
Karen Black
Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler) 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.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Airports as
- 2014 · Wild in Blue as Justine
- 2007 · Hollywood Dreams as Luna
- 2007 · Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! as Jennifer
- 2006 · Wanderlust as Herself
- 2003 · Harold Buttleman: Daredevil Stuntman as Mrs. Buttleman
- 2003 · House of 1000 Corpses as Mother Firefly
- 2001 · Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Vera Morgan
- 1998 · I Woke Up Early the Day I Died as Whip Lady
- 1997 · The Hunger as Miss Gati / Landlady
- 1996 · Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering as June Rhodes
- 1996 · Cries of Silence as Rose Walsh
- 1992 · Auntie Lee's Meat Pies as Auntie Lee
- 1992 · The Player as Karen Black
- 1990 · Mirror Mirror as Susan Gordon
- 1990 · Overexposed as Mrs. Trowbridge
- 1990 · Fatal Encounter as Joan Caldwell
- 1985 · Savage Dawn as Rachel
- 1984 · Bad Manners as Gladys Fitzpatrick
- 1984 · Murder, She Wrote as Dr. Sylvia Dunn
- 1984 · Miami Vice as
- 1983 · The Hitchhiker as Kay Mason
- 1982 · Faerie Tale Theatre as Guest Interviewee
- 1982 · Faerie Tale Theatre as Sea Witch
- 1982 · The Last Horror Film as Karen Black (uncredited)
- 1981 · Separate Ways as Valentine Colby
- 1979 · The Last Word as Paula Herbert
- 1979 · Mr. Horn as Ernestina Crawford
- 1977 · The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver as Miriam Oliver / Sandy
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- 1975 · Nashville as Connie White
- 1975 · The Day of the Locust as Faye Greener
- 1975 · Trilogy of Terror as Julie / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore / Amelia
- 1974 · Airport 1975 as Nancy Pryor
- 1974 · Law and Disorder as Gloria
- 1974 · The Great Gatsby as Myrtle Wilson
- 1973 · The Outfit as Bett Harrow
- 1973 · Police Story as
- 1972 · Ghost Story as Barbara Sanders
- 1969 · Easy Rider as Karen
- 1968 · Adam-12 as Susan Decker
- 1968 · The Name of the Game as Monica Garrison
- 1967 · Mannix as
- 1967 · The Carol Burnett Show as Self - Guest / Various Characters
- 1967 · Judd for the Defense as
- 1967 · The Invaders as Claudia Stone
- 1965 · The F.B.I. as Lorraine Chapman
- 1965 · The Big Valley as Carla
- 1965 · Run for Your Life as Jennifer Palmer
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- Future · Every Minute Is Goodbye as
- 2018 · Deadly Dolls: Deepest Cuts as (archive footage)
- 2015 · Bottomless Pit as Karen Black
- 2015 · Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief as Self (archive footage)
- 2013 · Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia as Self (archive footage)
- 2013 · She Loves Me Not as Karla
- 2013 · Ooga Booga as Mrs. Allardyce
- 2012 · Dark Blood as Motel Woman
- 2012 · Maria My Love as Maria
- 2012 · OowieWanna as The Donna
- 2012 · Mommy's Little Monster as Mrs. Melnick
- 2012 · Hawk Warrior of the Wheelzone as Tarot
- 2011 · Letters from the Big Man as Sean's Colleague
- 2011 · Some Guy Who Kills People as Ruth Boyd
- 2010 · BBStory: An American Film Renaissance as Self
- 2010 · Henry Jaglom Finds 'A Safe Place' as Self
- 2010 · Nothing Special as May
- 2009 · Double Duty as Annabelle
- 2009 · Stuck! as The Neighbor Lady
- 2009 · Repo Chick as Aunt De La Chasse
- 2009 · Irene in Time as Sheila Shivvers
- 2009 · Wamego: Ultimatum as Self
- 2009 · No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos as Self
- 2008 · A Single Woman as Storyteller
- 2008 · Watercolors as Mrs. Martin
- 2008 · Contamination as Mavis
- 2007 · One Long Night as Barbara
- 2007 · Suffering Man's Charity as Renee
- 2006 · Read You Like a Book as Kate
- 2006 · Whitepaddy as Mrs. Leider
- 2005 · America Brown as Marianne Brown
- 2005 · Firecracker as Sandra / Eleanor
- 2005 · Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula as Agrippina
- 2005 · My Suicidal Sweetheart as Grace's Mom
- 2005 · Dr. Rage as Molly
- 2004 · Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild as Self
- 2004 · WAMEGO: Making Movies Anywhere as Self
- 2003 · Paris as Chantelle
- 2003 · Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood as Self
- 2003 · Russians in the City of Angels as Patricia Sommers
- 2002 · Curse of the Forty-Niner as Aunt Nelly
- 2002 · Best of Tromadance Film Festival: Volume 1 as ("Los Vampirios Moronious" short)
- 2002 · Teknolust as Dirty Dick
