She accompanied a serial killer on his last spree, killed the majority of her high school peers, and she belted out some of country music’s greatest hits. And even after over four-plus decades of delighting fans the world over, Sissy Spacek is still at it. Today, this great lady is not only celebrating the Christmas season, but she’s also marking a personal milestone.
Happy Birthday, Sissy Spacek!
And that’s because she was born on December 25, 1949, in Quitman, Texas, which means that this fan-favorite is turning 71 years old today! Spacek initially aspired to become a professional singer and she even went as far as recording a single titled John You Went Too Far This Time in which she condemned John Lennon and Yoko Ono for posing nude on the cover of their album Two Virgins.
When sales of her music sputtered, Spacek switched her focus to acting, She honed her skills at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute and found employment as both a photographic model and as an extra at Andy Warhol’s Factory. She appeared uncredited in his films Trash (1970) and Women In Revolt (1971).
More training followed and resulted in Spacek gaining her first credit – as Poppy in the crime drama Prime Cut (1971). That role led to television work, including guest appearances on Love, American Style (1973), The Waltons (1972), and The Rookies (1973).
In 1973, Spacek received critical acclaim for her work in Terrence Mallick’s Badlands. Two years later, her celebrity intensified thanks to her portrayal of Carietta “Carrie” White, a troubled telekinetic in Brain De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie (1976).
Afterward, Spacek appeared in Welcome to L.A. (1976), Robert Altman’s 3 Women (1977), and the Loretta Lynn biopic Coal Miners Daughter (1980). For her work in the latter, Spacek would be awarded the Best Actress Oscar.
Spacek’s further filmography includes Heart Beat (1980), Missing (1982), The River (1984), Marie (1985), Crimes of the Heart (1986), JFK (1991), The Grass Harp (1995), Affliction (1997), In the Bedroom (2001), and Tuck Everlasting (2002).
On television, Spacek has played Marilyn Densham on Big Love (2010-2011), family matriarch Sally Rayburn on Bloodline (2015-2017), Alzheimer’s sufferer Ruth Deaver on Castle Rock (2018), and Ellen Bergman on Homecoming (2018).
As a singer, Spacek has released a studio album titled Hangin’ Up My Heart (1983) which peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. She also recorded the songs for the Coal Miners Daughter soundtrack (1980).
Spacek has been married to production designer, art director, and director Jack Fisk since 1974. The couple, who met on the set of Badlands, has two daughters: Schuyler (born July 8, 1982) and Madison (born September 21, 1988). Schuyler has followed in her mother’s footsteps by becoming an actress and singer. Entertainment Hub would like to wish Sissy Spacek a very happy birthday.
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