CMNetwork Actors

Karen Black

Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler; July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013) was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portraying eccentric and offbeat characters, and established herself as a figure of New Hollywood. Her career spanned over 50 years and includes nearly 200 credits in both independent and mainstream films. Black received numerous accolades throughout her career, including two Golden Globe Awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. A native of suburban Chicago, Black studied theater at Northwestern University before dropping out and relocating to New York City. She performed on Broadway in 1965 before making her major film debut in Francis Ford Coppola's You're a Big Boy Now (1966). Black relocated to California and was cast as an acid-tripping prostitute in Dennis Hopper's road film Easy Rider (1969). That led to a lead in the drama Five Easy Pieces (1970), in which she played a hopeless beautician, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Black made her first major commercial picture with the disaster film Airport 1975 (1974), and her subsequent appearance as Myrtle Wilson in The Great Gatsby (1974) won her a second Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Black starred as a glamorous country singer in Robert Altman's ensemble musical drama Nashville (1975), also writing and performing two songs for the soundtrack, which won a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack. Her portrayal of an aspiring actress in John Schlesinger's drama The Day of the Locust (also 1975) earned her a third Golden Globe nomination, this time for Best Actress. She subsequently took on four roles in Dan Curtis' anthology horror film Trilogy of Terror (1975), followed by Curtis's supernatural horror feature, Burnt Offerings (1976). The same year, she starred as a con artist in Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot. In 1982, Black starred as a trans woman in the Robert Altman-directed Broadway debut of Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, a role she also reprised in Altman's subsequent film adaptation. She next starred in the comedy Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? (1983), followed by Tobe Hooper's remake of Invaders from Mars (1986). For much of the late 1980s and 1990s, Black starred in a variety of arthouse, independent, and horror films, as well as writing her own screenplays. She had a leading role as a villainous mother in Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses (2003), which cemented her status as a cult horror icon. She continued to star in low-profile films throughout the early 2000s, as well as working as a playwright before her death from ampullary cancer in 2013.

  • Nacimiento: 1939-07-01, Park Ridge, Illinois, USA
  • Fallecimiento: 2013-08-08
  • Valoración en CMNetwork Actors: 2,9 de 5

En CMNetwork Actors

Conocido por

  • La casa de los 1000 cadáveres (2003) — Mother Firefly
  • Mi vida es mi vida (1970) — Rayette Dipesto
  • La trama (1976) — Fran
  • El Gran Gatsby (1974) — Myrtle Wilson
  • Pesadilla diabólica (1976) — Marian Rolf
  • Nashville (1975) — Connie White
  • Easy Rider (Buscando mi destino) (1969) — Karen
  • Aeropuerto 75 (1974) — Nancy Pryor

