Image of Karen Black

Karen Black

1939-07-01 Park Ridge, Illinois, USA

Image of Karen Black

Biografia

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.

Películas

Airports 2025-09-17
Deadly Dolls: Deepest Cuts (archive footage) 2018-10-01
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief Self (archive footage) 2015-01-25
Bottomless Pit Karen Black 2015-10-21
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films Linda Magnusson (archive footage) (uncredited) 2014-10-06
Wild in Blue Justine 2014-05-05
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia Self (archive footage) 2013-08-04
Ooga Booga Mrs. Allardyce 2013-03-12
She Loves Me Not Karla 2013-06-09
Mommy's Little Monster Mrs. Melnick 2012-01-01
Hawk Warrior of the Wheelzone Tarot 2012-01-01
Dark Blood Motel Woman 2012-09-27
OowieWanna The Donna 2012-02-18
Maria My Love Maria 2012-04-17
Letters from the Big Man Sean's Colleague 2011-11-11
Some Guy Who Kills People Ruth Boyd 2011-04-14
Nothing Special May 2010-01-01
Henry Jaglom Finds 'A Safe Place' Self 2010-11-23
BBStory: An American Film Renaissance Self 2010-11-23
Irene in Time Sheila Shivvers 2009-06-19
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos Self 2009-01-11
Wamego: Ultimatum Self 2009-02-17
Double Duty Annabelle 2009-12-08
Stuck! The Neighbor Lady 2009-11-15
Repo Chick Aunt De La Chasse 2009-09-09
Meet the Eye 2009-06-16
A Single Woman Storyteller 2008-09-21
Watercolors Mrs. Martin 2008-06-07
The Blue Tooth Virgin Zena 2008-06-18
Contamination Mavis 2008-05-01
Suffering Man's Charity Renee 2007-03-09
One Long Night Barbara 2007-03-25
Hollywood Dreams Luna 2007-05-25
Wanderlust Herself 2006-07-12
Whitepaddy Mrs. Leider 2006-01-01
Read You Like a Book Kate 2006-10-01
Crazy for Love Grace's Mom 2005-03-01
Firecracker Sandra / Eleanor 2005-10-11
Dr. Rage Molly 2005-01-01
America Brown Marianne Brown 2005-10-28
Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula Agrippina 2005-06-15
WAMEGO: Making Movies Anywhere Self 2004-06-18
Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild Self 2004-08-29
Paris Chantelle 2003-06-06
Harold Buttleman: Daredevil Stuntman Mrs. Buttleman 2003-05-08
House of 1000 Corpses Mother Firefly 2003-04-11
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood Self 2003-03-09
A Light in the Darkness Mrs. Melnick 2002-04-03
Best of Tromadance Film Festival: Volume 1 ("Los Vampirios Moronious" short) 2002-02-19
Curse of the Forty-Niner Aunt Nelly 2002-10-01
Teknolust Dirty Dick 2002-01-10
Gypsy 83 Bambi LeBleau 2001-10-18
Soulkeeper Martha la Magnifica 2001-10-13
Plotting 'Family Plot' Self 2001-03-06
The Donor Mrs. Springle 2001-04-13
Altman on His Own Terms Self 2000-01-01
Oliver Twisted Mrs. Mary Happ 2000-01-01
The Independent Karen Black 2000-11-10
Fallen Arches Lucy Romano 2000-01-15
Red Dirt Aunt Summer 2000-03-17
The Underground Comedy Movie Mother 1999-05-14
Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage Self 1999-10-07
Paradise Cove Ma 1999-01-01
Mascara Aunt Eloise 1999-05-07
Conceiving Ada Lady Byron / Mother Coer 1999-02-19
Karen Black: Actress at Work Self 1999-01-01
Charades Jude 1998-12-17
Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs Self 1998-01-01
Malaika Jessica Martin 1998-01-01
Angel Blue Social Worker 1998-11-15
Bury the Evidence The Mother 1998-12-12
Invisible Dad Courtney Whitmer 1998-03-24
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died Whip Lady 1998-09-13
Light Speed High Priestess 1998-01-01
Men Alex 1997-10-23
Stir Dr. Gabrielle Kessler 1997-07-01
Who Is Henry Jaglom? Self 1997-07-08
Dogtown Rose Van Horn 1997-04-06
Un angelo a New York Mrs. Tender 1996-12-12
Cries of Silence Rose Walsh 1996-05-01
Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering June Rhodes 1996-10-08
Crimetime Millicent 1996-08-01
Starstruck Bertha 1995-01-01
Plan 10 from Outer Space Nehor 1995-02-23
