993Beyond JFK: The Question of ConspiracySelf
Movie1992Fonda on FondaSelf - The 53rd Annual Academy Awards (archive footage)
Movie2022Sam & KateTina
Movie2003A Decade Under the InfluenceSelf
Movie1991The Talking EggsNarrator (voice)
TV Show1994Inside the Actors StudioSelf1
TV Show1972The Rookies1
TV Show1997The ViewSelf2
TV Show2022Night SkyIrene York8
TV Show2006Big LoveMarilyn Densham0
TV Show1951Hallmark Hall of FameSusan Lansing1
TV Show1972The Waltons2
TV Show1953The OscarsSelf3
TV Show1995Streets of LaredoLorena3
TV Show1975Saturday Night LiveSelf - Host1
TV Show2015BloodlineSally Rayburn33
TV Show1995Thomas Jefferson: A View from the MountainMartha Jefferson Randolph (voice)2
TV Show2018Castle RockRuth Deaver10
TV Show1996The Rosie O'Donnell ShowSelf - Guest1
TV Show1992Shelley Duvall's Bedtime StoriesNarrator (Voice)1
TV Show1975Les Rendez-vous du dimancheSelf1
TV Show2018HomecomingEllen Bergman10
TV Show2014Off Camera with Sam JonesSelf1
TV Show2018GQ Presents: Iconic CharactersSelf1
TV Show1987Seitenblickeself1
TV Show1971Great PerformancesVerna Vane1
TV Show2025Dying for SexGail8

Crew

Media
Movie1974Phantom of the ParadiseSet DresserArt
Movie1977Death GameSet DresserArt
Movie1997Eye of GodThanksCrew
Movie1974Ginger in the MorningSongsSound