Trivia

She was the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress in a horror/thriller for her role as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990).

Is an artist and writer and hopes to someday write and illustrate her own children's book. Has spoken at award ceremonies for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

Bates was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003, but she did not reveal her illness to the general public until 2009. She stated that she has been "in total remission" for over five and a half years, as of January 2009. In September 2012, Bates announced via Twitter that she has breast cancer and is recovering from a double mastectomy.

Her Oscar-winning role as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990) was ranked #17 on the American Film Institute's villains list of the 100 years of The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains.

Has said Dolores Claiborne (1995) is her favorite film role.

Donated $1 million to Hurricane Katrina victims.

Is close friends with Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson, Elizabeth Perkins, John Travolta, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet and Oprah Winfrey.

Bates' grandfather, Memphis attorney Finis Langdon Bates, wrote the book "The Escape and Suicide of John Wilkes Booth" in 1907. It is said to be Bates' non-fiction account of hearing a deathbed confession from a man who claimed to be Abraham Lincoln's assassin, Booth, who had escaped capture and lived under another name out west (source: pbs.org).

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 20, 2016.

In 2014, at the New York Walk for Lymphedema & Lymphatic Diseases, Bates announced via pre-recorded audio that, due to the double mastectomy, she has lymphedema in both arms. At that time, Bates became the National Spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) and has been actively involved in lymphedema and lymphatic disease advocacy. On May 11, 2018, Bates led advocates in a Capitol Hill Lobby Day to garner Congressional support for research funding. The next day, May 12, Bates addressed supporters at the first-ever DC/VA Walk to Fight Lymphedema & Lymphatic Diseases at the Lincoln Memorial.

Her performance as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990) is ranked #77 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Did her first ever nude scene at age 43 in At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991). She disrobed again for About Schmidt (2002).

With her role in The Family That Preys (2008), she was the first white actress to have a lead role in a Tyler Perry movie.

Was nominated for Broadway's 1983 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for "'night, Mother".

Warren Beatty originally offered her a small role in his film Reds (1981), however she was unable to obtain an international visa for her to film her role overseas. He kept contact with her and gave the role of a stenographer to Bates in his follow up Dick Tracy (1990).

Received her Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts for Theatre from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas (1969).

Auditioned for the role of Janet Wood on Three's Company (1976), which ultimately went to Joyce DeWitt. Bates says she was relieved she did not get the role because, after auditioning, she felt she really did not want it.

Only person to ever won an Oscar for acting in a Stephen king movie.

Lived with ex-husband Tony Campisi for 12 years before marrying him.

She was awarded the 1988 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Lead Performance for "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Her two older sisters appeared briefly in Primary Colors (1998).

She was awarded the 1988 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Performance for "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Although she initially did not want to play Helen "Mama" Boucher in the smash hit The Waterboy (1998) she said in an interview that taking the part turned out to be one of her best life experiences and has since called her co-star Adam Sandler "a good egg.".

Member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Actors Branch) [1998-2007].

Playwright Terrence McNally originally wrote the role of Frankie in "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" for Bates. Johnny was played by Kenneth Welsh in the 1987 Off-Broadway production that starred Bates.

In 2005, she and the rest of the chief creative team behind the "American Experience" documentary "Tupperware!" which aired on PBS were awarded the (George Foster) Peabody Award for excellence in electronic (i.e. television and radio) media. It was the 64th presentation of the internationally-renowned prize.

She was awarded the 1986 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Performance for "night, Mother" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

As of 2018, has appeared in three Oscar Best Picture nominees: Titanic (1997), The Blind Side (2009) and Midnight in Paris (2011). Titanic won.

She has appeared in one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Titanic (1997).

Was the 102nd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar for Misery (1990) at The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (1991) on March 25, 1991.

Is the youngest of three daughters of Langdon Doyle and Bertye Kathleen Bates.

Has two older sisters: Patricia Bates and Mary Bates.

Is one of 3 actresses who have won both the Best Actress Oscar (hers being for Misery (1990)) and the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy (hers being for Two and a Half Men (2003)). The other actresses are Emma Thompson and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The only person to ever win an Oscar for acting in a Stephen king movie.

Attended and graduated from White Station High School in Memphis, Tennessee.

She has English, and some Irish, Scottish, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Cornish, and Welsh, ancestry.

The only time she has acted out giving birth in a movie was, at age 58, in Fred Claus (2007).

Often mistaken for comedienne Roseanne Barr, who in turn has spoofed Bates' role as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990) in a Saturday Night Live (1975) sketch.

Daughter of Langdon (1900-1989), born in the state of Tennessee, and Bertye (née Talbert) Bates (1907-1997), born in the state of South Carolina.

Studied at the William Esper Studio in New York.

Is one of three actresses to have won the Best Actress Academy Award for their portrayal of a character named "Annie". The others are Anne Bancroft (for The Miracle Worker (1962)) and Diane Keaton (for Annie Hall (1977)).

Born at 11:12am-CDT.