Kathy Bates Facts: Celebrities Who Started on Soaps

Kathy Bates is a legendary film, television, and theater actress who is best known for her work in Titanic, Fried Green Tomatoes, Misery, Primary Colors, Annie, and About Schmidt. But she also appeared on soaps.

The acting legend headlined Harry’s Law and appeared in television shows such as the American Horror Story series and Two and a Half Men. From where she was born and raised to winning an Oscar, here are five fast facts about the actress.

Who Is Kathy Bates?

Bates was born on June 28 in Memphis, Tennessee, which is where she was also raised. She graduated from White Station High School and then attended Southern Methodist University, where she started studying theater. However, she left school in order to move to New York City to fully pursue an acting career.

Soap Beginnings
After moving to New York, Bates began working in film and theater. A few years after her career began, she tried her hand at television and appeared on soaps such as The Doctors, One Life to Live, and even shared a jail cell with Susan Lucci’s iconic Erica Kane on All of My Children.

Misery Turns Into Oscar Gold
Bates landed the role of Annie Wilkes in the horror flick Misery, which is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Her incredible work won her the Academy Award for Best Actress and she actually became the first woman to ever win Best Actress for a horror role. The performance also won her a Golden Globe Award.

Cancer Fight

It was a horror of another kind when Bates was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003, but she did not open up about her diagnosis until 2009 when she was in remission. In September 2012, Bates revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy. Though it removed her cancer, unfortunately, she was left dealing with lymphedema in both arms.

Getting Personal With Kathy Bates
She married her now ex-husband, Tony Campisis, in 1991 after being with him for 12 years. However, the couple called it quits six years later in 1997. They didn’t have any children.