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Karen Black

Actress / Screenwriter / Singer-songwriter / Composer / Television Actress / Stage Actress / Film Actress | * 07/01/1939 († 74, 08/08/2013) | Park Ridge, Illinois (United States of America (USA))
4,480
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 LSD-tripping prostitute in Dennis Hopper's road film Easy Rider (1969). That led to a co-starring role in the drama Five Easy Pieces (1970), in whic... ()
Photo of Karen Black
Most frequent genres for this person: Drama | Comedies | Horror

Known for these Movies & Shows

Two teenage couples traveling across the backwoods of Texas searching for urban legends of serial killers end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers. ...

House of 1000 Corpses

R

2003 | 3.1/5 | 1h 29min
Horror, Crime
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The intersecting stories of twenty-four characters—from country star to wannabe to reporter to waitress—connect to the music business in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

Nashville

R

1975 | 3.7/5 | 2h 40min
Drama, Music, Comedy
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Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gats ...

The Great Gatsby

PG

1974 | 3.2/5 | 2h 24min
Drama, Romance / Love
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A drop-out from upper-class America picks up work along the way on oil-rigs when his life isn't spent in a squalid succession of bars, motels, and other points of interest. ...

Five Easy Pieces

R

1970 | 3.6/5 | 1h 38min
Drama
available on:
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Awards & Nominations for Karen Black

Sitges Film Festival Best Actress Award Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
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Movies with Karen Black as Actress(158)

as Mrs. Tender2023 New York Crossing
2018 Deadly Dolls: Deepest Cuts
as Self (archive footage)2015 Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
as Justine2014 Wild in Blue
as Karla2013 She Loves Me Not
as Mrs. Allardyce2013 Ooga Booga
as The Donna2012 OowieWanna
as Maria2012 Maria My Love
as Tarot2012 Hawk Warrior of the Wheelzone
as Mrs. Melnick2012 Mommy's Little Monster
as Motel Woman2012 Dark Blood
as Sean's Colleague2011 Letters from the Big Man
as Ruth Boyd2011 Some Guy Who Kills People
as May2010 Nothing Special
as herself2010 BBStory: An American Film Renaissance
as herself2010 Henry Jaglom Finds 'A Safe Place'
as Sheila Shivvers2009 Irene in Time
as Annabelle2009 Double Duty
as Aunt de la Chasse2009 Repo Chick
as herself2009 Wamego: Ultimatum
2009 Stuck!
as herself2009 No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
as Maxis2008 Contamination
as Storyteller2008 A Single Woman
as Mrs. Martin2008 Watercolors
as Renee2007 Ghost Writer
as Barbara2007 One Long Night
as Luna2007 Hollywood Dreams
as herself2006 Wanderlust
as Mrs. Leider2006 Whitepaddy
as Agrippina2005 Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula
as Molly2005 Dr. Rage
as Marianne Brown2005 America Brown
as Sandra / Eleanor2005 Firecracker
as herself2004 WAMEGO: Making Movies Anywhere
as herself2003 Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
as Chantelle2003 Paris
as Mrs. Buttleman2003 Harold Buttleman: Daredevil Stuntman
as Mother Firefly2003 House of 1000 Corpses
as Mrs. Melnick2002 A Light in the Darkness
as Dirty Dick2002 Teknolust
as Aunt Nelly2002 Curse Of The Forty-Niner
as ("Los Vampirios Moronious" short)2002 Best of Tromadance Film Festival: Volume 1
as herself2001 Plotting 'Family Plot'
as Mrs. Springle2001 The Donor
as Bambi LeBleau2001 Gypsy 83
as Martha la Magnifica2001 Soulkeeper
as Aunt Summer2000 Red Dirt
as herself2000 The Independent
as Lucy Romano2000 Fallen Arches
as Mrs. Mary Happ2000 Oliver Twisted
as Lady Byron / Mother Coer1999 Conceiving Ada
as herself1999 Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage
1999 The Underground Comedy Movie
as Ma1999 Paradise Cove
as Aunt Eloise1999 Mascara
as High Priestess1998 Light Speed
as Courtney Whitmer1998 Invisible Dad
as Jessica Martin1998 Malaika
as Social Worker1998 Angel Blue
as Whip Lady1998 I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
as Jude1998 Charades
as The Mother1998 Bury the Evidence
as herself1997 Who Is Henry Jaglom?
as Dr. Gabrielle Kessler1997 Stir
as Alex1997 Men
as June Rhodes1996 Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering
as Millicent1996 Crimetime
as Rose Van Horn1996 Dogtown
as Rose Walsh1996 Cries of Silence
as Evelyn1995 The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley
as Nehor1995 Plan 10 from Outer Space
as Ro-Kell1995 Dinosaur Valley Girls
as Bertha1995 Starstruck
1994 Too Bad About Jack
as Maria Vandermeer1993 The Trust
as Carla1993 Bound and Gagged: A Love Story
as Tarot1993 Return of the Roller Blade Seven
as Tarot1993 Legend of The Roller Blade Seven
as Auntie Lee1992 Auntie Lee's Meat Pies
as Tiffany Powers1992 Judgement
as Michelle1992 Tuesday Never Comes
as Mrs. Sorrel1992 Final Judgement
as herself1992 The Player
as Insp. Wilson1992 Dead Girls Don't Tango
as Mrs. Elliot1992 The Double 0 Kid
as Barrett1991 The Killers Edge
as Rula1991 Rubin & Ed
as Karen Thompson1991 Children of the Night
as Tarot1991 The Roller Blade Seven
as Blanche1991 Caged Fear
as Kim Martino1991 Quiet Fire
as Dr. Julia Harcourt1990 Haunting Fear
as Joan Caldwell1990 Fatal Encounter
as Sybil Lullmer1990 The Children
as Homeroom Teacher1990 Zapped Again!
as Sally Rich1990 Club Fed
as Susan Gordon1990 Mirror Mirror
as Mrs. Trowbridge1990 Overexposed
as Mrs. Granger1990 Twisted Justice
as Rita1990 Night Angel
as Ella Purdy1990 Evil Spirits
as Belle1989 Homer and Eddie
as Martha Gelhorn1988 The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway
as Ruth Wilson1988 Out of the Dark
as Zelma Putnam1988 Dixie Lanes
as Mom1988 The Invisible Kid
as Ellen Jarvis1987 It's Alive III: Island of the Alive
as Laura Lawrence1987 Hostage
as Sea Witch1987 The Little Mermaid
as Gloria1986 Flight of the Spruce Goose
as Linda Magnusson1986 Invaders from Mars
as Karin1985 Cut and Run
as Janus1985 Eternal Evil
as Rachel1985 Savage Dawn
as Karen1985 Martin's Day
as Gladys Fitzpatrick1984 Bad Manners
as Zee1983 Can She Bake A Cherry Pie?
as Joanne1982 Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
as Amy1982 Miss Right
as Karen Black (uncredited)1982 The Last Horror Film
as Mary Turner1981 The Grass Is Singing
as Valentine Colby1981 Separate Ways
as Emilienne d'Alençon1981 Chanel Solitaire
as Rose Vanda-Buchanan1980 Power
as Investigator Evelyn Carter1980 Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop
as Helen1980 Where the Ladies Go
as Kate1979 Killer Fish
as Paula Herbert1979 The Last Word
as Ernestina Crawford1979 Mr. Horn
as Clarisse Saunders1978 The Squeeze
as Anne1978 Because He's My Friend
as Maya1978 In Praise Of Older Women
as Miriam Oliver / Sandy1977 The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver
as Judy Drinkwater1977 Capricorn One
as Fran1976 Family Plot
as Susan Winters1976 Crime and Passion
as Marian Rolf1976 Burnt Offerings
as Faye Greener1975 The Day of the Locust
as Connie White1975 Nashville
as Julie / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore / Amelia1975 Trilogy of Terror
as Daisy1974 Rhinoceros
as Nancy Pryor1974 Airport 1975
as Myrtle Wilson1974 The Great Gatsby
as Gloria1974 Law and Disorder
as Laura1973 Little Laura and Big John
as Bett Harrow1973 The Outfit
as Elizabeth Lucy1973 The Pyx
as Sue1972 Cisco Pike
as Mary Jane Reid a.k.a. Monkey1972 Portnoy's Complaint
as Parm1971 Born to Win
as Jenny Simms1971 A Gunfight
as Olive1971 Drive, He Said
as Rayette Dipesto1970 Five Easy Pieces
as Karen1969 Easy Rider
as Ellen1969 Hard Contract
as Amy Partlett1966 You're a Big Boy Now
as Betty1960 The Prime Time