Dinosaur Valley Girls Ro-Kell 1995-01-01
The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley Evelyn 1995-03-01
Too Bad About Jack 1994-01-01
The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black: Teather Penumbra 1994-10-10
Fertile La Toyah Video Magazine #2: The Kinky Issue! 1994-01-01
Return of the Roller Blade Seven Tarot 1993-04-15
The Trust Maria Vandermeer 1993-04-23
Legend of The Roller Blade Seven Tarot 1993-06-25
Bound and Gagged: A Love Story Carla 1993-10-22
Dead Girls Don't Tango Insp. Wilson 1992-03-06
Rubin & Ed Rula 1992-05-15
The Double 0 Kid Mrs. Elliot 1992-09-07
Final Judgement Mrs. Sorrel 1992-06-01
The Player Karen Black 1992-05-08
Tuesday Never Comes Michelle 1992-05-17
Judgement Tiffany Powers 1992-08-05
Auntie Lee's Meat Pies Auntie Lee 1992-10-21
Evil Spirits Ella Purdy 1991-10-03
Children of the Night Karen Thompson 1991-09-06
Caged Fear Blanche 1991-05-17
Ralph S. Mouse Miss Kuchenbacker 1991-02-16
Blood Money Barrett 1991-04-12
Quiet Fire Kim Martino 1991-10-31
The Roller Blade Seven Tarot 1991-09-06
Overexposed Mrs. Trowbridge 1990-01-01
Mirror Mirror Susan Gordon 1990-10-19
The Children Sybil Lullmer 1990-05-18
Fatal Encounter Joan Caldwell 1990-01-01
Zapped Again! Homeroom Teacher 1990-04-14
Club Fed Sally Rich 1990-08-09
Twisted Justice Mrs. Granger 1990-03-20
Night Angel Rita 1990-06-02
Haunting Fear Dr. Julia Harcourt 1990-08-01
Homer and Eddie Belle 1989-08-17
The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway Martha Gelhorn 1988-01-01
On the tracks of a filmmaker Karen Black 1988-01-01
Dixie Lanes Zelma Putnam 1988-05-03
The Invisible Kid Mom 1988-03-30
Out of the Dark Ruth Wilson 1988-06-02
The Little Mermaid Sea Witch 1987-04-06
Hostage Laura Lawrence 1987-10-01
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive Ellen Jarvis 1987-05-27
Flight of the Spruce Goose Gloria 1986-01-17
Invaders from Mars Linda Magnusson 1986-06-06
Martin's Day Karen 1985-02-22
Eternal Evil Janus 1985-01-04
Inferno in diretta Karin 1985-08-08
Savage Dawn Rachel 1985-12-21
Bad Manners Gladys Fitzpatrick 1984-11-11
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? Zee 1983-09-10
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean Joanne 1982-11-12
The Last Horror Film Karen Black (uncredited) 1982-08-12
Miss Right Amy 1982-01-01
The Grass Is Singing Mary Turner 1981-08-30
Chanel Solitaire Emilienne d'Alençon 1981-10-16
Separate Ways Valentine Colby 1981-05-01
Where the Ladies Go Helen 1980-03-14
Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop Investigator Evelyn Carter 1980-04-28
Power Rose Vanda-Buchanan 1980-01-14
The Last Word Paula Herbert 1979-10-10
Killer Fish Kate 1979-12-07
Mr. Horn Ernestina Crawford 1979-02-01
The Squeeze Clarisse Saunders 1978-10-25
In Praise of Older Women Maya 1978-09-22
Because He's My Friend Anne 1978-06-11
Capricorn One Judy Drinkwater 1977-12-10
The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver Miriam Oliver / Sandy 1977-02-28
Burnt Offerings Marian Rolf 1976-10-18
Family Plot Fran 1976-04-09
Ace Up My Sleeve Susan Winters 1976-02-06
Nashville Connie White 1975-06-11
The Day of the Locust Faye Greener 1975-05-07
Trilogy of Terror Julie / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore / Amelia 1975-03-04
Airport 1975 Nancy Pryor 1974-10-18
Rhinoceros Daisy 1974-01-21
The Great Gatsby Myrtle Wilson 1974-03-27
Law and Disorder Gloria 1974-10-09
Little Laura and Big John Laura 1973-05-03
The Pyx Elizabeth Lucy 1973-09-08
The Outfit Bett Harrow 1973-10-19
Portnoy's Complaint Mary Jane Reid a.k.a. Monkey 1972-06-19
Born to Win Parm 1971-12-01
Drive, He Said Olive 1971-06-13
A Gunfight Jenny Simms 1971-08-25
Cisco Pike Sue 1971-11-02
Five Easy Pieces Rayette Dipesto 1970-09-12
Hard Contract Ellen 1969-04-30
Easy Rider Karen 1969-06-26
You're a Big Boy Now Amy Partlett 1966-12-09
The Prime Time Betty 1960-04-01
Every Minute Is Goodbye