- 2002 · A Light in the Darkness as Mrs. Melnick
- 2001 · Gypsy 83 as Bambi LeBleau
- 2001 · Soulkeeper as Martha la Magnifica
- 2001 · The Donor as Mrs. Springle
- 2001 · Plotting 'Family Plot' as Self
- 2000 · The Independent as Karen Black
- 2000 · Red Dirt as Aunt Summer
- 2000 · Fallen Arches as Lucy Romano
- 2000 · Altman on His Own Terms as Self
- 2000 · Oliver Twisted as Mrs. Mary Happ
- 1999 · Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage as Self
- 1999 · The Underground Comedy Movie as Mother
- 1999 · Mascara as Aunt Eloise
- 1999 · Conceiving Ada as Lady Byron / Mother Coer
- 1999 · Paradise Cove as Ma
- 1999 · Karen Black: Actress at Work as Self
- 1998 · Charades as Jude
- 1998 · Bury the Evidence as The Mother
- 1998 · Angel Blue as Social Worker
- 1998 · Invisible Dad as Courtney Whitmer
- 1998 · Malaika as Jessica Martin
- 1998 · Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs as Self
- 1998 · Light Speed as High Priestess
- 1997 · Men as Alex
- 1997 · Who Is Henry Jaglom? as Self
- 1997 · Stir as Dr. Gabrielle Kessler
- 1997 · Dogtown as Rose Van Horn
- 1996 · New York Crossing as Mrs. Tender
- 1996 · E! True Hollywood Story as
- 1996 · Crimetime as Millicent
- 1995 · The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley as Evelyn
- 1995 · Plan 10 from Outer Space as Nehor
- 1995 · Starstruck as Bertha
- 1995 · Dinosaur Valley Girls as Ro-Kell
- 1994 · Too Bad About Jack as
- 1992 · The Double 0 Kid as Mrs. Elliot
- 1992 · Tuesday Never Comes as Michelle
- 1991 · Quiet Fire as Kim Martino
- 1990 · Haunting Fear as Dr. Julia Harcourt
- Future · Science Fiction Film Awards as Herself
- 1994 · The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black: Teather Penumbra as
- 1994 · Fertile La Toyah Video Magazine #2: The Kinky Issue! as
- 1993 · Bound and Gagged: A Love Story as Carla
- 1993 · Tales of the City as Self
- 1993 · Moon Over Miami as
- 1993 · Legend of The Roller Blade Seven as Tarot
- 1993 · The Trust as Maria Vandermeer
- 1993 · Return of the Roller Blade Seven as Tarot
- 1992 · Judgement as Tiffany Powers
- 1992 · Final Judgement as Mrs. Sorrel
- 1992 · Rubin & Ed as Rula
- 1992 · Dead Girls Don't Tango as Insp. Wilson
- 1991 · Evil Spirits as Ella Purdy
- 1991 · The Roller Blade Seven as Tarot
- 1991 · Children of the Night as Karen Thompson
- 1991 · Caged Fear as Blanche
- 1991 · Blood Money as Barrett
- 1991 · Ralph S. Mouse as Miss Kuchenbacker
- 1990 · Club Fed as Sally Rich
- 1990 · Night Angel as Rita
- 1990 · The Children as Sybil Lullmer
- 1990 · Zapped Again! as Homeroom Teacher
- 1990 · Twisted Justice as Mrs. Granger
- 1989 · Homer and Eddie as Belle
- 1988 · Out of the Dark as Ruth Wilson
- 1988 · Dixie Lanes as Zelma Putnam
- 1988 · The Invisible Kid as Mom
- 1988 · On the tracks of a filmmaker as Karen Black
- 1988 · The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway as Martha Gelhorn
- 1987 · Hostage as Laura Lawrence
- 1987 · It's Alive III: Island of the Alive as Ellen Jarvis
- 1987 · The Little Mermaid as Sea Witch
- 1986 · Invaders from Mars as Linda Magnusson
- 1986 · Flight of the Spruce Goose as Gloria
- 1985 · Cut and Run as Karin
- 1985 · Martin's Day as Karen
- 1985 · Eternal Evil as Janus
- 1984 · E/R as
- 1983 · Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? as Zee
- 1982 · Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean as Joanne
- 1982 · Miss Right as Amy
- 1981 · Chanel Solitaire as Emilienne d'Alençon
- 1981 · The Grass Is Singing as Mary Turner
- 1980 · Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop as Investigator Evelyn Carter
- 1980 · Where the Ladies Go as Helen
- 1980 · Power as Rose Vanda-Buchanan
- 1979 · Killer Fish as Kate
- 1978 · The Squeeze as Clarisse Saunders
- 1978 · In Praise of Older Women as Maya
- 1978 · Because He's My Friend as Anne
- 1977 · Capricorn One as Judy Drinkwater
- 1976 · Burnt Offerings as Marian Rolf
- 1976 · Family Plot as Fran
- 1976 · Crime and Passion as Susan Winters
- 1974 · Rhinoceros as Daisy
- 1973 · The Pyx as Elizabeth Lucy
- 1973 · Little Laura and Big John as Laura
- 1972 · Portnoy's Complaint as Mary Jane Reid a.k.a. Monkey
- 1971 · Born to Win as Parm
- 1971 · Cisco Pike as Sue
- 1971 · A Gunfight as Jenny Simms
- 1971 · Drive, He Said as Olive
- 1970 · Five Easy Pieces as Rayette Dipesto
- 1969 · Hard Contract as Ellen
- 1967 · The Second Hundred Years as Marcia
- 1966 · You're a Big Boy Now as Amy Partlett
- 1960 · The Prime Time as Betty