Acting
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.
Filmography
Airports
Film · 2025
Deadly Dolls: Deepest Cuts
Film · 2018
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Film · 2015
Bottomless Pit
Film · 2015
Wild in Blue
Film · 2014
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
Film · 2014
Return to the 5 & Dime: An Interview with Ed Graczyk
Film · 2014
Ooga Booga
Film · 2013
She Loves Me Not
Film · 2013
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
Film · 2013
Maria My Love
Film · 2012
Mommy's Little Monster
Film · 2012
Hawk Warrior of the Wheelzone
Film · 2012
OowieWanna
Film · 2012
Dark Blood
Film · 2012
Some Guy Who Kills People
Film · 2011
Letters from the Big Man
Film · 2011
Nothing Special
Film · 2010
BBStory: An American Film Renaissance
Film · 2010
Henry Jaglom Finds 'A Safe Place'
Film · 2010
Stuck!
Film · 2009
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
Film · 2009
Irene in Time
Film · 2009
Wamego: Ultimatum
Film · 2009
Repo Chick
Film · 2009
Double Duty
Film · 2009
Meet the Eye
Film · 2009
First Time Long Time
Film · 2009
Contamination
Film · 2008
A Single Woman
Film · 2008
Watercolors
Film · 2008
The Blue Tooth Virgin
Film · 2008
One Long Night
Film · 2007
Suffering Man's Charity
Film · 2007
Hollywood Dreams
Film · 2007
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
Series · 2007
Wanderlust
Film · 2006
Read You Like a Book
Film · 2006
Whitepaddy
Film · 2006
Firecracker
Film · 2005
America Brown
Film · 2005
Dr. Rage
Film · 2005
Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula
Film · 2005
Crazy for Love
Film · 2005
WAMEGO: Making Movies Anywhere
Film · 2004
Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild
Film · 2004
Birth of Industry
Film · 2004
House of 1000 Corpses
Film · 2003
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
Film · 2003
Paris
Film · 2003
Harold Buttleman: Daredevil Stuntman
Film · 2003
Russians in the City of Angels
Series · 2003
Curse of the Forty-Niner
Film · 2002
Teknolust
Film · 2002
Best of Tromadance Film Festival: Volume 1
Film · 2002
A Light in the Darkness
Film · 2002
Gypsy 83
Film · 2001
Soulkeeper
Film · 2001
Plotting 'Family Plot'
Film · 2001
The Donor
Film · 2001
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Series · 2001
Red Dirt
Film · 2000
Fallen Arches
Film · 2000
The Independent
Film · 2000
Oliver Twisted
Film · 2000
Altman on His Own Terms
Film · 2000
Conceiving Ada
Film · 1999
The Underground Comedy Movie
Film · 1999
Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage
Film · 1999
Paradise Cove
Film · 1999
Karen Black: Actress at Work
Film · 1999
Mascara
Film · 1999
Malaika
Film · 1998
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
Film · 1998
Invisible Dad
Film · 1998
Bury the Evidence
Film · 1998
Light Speed
Film · 1998
Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs
Film · 1998
Charades
Film · 1998
Angel Blue
Film · 1998
Rude Awakening
Series · 1998
Men
Film · 1997
Dogtown
Film · 1997
Stir
Film · 1997
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
Film · 1997
The Hunger
Series · 1997
Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering
Film · 1996
New York Crossing
Film · 1996
Crimetime
Film · 1996
Cries of Silence
Film · 1996
Every Minute Is Goodbye
Film · 1996
E! True Hollywood Story
Series · 1996
Profiler
Series · 1996
Dinosaur Valley Girls
Film · 1995
Plan 10 from Outer Space
Film · 1995
Starstruck
Film · 1995
The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley
Film · 1995
The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black: Teather Penumbra
Film · 1994
Too Bad About Jack
Film · 1994
Fertile La Toyah Video Magazine #2: The Kinky Issue!
