---
name: "Sissy Spacek"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/sissy-spacek"
fi1m_id: "sissy-spacek"
imdb_id: "nm0000651"
tmdb_id: 5606
wikidata_id: "Q190994"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "25 December 1949"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-09-24T03:22:38.917528+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sissy Spacek

## Identity

Sissy Spacek

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/sissy-spacek
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** sissy-spacek
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000651
- **TMDB ID:** 5606
- **Wikidata ID:** Q190994
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissy_Spacek, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190994, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000651/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5606

Actor. Born 25 December 1949 in Quitman, Texas, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 25 December 1949, Quitman, Texas, USA
- **Active:** 1973–present
- **Also known as:** 시시 스페이섹, סיסי ספייסיק, Mary Elizabeth Spacek
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 11: 10 acting, 1 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Tommy Lee Jones](https://film.one/person/tommy-lee-jones.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 5 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 81, as actor, over 10 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 86 (3), 1980s 80 (2), 1990s 84 (2), 2000s 84 (1), 2010s 66 (1), 2020s 76 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 78 across 9 titles
- **Score spread:** 8 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 6 of 9 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 9, Thriller 4, History 2, Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1
- **Screen time:** 19 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $600m across 8 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissy_Spacek, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190994, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000651/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5606

## Coming up

- *The Catch* (2027-05-21)

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*The Straight Story*](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md) (88), [*Dying for Sex*](https://film.one/tv/dying-for-sex.md) (81)
- **HBO Max:** [*Carrie*](https://film.one/film/carrie.md) (86)
- **Apple TV:** [*Die My Love*](https://film.one/film/die-my-love.md) (71)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Sissy Spacek

> Sissy Spacek makes complicated feelings readable without much outward fuss. We value her directness and restraint, especially when a film around her is doing too much, though a few sensible scenes cannot put everything right.

In *Die My Love* (2025), Sissy Spacek’s Pam has a couple of scenes of plain sense, and they make a welcome interruption. Lynne Ramsay’s film is loud, forceful and often striking, but keeps us too far outside Grace’s head. We felt relieved by Pam’s directness; Ramsay’s treatment of Grace’s distress had made us grateful for someone speaking plainly. As Jackson’s mother, Spacek gives the film something it needs without making a grand occasion of her presence. We rate her for that economy, though these brief contributions cannot stop the second hour from repeating the first.

The early breakthroughs were *Badlands* (1973), playing Holly Sargis for Terrence Malick, and *Carrie* (1976), as the telekinetic Carrie White. *Coal Miner’s Daughter* (1980) gave her a different task: she played Loretta Lynn across decades and did her own singing. Her roles became more selective during the 1980s and 1990s, with Rose in David Lynch’s *The Straight Story* (1999) among the supporting parts. *In the Bedroom* (2001) brought her prominently back as Ruth Fowler in a family tragedy. These are substantial changes of part, but the ability to convey strong feeling with little outward display remains a recognisable strength.

Spacek’s expressive eyes can do much of the work while the rest of her stays still. That restraint matters because it makes complicated feeling understandable without spelling out each change of mood. Her comment on choosing roles is worth remembering: “I need some part of it that frightens me.”

In *Dying for Sex* (2025), she plays Gail, though our recommendation rests chiefly with Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. Their portrayal of Molly and Nikki’s friendship gives the series its warmth, and makes the writing’s occasional self-satisfaction about its frankness easier to forgive. We would rather see her take that risk than be employed simply to lend a production some reassuring good sense.

## Biography

Sissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. Born Mary Elizabeth Spacek on 25 December 1949 in Quitman, Texas, she began her professional acting career in the early 1970s.

Her breakthrough came with the role of Holly Sargis in Terrence Malick's *Badlands* (1974). She received an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's *Carrie* (1976) and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying Loretta Lynn in *Coal Miner's Daughter* (1980). Other notable films include *Missing* (1982), *The River* (1984), *Crimes of the Heart* (1986), *In the Bedroom* (2001), *The Help* (2011) and *The Old Man & the Gun* (2018).

