---
name: "Tess Harper"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/tess-harper"
fi1m_id: "tess-harper"
imdb_id: "nm0002128"
tmdb_id: 41249
wikidata_id: "Q443044"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "15 August 1950"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 83
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-20T06:20:59.025893+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."
---

# Tess Harper

## Identity

Tess Harper

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/tess-harper
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** tess-harper
- **IMDb ID:** nm0002128
- **TMDB ID:** 41249
- **Wikidata ID:** Q443044
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tess_Harper, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q443044, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002128/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/41249

Actor. Born 15 August 1950 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 15 August 1950, Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA
- **Active:** 1983–2007
- **Also known as:** Tesa Harper, Tessie Jean Harper
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 79 (2), 2000s 91 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 78 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Drama 1, Music 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $194m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tess_Harper, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q443044, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002128/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/41249

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Tender Mercies*](https://film.one/film/tender-mercies.md) (86), [*Ishtar*](https://film.one/film/ishtar.md) (72)
- **Apple TV:** [*No Country for Old Men*](https://film.one/film/no-country-for-old-men.md) (91)

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

## Biography

Tess Harper is an American actress. Born Tessie Jean Washam on 15 August 1950 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, she attended Southwest Missouri State University and began her career in theatre productions, theme parks and commercials before moving into film.

Her feature debut was as Rosa Lee in *Tender Mercies* (1983), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for *Crimes of the Heart* (1986). Harper played Loretta Bell in *No Country for Old Men* (2007) and had a recurring role as Mrs Pinkman in the first three seasons of *Breaking Bad* (2008–2010), reprising the part in *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie* (2019). She shared a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for *No Country for Old Men*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, encyclopediaofarkansas.net.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *No Country for Old Men* (2007), Fi1m 91, as Loretta Bell — [page](https://film.one/film/no-country-for-old-men.md)
- *Ishtar* (1987), Fi1m 72, as Willa — [page](https://film.one/film/ishtar.md)
- *Tender Mercies* (1983), Fi1m 86, as Rosa Lee — [page](https://film.one/film/tender-mercies.md)