TV Shows/Series with Karen Black as Actress(24)

as Jennifer2007 Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
as Vera Morgan2001 Law & Order: Criminal Intent
1997 The Hunger
1996 E! True Hollywood Story
1993 Moon Over Miami
as herself1993 Tales of the City
as Dr. Sylvia Dunn1984 Murder, She Wrote
1984 Miami Vice
1984 E/R
as Kay Mason1983 The Hitchhiker
as Sea Witch1982 Faerie Tale Theatre
as Self - Host / Catherine the Great / Various1975 Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host1975 Saturday Night Live
1973 Police Story
as Barbara Sanders1972 Ghost Story
as Monica Garrison1968 The Name of the Game
1968 Adam-12
1967 Judd for the Defense
as Self - Guest / Various Characters1967 The Carol Burnett Show
as Claudia Stone1967 The Invaders
1967 Mannix
as Carla1965 The Big Valley
as Lorraine Chapman1965 The F.B.I.
as Jennifer Palmer1965 Run for Your Life

Movies with Karen Black as Crew(5)

Writing/Screenplay2000 The Invention of Dr. Morel
Production/Producer1998 Charades
Writing/Writer1998 Charades
Writing/Screenplay1997 Men
Sound/Music1975 Nashville

Full Name: Karen Black
Born: Saturday, 07/01 1939 (July) in Park Ridge, Illinois (United States of America (USA))
Died: Thursday, 08/08 2013 (August) in Santa Monica (aged: 74)
Zodiac sign: Cancer (Chinese zodiac sign: Rabbit)
Languages: English (EN, native language)
Educated at: Maine East High School, Northwestern University
Spouses (current/former): L. M. Kit Carson, Stephen Eckelberry
Children: Hunter Carson
Siblings: Gail Brown
Other names for Karen Black (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"カレン・ブラック"
"Karen Blanche Ziegler"
Karen Black frequently works together with these people:
Andy Samberg (30x, Actor)
Bob Odenkirk (22x, Actor)
Bill Hader (22x, Actor)
Scott Shaw (22x, Crew)
Fred Armisen (21x, Actor)
Donald G. Jackson (19x, Crew)
Will Forte (18x, Actor)
Harlan Warde (18x, Actor)
Kristen Wiig (17x, Actress)
Richard Anderson (17x, Actor)
Frank Marth (17x, Actor)
Harold Gould (16x, Actor)
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WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:3475, Added: 03/23/2018, Last updated: 04/10/2024