
Sissy Spacek
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.
Known For








Credits
-
Die, My Love 2025★ NR
-
Dying for Sex 2025Gail★ 6
-
Sam & Kate 2022Tina★ 6.5
-
Night Sky 2022Irene York★ 6.9
-
Narrator / Voice of Susanna Clark (voice)★ NR
-
Homecoming 2018Ellen Bergman★ 7
-
Jewel★ 6.4
-
Castle Rock 2018Ruth Deaver★ 7.2
-
HyperNormalisation 2016Self (archive footage)★ 7.4
-
River of Gold 2016Narrator★ NR
-
Self / Loretta Lynn★ 8
-
Bloodline 2015Sally Rayburn★ 7.1
-
Self (archive footage)★ 7
-
Making Badlands 2013Self★ 8
-
Deadfall 2012June★ 6
-
The Help 2011Missus Walters★ 8.2
-
Get Low 2010Mattie Darrow★ 6.7
-
Four Christmases 2008Paula★ 5.8
-
Lake City 2008Maggie★ 5.5
-
Josie Cahill★ 6.7
-
Hot Rod 2007Marie Powell★ 6.4
-
Gray Matters 2007Dr. Sydney★ 5.8
-
Big Love 2006Marilyn Densham★ 6.9
-
Nine Lives 2005Ruth★ 6.1
-
An American Haunting 2005Lucy Bell★ 5.6
-
The Ring Two 2005Evelyn★ 5.7
-
North Country 2005Alice Aimes★ 7.2
-
Alice Glover★ 6.5
-
Absence of Malick 2003Self★ 7
-
Self★ 8
-
Tuck Everlasting 2002Mae Tuck★ 6.6
-
Self★ 6.7
-
Last Call 2002Zelda Fitzgerald★ 5.7
-
In the Bedroom 2001Ruth Fowler★ 6.9
-
Acting 'Carrie' 2001Self★ 7
-
Visualizing 'Carrie' 2001Self (archive footage)★ 5.7
-
Midwives 2001Sibyl Danforth★ 7
-
Marie Fermoyle★ 3.8
-
The Straight Story 1999Rose★ 7.7
-
The Rage: Carrie 2 1999Carrie White (archive footage) (uncredited)★ 5.6
-
Blast from the Past 1999Helen★ 6.8
-
Affliction 1998Margie Fogg★ 6.3
-
The Grass Harp 1996Verena Talbo★ 5.9
-
Barbara Barrows★ 6.6
-
Beyond the Call 1996Pam O'Brien★ 6
-
Streets of Laredo 1995Lorena★ 6.3
-
Martha Jefferson Randolph (voice)★ NR
-
The Good Old Boys 1995Spring Renfro★ 6.7
-
A Place for Annie 1994Susan Lansing★ 6
-
Trading Mom 1994Mommy / Mama / Mom / Natasha★ 6
-
Self★ 5.6
-
A Private Matter 1992Sherri Finkbine★ 4.8
-
Narrator (Voice)★ 10
-
Hard Promises 1992Christine Ann Coalter★ 5.2
-
Fonda on Fonda 1992Self - The 53rd Annual Academy Awards (archive footage)★ 6
-
JFK 1991Liz Garrison★ 7.6
-
The Talking Eggs 1991Narrator (voice)★ NR
-
Voices That Care 1991Self - Choir Member★ 8
-
The Long Walk Home 1990Miriam Thompson★ 7.6
-
Seitenblicke 1987self★ NR
-
Crimes of the Heart 1986Babe Magrath★ 6.1
-
'night, Mother 1986Jessie Cates★ 7.4
-
Violets are Blue 1986Augusta "Gussie" Sawyer★ 4.9
-
Marie: A True Story 1985Marie Ragghianti★ 5.7
-
The River 1984Mae Garvey★ 6.3
-
Anne Uumellmahaye (uncredited) (voice)★ 6.2
-
Missing 1982Beth Horman★ 7.3
-
Raggedy Man 1981Nita★ 5.3
-
Heart Beat 1980Carolyn Cassady★ 5.6
-
Loretta Lynn★ 7.3
-
Verna: USO Girl 1978Verna Vane★ NR
-
Self★ NR
-
3 Women 1977Mildred "Pinky" Rose★ 7.2
-
Welcome to L.A. 1976Linda Murray★ 5.2
-
Carrie 1976Carrie★ 7.3
-
Katherine 1975Katherine Alman★ 5.8
-
Arena 1975Self★ 6.7
-
The Migrants 1974Wanda Trimpin★ 5.7
-
Badlands 1974Holly Sargis★ 7.5
-
Ginger Brown★ 6
-
Sara★ 6
-
The Waltons 1972★ 7.1
-
The Rookies 1972★ 6.8
-
Prime Cut 1972Poppy★ 6.4
-
Great Performances 1971Verna Vane★ 5.6
-
The Oscars 1953Self★ 6.9
-
Susan Lansing★ 8.6