Filmografía

  • Vacationland — Louise
  • Airports (2025)
  • Deadly Dolls: Deepest Cuts (2018) — (archive footage)
  • Wild in Blue (2014) — Justine
  • She Loves Me Not (2013) — Karla
  • Ooga Booga (2013) — Mrs. Allardyce
  • Dark Blood (2012) — Motel Woman
  • Maria My Love (2012) — Maria
  • OowieWanna (2012) — The Donna
  • Mommy's Little Monster (2012) — Mrs. Melnick
  • Hawk Warrior of the Wheelzone (2012) — Tarot
  • Letters from the Big Man (2011) — Sean's Colleague
  • Some Guy Who Kills People (2011) — Ruth Boyd
  • Nothing Special (2010) — May
  • Double Duty (2009) — Annabelle
  • Stuck! (2009) — The Neighbor Lady
  • Repo Chick (2009) — Aunt De La Chasse
  • Irene in Time (2009) — Sheila Shivvers
  • Meet the Eye (2009)
  • First Time Long Time (2009) — Dr. Shneidel
  • A Single Woman (2008) — Storyteller
  • The Blue Tooth Virgin (2008) — Zena
  • Watercolors (2008) — Mrs. Martin
  • Contamination (2008) — Mavis
  • Hollywood Dreams (2007) — Luna
  • One Long Night (2007) — Barbara
  • Suffering Man's Charity (2007) — Renee
  • Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007) — Jennifer
  • Read You Like a Book (2006) — Kate
  • Whitepaddy (2006) — Mrs. Leider
  • America Brown (2005) — Marianne Brown
  • Firecracker (2005) — Sandra / Eleanor
  • Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula (2005) — Agrippina
  • Crazy for Love (2005) — Grace's Mom
  • Dr. Rage (2005) — Molly
  • Birth of Industry (2004) — Sara
  • Paris (2003) — Chantelle
  • Harold Buttleman: Daredevil Stuntman (2003) — Mrs. Buttleman
  • La casa de los 1000 cadáveres (2003) — Mother Firefly
  • Русские в городе Ангелов (2003) — Patricia Sommers
  • La maldición del cuarenta y nueve (2002) — Aunt Nelly
  • A Light in the Darkness (2002) — Mrs. Melnick
  • Teknolust (2002) — Dirty Dick
  • Gypsy 83 (2001) — Bambi LeBleau
  • El guardián de las almas (Soulkeeper: El alma del Diablo) (2001) — Martha la Magnifica
  • Ley y orden: Acción criminal (2001) — Vera Morgan
  • The Donor (2001) — Mrs. Springle
  • The Independent (2000) — Karen Black
  • Red Dirt (2000) — Aunt Summer
  • Oscura traición (2000) — Lucy Romano
  • Oliver Twisted (2000) — Mrs. Mary Happ
  • The Underground Comedy Movie (1999) — Mother
  • Mascara (1999) — Aunt Eloise
  • Conceiving Ada (1999) — Lady Byron / Mother Coer
  • Paradise Cove (1999) — Ma
  • Criminales (1998) — Jude
  • Bury the Evidence (1998) — The Mother
  • Angel Blue (1998) — Social Worker
  • Me levanté temprano el día de mi muerte (1998) — Whip Lady
  • Pasados de vueltas (1998) — Crystal Garcia
  • Invisible Dad (1998) — Courtney Whitmer
  • Malaika (1998) — Jessica Martin
  • Light Speed (1998) — High Priestess
  • Amores y sabores (1997) — Alex
  • The Hunger. El lado salvaje del deseo (1997) — Miss Gati / Landlady
  • Stir (1997) — Dr. Gabrielle Kessler
  • Ciudad de perros (1997) — Rose Van Horn
  • Un angelo a New York (1996) — Mrs. Tender
  • Los chicos del maíz IV: La reunión (1996) — June Rhodes
  • Profiler (1996) — Evie Long
  • La hora del crimen (1996) — Millicent
  • Cries of Silence (1996) — Rose Walsh
  • Every Minute Is Goodbye (1996)
  • The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley (1995) — Evelyn
  • Plan 10 from Outer Space (1995) — Nehor
  • Dinosaur Valley Girls (1995) — Ro-Kell
  • Starstruck (1995) — Bertha
  • The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black: Teather Penumbra (1994)
  • Cinco en familia (1994) — Doreen Jablonsky
  • Too Bad About Jack (1994)
  • Fertile La Toyah Video Magazine #2: The Kinky Issue! (1994)
  • Bound and Gagged: A Love Story (1993) — Carla
  • Moon Over Miami (1993)
  • Legend of The Roller Blade Seven (1993) — Tarot
  • La institución (1993) — Maria Vandermeer
  • Return of the Roller Blade Seven (1993) — Tarot
  • Auntie Lee's Meat Pies (1992) — Auntie Lee
  • Agente secreto juvenil (1992) — Mrs. Elliot
  • Judgement (1992) — Tiffany Powers
  • Final Judgement (1992) — Mrs. Sorrel
  • Tuesday Never Comes (1992) — Michelle
  • Rubin y Ed (1992) — Rula