Spacek has also worked in television, including roles in *Night Sky* (2022) and *Homecoming* (2018). In 2025 she appeared as Pam in the film *Die My Love* and as Gail in the series *Dying for Sex*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, deadline.com, ew.com.*

## On Fi1m (11)

### Performed in (10) — the average rests on these

- *Die My Love* (2025), Fi1m 71, as Pam — [page](https://film.one/film/die-my-love.md)
- *Dying for Sex* (2025), Fi1m 81, as Gail — [page](https://film.one/tv/dying-for-sex.md)
- *The Help* (2011), Fi1m 66, as Missus Walters — [page](https://film.one/film/the-help.md)
- *In the Bedroom* (2001), Fi1m 84, as Ruth Fowler — [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-bedroom.md)
- *The Straight Story* (1999), Fi1m 88, as Rose — [page](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md)
- *JFK* (1991), Fi1m 80, as Liz Garrison — [page](https://film.one/film/jfk.md)
- *Missing* (1982), Fi1m 80, as Beth Horman — [page](https://film.one/film/missing-1982.md)
- *Coal Miner's Daughter* (1980), Fi1m 81, as Loretta Lynn — [page](https://film.one/film/coal-miners-daughter.md)
- *Carrie* (1976), Fi1m 86, as Carrie — [page](https://film.one/film/carrie.md)
- *Badlands* (1973), Fi1m 91, as Holly Sargis — [page](https://film.one/film/badlands.md)

### Crew (1)

- *Phantom of the Paradise* (1974), Fi1m 82, Set Dresser — [page](https://film.one/film/phantom-of-the-paradise.md)