Film · 1994
Party of Five
Series · 1994
Bound and Gagged: A Love Story
Film · 1993
Return of the Roller Blade Seven
Film · 1993
Legend of The Roller Blade Seven
Film · 1993
The Trust
Film · 1993
Moon Over Miami
Series · 1993
Tales of the City
Series · 1993
The Player
Film · 1992
Rubin & Ed
Film · 1992
Auntie Lee's Meat Pies
Film · 1992
Judgement
Film · 1992
The Double 0 Kid
Film · 1992
Final Judgement
Film · 1992
Tuesday Never Comes
Film · 1992
Dead Girls Don't Tango
Film · 1992
Evil Spirits
Film · 1991
Children of the Night
Film · 1991
The Roller Blade Seven
Film · 1991
Blood Money
Film · 1991
Quiet Fire
Film · 1991
Caged Fear
Film · 1991
Ralph S. Mouse
Film · 1991
Haunting Fear
Film · 1990
Night Angel
Film · 1990
Mirror Mirror
Film · 1990
Overexposed
Film · 1990
Club Fed
Film · 1990
Zapped Again!
Film · 1990
Twisted Justice
Film · 1990
Fatal Encounter
Film · 1990
The Children
Film · 1990
Homer and Eddie
Film · 1989
Out of the Dark
Film · 1988
The Invisible Kid
Film · 1988
The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway
Film · 1988
Dixie Lanes
Film · 1988
On the tracks of a filmmaker
Film · 1988
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive
Film · 1987
Hostage
Film · 1987
The Little Mermaid
Film · 1987
Invaders from Mars
Film · 1986
Flight of the Spruce Goose
Film · 1986
Worlds Beyond
Series · 1986
Cut and Run
Film · 1985
Savage Dawn
Film · 1985
Eternal Evil
Film · 1985
Martin's Day
Film · 1985
Bad Manners
Film · 1984
Murder, She Wrote
Series · 1984
Miami Vice
Series · 1984
E/R
Series · 1984
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?
Film · 1983
The Hitchhiker
Series · 1983
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
Film · 1982
Miss Right
Film · 1982
The Last Horror Film
Film · 1982
Faerie Tale Theatre
Series · 1982
Faerie Tale Theatre
Series · 1982
American Playhouse
Series · 1982
Separate Ways
Film · 1981
The Grass Is Singing
Film · 1981
Chanel Solitaire
Film · 1981
Where the Ladies Go
Film · 1980
Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop
Film · 1980
Power
Series · 1980
Killer Fish
Film · 1979
The Last Word
Film · 1979
Mr. Horn
Series · 1979
In Praise of Older Women
Film · 1978
The Squeeze
Film · 1978
Because He's My Friend
Film · 1978
The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver
Film · 1977
Capricorn One
Film · 1977
Family Plot
Film · 1976
Burnt Offerings
Film · 1976
Crime and Passion
Film · 1976
Nashville
Film · 1975
The Day of the Locust
Film · 1975
Trilogy of Terror
Film · 1975
Saturday Night Live
Series · 1975
People's Choice Awards
Series · 1975
The Great Gatsby
Film · 1974
Airport 1975
Film · 1974
Law and Disorder
Film · 1974
Rhinoceros
Film · 1974
Little Laura and Big John
Film · 1973
The Outfit
Film · 1973
The Pyx
Film · 1973
Police Story
Series · 1973
Cisco Pike
Film · 1972
Portnoy's Complaint
Film · 1972
Ghost Story
Series · 1972
Born to Win
Film · 1971
A Gunfight
Film · 1971
Drive, He Said
Film · 1971
Five Easy Pieces
Film · 1970
Hard Contract
Film · 1969
Easy Rider
Film · 1969
Adam-12
Series · 1968
The Name of the Game
Series · 1968
Mannix
Series · 1967
Judd, for the Defense
Series · 1967
The Carol Burnett Show
Series · 1967
The Invaders
Series · 1967
The Second Hundred Years
Series · 1967
You're a Big Boy Now
Film · 1966
The F.B.I.
Series · 1965
Run for Your Life
Series · 1965
The Big Valley
Series · 1965
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Series · 1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Series · 1961
The Prime Time
Film · 1960
George Sluizer - Filming beyond Bounderies
Film
Vacationland
Film
Science Fiction Film Awards
Series