  • El juego de Hollywood (1992) — Karen Black
  • Dead Girls Don't Tango (1992) — Insp. Wilson
  • Arma silenciosa (1991) — Kim Martino
  • Evil Spirits (1991) — Ella Purdy
  • Hijos de la noche (1991) — Karen Thompson
  • Rollerblade (1991) — Tarot
  • Caged Fear (1991) — Blanche
  • El precio del dinero (1991) — Barrett
  • Ralph S. Mouse (1991) — Miss Kuchenbacker
  • Mirror Mirror (1990) — Susan Gordon
  • Club Fed (1990) — Sally Rich
  • Haunting Fear (1990) — Dr. Julia Harcourt
  • La amante del diablo (1990) — Rita
  • The Children (1990) — Sybil Lullmer
  • Destape en la universidad (1990) — Homeroom Teacher
  • Justicia implacable (1990) — Mrs. Granger
  • Overexposed (1990) — Mrs. Trowbridge
  • Fatal Encounter (1990) — Joan Caldwell
  • Homer y Eddie (1989) — Belle
  • El asesino de la máscara (1988) — Ruth Wilson
  • El precio del pasado (1988) — Zelma Putnam
  • El invisible Kid (1988) — Mom
  • Hemingway, fiesta y muerte (1988) — Martha Gelhorn
  • El rehén (1987) — Laura Lawrence
  • La isla de los vivos (1987) — Ellen Jarvis
  • La Sirenita (Cuentos de las estrellas) (1987) — Sea Witch
  • Worlds Beyond (1986) — Lee Jeffreys
  • Invasores de Marte (1986) — Linda Magnusson
  • Flight of the Spruce Goose (1986) — Gloria
  • Amanecer salvaje (1985) — Rachel
  • Infierno en el Amazonas (1985) — Karin
  • El día de Martin (1985) — Karen
  • Eternal Evil (1985) — Janus
  • Malos modales (1984) — Gladys Fitzpatrick
  • Se ha escrito un crimen (1984) — Dr. Sylvia Dunn
  • Corrupción en Miami (1984) — Helen Jackson
  • E/R (1984)
  • El Autoestopista (1983) — Kay Mason
  • Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? (1983) — Zee
  • Vuelve a la tienda de baratijas, Jimmy Dean (1982) — Joanne
  • Cuentos de las estrellas (1982) — Guest Interviewee / Sea Witch
  • Fanático (1982) — Karen Black (sin acreditar)
  • La mujer perfecta (1982) — Amy
  • Coco Chanel (1981) — Emilienne d'Alençon
  • The Grass Is Singing (1981) — Mary Turner
  • Separate Ways (1981) — Valentine Colby
  • Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop (1980) — Investigator Evelyn Carter
  • Where the Ladies Go (1980) — Helen
  • Power (1980) — Rose Vanda-Buchanan
  • Voracidad (1979) — Kate
  • Solo contra la ciudad (1979) — Paula Herbert
  • Mr. Horn (1979) — Ernestina Crawford
  • El regreso de Chris Gretchco (1978) — Clarisse Saunders
  • Mujeres de treinta años (1978) — Maya
  • Because He's My Friend (1978) — Anne
  • Capricornio Uno (1977) — Judy Drinkwater
  • The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver (1977) — Miriam Oliver / Sandy
  • Pesadilla diabólica (1976) — Marian Rolf
  • La trama (1976) — Fran
  • El último recurso (1976) — Susan Winters
  • Nashville (1975) — Connie White
  • Como plaga de langosta (1975) — Faye Greener
  • Trilogía del terror (Los enigmas de Karen) (1975) — Julie / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore / Amelia
  • Aeropuerto 75 (1974) — Nancy Pryor
  • Law and Disorder (1974) — Gloria
  • El Gran Gatsby (1974) — Myrtle Wilson
  • Rhinoceros (1974) — Daisy
  • La organización criminal (1973) — Bett Harrow
  • El rastro (1973) — Elizabeth Lucy
  • Laura y John (1973) — Laura
  • Police Story (1973) — Office Evelyn Carter
  • Ghost Story (1972) — Barbara Sanders
  • Portnoy's Complaint (1972) — Mary Jane Reid a.k.a. Monkey
  • Cisco Pike (1972) — Sue
  • Nacido para ganar (1971) — Parm
  • El gran duelo (1971) — Jenny Simms
  • Aquellos años (1971) — Olive
  • Mi vida es mi vida (1970) — Rayette Dipesto
  • Easy Rider (Buscando mi destino) (1969) — Karen
  • Antes amar... después matar (1969) — Ellen
  • Área 12 (1968) — Susan Decker
  • The Name of the Game (1968) — Monica Garrison
  • Mannix (1967)
  • Judd, for the Defense (1967)
  • The Second Hundred Years (1967) — Marcia
  • Los invasores (1967) — Claudia Stone
  • Ya eres un gran chico (1966) — Amy Partlett
  • The F.B.I. (1965) — Lorraine Chapman
  • The Big Valley (1965) — Carla
  • Run for Your Life (1965) — Jennifer Palmer
  • The Prime Time (1960) — Betty