## Complete filmography (78)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Catch* (2027), Actor
- *Love Letter to Texas* (2026), as Narrator
- *Die My Love* (2025), as Pam — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/die-my-love.md)
- *Dying for Sex* (2025), series, as Gail — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/dying-for-sex.md)
- *Sam & Kate* (2022), as Tina
- *Night Sky* (2022), series, as Irene York
- *Without Getting Killed or Caught* (2021), as Narrator / Voice of Susanna Clark (voice)
- *Homecoming* (2018), series, as Ellen Bergman
- *The Old Man & the Gun* (2018), as Jewel
- *Castle Rock* (2018), series, as Ruth Deaver
- *River of Gold* (2016), as Narrator
- *Bloodline* (2015), series, as Sally Rayburn
- *Deadfall* (2012), as June
- *The Help* (2011), as Missus Walters — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/the-help.md)
- *Get Low* (2010), as Mattie Darrow
- *Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People* (2009), series, Actor
- *Four Christmases* (2008), as Paula
- *Lake City* (2008), as Maggie
- *Pictures of Hollis Woods* (2007), as Josie Cahill
- *Hot Rod* (2007), as Marie Powell
- *Gray Matters* (2007), as Dr. Sydney
- *Big Love* (2006), series, as Marilyn Densham — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/tv/big-love.md)
- *Nine Lives* (2005), as Ruth
- *An American Haunting* (2005), as Lucy Bell
- *The Ring Two* (2005), as Evelyn
- *North Country* (2005), as Alice Aimes
- *A Home at the End of the World* (2004), as Alice Glover
- *Tuck Everlasting* (2002), as Mae Tuck
- *Last Call* (2002), as Zelda Fitzgerald
- *In the Bedroom* (2001), as Ruth Fowler — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-bedroom.md)
- *Midwives* (2001), as Sibyl Danforth
- *Songs In Ordinary Time* (2000), as Marie Fermoyle
- *The Straight Story* (1999), as Rose — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md)
- *The Rage: Carrie 2* (1999), as Carrie White (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *Blast from the Past* (1999), as Helen
- *Affliction* (1998), as Margie Fogg
- *Eye of God* (1997), Thanks
- *The Grass Harp* (1996), as Verena Talbo
- *If These Walls Could Talk* (1996), as Barbara Barrows
- *Beyond the Call* (1996), as Pam O'Brien
- *Streets of Laredo* (1995), series, as Lorena
- *Thomas Jefferson: A View from the Mountain* (1995), series, as Martha Jefferson Randolph (voice)
- *The Good Old Boys* (1995), as Spring Renfro
- *A Place for Annie* (1994), as Susan Lansing
- *Trading Mom* (1994), as Mommy / Mama / Mom / Natasha
- *A Private Matter* (1992), as Sherri Finkbine
- *Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories* (1992), series, as Narrator (voice)
- *Hard Promises* (1992), as Christine Ann Coalter
- *JFK* (1991), as Liz Garrison — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/jfk.md)
- *The Talking Eggs* (1991), as Narrator (voice)
- *The Long Walk Home* (1990), as Miriam Thompson
- *Crimes of the Heart* (1986), as Babe Magrath
- *'night, Mother* (1986), as Jessie Cates
- *Violets Are Blue* (1986), as Augusta "Gussie" Sawyer
- *Marie: A True Story* (1985), as Marie Ragghianti
- *The River* (1984), as Mae Garvey
- *The Man with Two Brains* (1983), as Anne Uumellmahaye (uncredited) (voice)
- *Missing* (1982), as Beth Horman — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/missing-1982.md)
- *Raggedy Man* (1981), as Nita
- *Heart Beat* (1980), as Carolyn Cassady
- *Coal Miner's Daughter* (1980), as Loretta Lynn — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/coal-miners-daughter.md)
- *Verna: USO Girl* (1978), as Verna Vane
- *Death Game* (1977), as Set Dresser
- *3 Women* (1977), as Mildred "Pinky" Rose
- *Welcome to L.A.* (1976), as Linda Murray
- *Carrie* (1976), as Carrie — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/carrie.md)
- *Katherine* (1975), as Katherine Alman
- *Phantom of the Paradise* (1974), as Set Dresser — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/phantom-of-the-paradise.md)
- *Ginger in the Morning* (1974), as Ginger Brown, Songs
- *The Migrants* (1974), as Wanda Trimpin
- *Badlands* (1973), as Holly Sargis — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/badlands.md)
- *The Girls of Huntington House* (1973), as Sara
- *The Waltons* (1972), series, Actor
- *The Rookies* (1972), series, Actor
- *Prime Cut* (1972), as Poppy
- *Great Performances* (1971), series, as Verna Vane
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Susan Lansing
- *A Woman in the Sun*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Sissy Spacek as Holly Sargis in Badlands (1973)](https://film.one/media/title/584/still-bd932e0f339d.jpg) Sissy Spacek as Holly Sargis in *Badlands* (1973) — Image via TMDB
- ![Sissy Spacek as Carrie in Carrie (1976)](https://film.one/media/title/1980/still-16eba489948c.jpg) Sissy Spacek as Carrie in *Carrie* (1976) — Image via TMDB
- ![Sissy Spacek](https://film.one/media/person/7740/gallery-b5386cd1c38d.jpg) Sissy Spacek — David Shankbone, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Sissy_Spacek_by_David_Shankbone_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Sissy Spacek](https://film.one/media/person/7740/gallery-c58df3a8301e.jpg) Sissy Spacek — Image via TMDB
- ![Sissy Spacek](https://film.one/media/person/7740/gallery-96f6a26bf6dd.jpg) Sissy Spacek — Image via TMDB
- ![Sissy Spacek](https://film.one/media/person/7740/gallery-43c1a95c2eca.jpg) Sissy Spacek — Image via TMDB
- ![Sissy Spacek](https://film.one/media/person/7740/gallery-00978918c97c.jpg) Sissy Spacek — Image via TMDB
- ![Sissy Spacek](https://film.one/media/person/7740/gallery-3a266cf80c2b.jpg) Sissy Spacek — Image via TMDB
- ![Sissy Spacek](https://film.one/media/person/7740/gallery-2f1a1bdf5f32.jpg) Sissy Spacek — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 5 nominated

- 2002: Best Actress (nominated), for *In the Bedroom*
- 1987: Best Actress (nominated), for *Crimes of the Heart*
- 1985: Best Actress (nominated), for *The River*
- 1983: Best Actress (nominated), for *Missing*
- 1981: Best Actress (won), for *Coal Miner's Daughter*
- 1977: Best Actress (nominated), for *Carrie*

### Golden Globes — 3 won

- 2001: Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama (won), for *In the Bedroom*
- 1986: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (won), for *Crimes of the Heart*
- 1980: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (won), for *Coal Miner's Daughter*

### SAG Awards — 1 won

- 2011: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (won), for *The Help*

### Other awards — 3 won

- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast 2011: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast (won), for *The Help*
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2001: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (won), for *In the Bedroom*
- Independent Spirit Awards 2001: Best Female Lead (won), for *In the Bedroom*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/sissy-spacek