## Complete filmography (96)

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

- *Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story* (2023), as Tess
- *American Outlaws* (2023), as Loretta Hillhouse
- *Good Side of Bad* (2023), as Mary Ellen
- *Rosebud Lane* (2023), as Sugar
- *The Evening Hour* (2021), as Dorothy Freeman
- *The Long Shadow* (2020), as Mama Doris
- *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie* (2019), as Mrs. Pinkman
- *Burden* (2018), as Hazel
- *The Perfect Guy* (2015), as Mrs. McCarthy
- *Boys On Film 13: Trick & Treat* (2015), as Linda (segment "Surprise")
- *Surprise* (2015), as Linda
- *How to Get Away with Murder* (2014), series, as Sheila Miller
- *Frank* (2014), as Frank's Mom
- *Sunlight Jr.* (2013), as Kathleen
- *Straight A's* (2013), as Mother
- *The Christmas Heart* (2012), as Elizabeth
- *A Christmas Wish* (2011), as Trudy Willis
- *Revenge* (2011), series, as Carole Lyn Miller
- *Fatal Secrets* (2009), as Naomi
- *Crash* (2008), series, as Wendy Olinville
- *In Plain Sight* (2008), series, as A.U.S.A. Rolly
- *Breaking Bad* (2008), series, as Mrs. Pinkman — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/tv/breaking-bad.md)
- *No Country for Old Men* (2007), as Loretta Bell — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/no-country-for-old-men.md)
- *Broken* (2007), as Clare
- *Private Practice* (2007), series, as Augusta King
- *Saving Sarah Cain* (2007), as Miriam Esh
- *Kiss the Bride* (2007), as Barbara Davis
- *Judy's Got a Gun* (2007), as Susan Lemen
- *Brothers and Sisters* (2006), series, as Beth Ridge
- *Broken Bridges* (2006), as Dixie Rose Delton
- *Jam* (2006), as Ruby
- *Karla* (2006), as Molly Czehowicz
- *Jesus, Mary and Joey* (2006), as Liz O`Callahan
- *Loggerheads* (2005), as Elizabeth
- *Ghost Whisperer* (2005), series, as Ellen Wilkins
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, as Dinah Troy — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, as Pam Nelson — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Angel in the Family* (2004), as Mrs. Nelly Tomkins
- *Jack & Bobby* (2004), series, as Karen Carmichael
- *Lonely Place* (2004), Actor
- *Cold Case* (2003), series, as Sharon Lertola (2009)
- *One Tree Hill* (2003), series, as May Scott — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/one-tree-hill.md)
- *Without a Trace* (2002), series, as Patricia Spade
- *The Rising Place* (2001), as Rebecca Hodge
- *The Division* (2001), series, as Polly Danko
- *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, as Julia Barrett
- *The In Crowd* (2000), as Dr. Amanda Giles
- *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Mrs. Hallander
- *Judging Amy* (1999), series, as Barbara Nissman
- *Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder* (1999), as Narrator / Older Laura Ingalls Wilder
- *Dirty Laundry* (1998), as Beth Greene
- *The Jackal* (1997), as The First Lady
- *Cracker* (1997), series, Actor
- *Gun* (1997), series, as Virginia
- *A Child's Wish* (1997), as Joanna Chandler
- *The Killing Secret* (1997), as Tina Decapprio
- *Early Edition* (1996), series, as Lois Hobson
- *A Stranger to Love* (1996), as Linda Grant
- *The Road to Galveston* (1996), as Julia Archer
- *Death in Small Doses* (1995), as Jerri Sims
- *Touched by an Angel* (1994), series, as Betsy Baxter
- *Christy* (1994), series, as Fairlight Spencer
- *Grace Under Fire* (1993), series, as Joan
- *Walker, Texas Ranger* (1993), series, as Katie Malloy
- *Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story* (1992), as Verna Heath
- *My New Gun* (1992), as Kimmy Hayes
- *In the Line of Duty: Siege at Marion* (1992), as Vickie Singer
- *The Turning* (1992), as Martha Harnish
- *The Man in the Moon* (1991), as Abigail Trant
- *The Hidden Room* (1991), series, as Dede
- *My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys* (1991), as Cheryl
- *Daddy's Dyin'... Who's Got the Will?* (1990), as Sara Lee
- *Incident at Dark River* (1989), as Betty McFall
- *Criminal Law* (1989), as Detective Stillwell
- *Her Alibi* (1989), as Sally Blackwood
- *Unconquered* (1989), as Mrs. Mary Flowers
- *Far North* (1988), as Rita
- *Little Girl Lost* (1988), as Clara Brady
- *thirtysomething* (1987), series, Actor
- *Ishtar* (1987), as Willa — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/ishtar.md)
- *Daddy* (1987), as Ann Burnette
- *Crimes of the Heart* (1986), as Chick Boyle
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Patricia Pittman
- *Promises to Keep* (1985), as Gwen Palmer
- *The Twilight Zone* (1985), series, as (segment "Quarantine")
- *A Summer to Remember* (1985), as Jeannie Wyler
- *Reckless Disregard* (1985), as Meredith Craig
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Irene Rutledge
- *Flashpoint* (1984), as Ellen
- *Celebrity* (1984), series, as Susan French
- *Silkwood* (1983), as Linda Dawson
- *Amityville 3-D* (1983), as Nancy Baxter
- *Chiefs* (1983), series, as Carrie Lee
- *Tender Mercies* (1983), as Rosa Lee — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/tender-mercies.md)
- *Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land* (1983), as Janet Briggs
- *Kentucky Woman* (1983), Actor

## Gallery

- ![Tess Harper](https://film.one/media/person/99511/gallery-a1e610e0183e.jpg) Tess Harper — Image via TMDB
- ![Tess Harper](https://film.one/media/person/99511/gallery-094df71da9f3.jpg) Tess Harper — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1987: Best Supporting Actress (nominated), for *Crimes of the Heart*

*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/tess-harper