Sissy Spacek

Decided to skip college after her older brother, Robbie, died at 18 years of age in 1967 from leukemia during her senior year in high school. She decided life was way too short to waste it in four years of college.

In 1969, under the pseudonym "Rainbo," she recorded a novelty song about John Lennon titled, "John, You've Gone Too Far This Time".

In 1969, under the pseudonym "Rainbo," she recorded a novelty song about John Lennon titled, "John, You've Gone Too Far This Time".

Sissy's Best Actress Oscar nomination for Carrie is notable in that performances in horror films are rarely recognized by the academy.

During her audition for Carrie , she wore a dress that her mother forced her to wear to a party when she was in the seventh grade.

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1976" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 28.

Her performance as Carrie White in Carrie is ranked #63 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Her performance as Carrie White in Carrie (1976) is ranked #63 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

During her audition for Carrie (1976), she wore a dress that her mother forced her to wear to a party when she was in the seventh grade.

Sissy's Best Actress Oscar nomination for Carrie (1976) is notable in that performances in horror films are rarely recognized by the academy.

Sissy has won four New York Film Critics Circle Awards, second to Meryl Streep, who's won the most with five. Sissy's wins are for 3 Women (1977), Best Supporting Actress; Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Best Actress; Crimes of the Heart (1986), Best Actress; and In the Bedroom (2001), Best Actress.

Was David Cronenberg's first choice to play Rose in Rabid (1977).

She won an Oscar for playing Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter , making her one of thirteen actors to win the Award for playing a real person who was still alive at the evening of the Award ceremony (as of 2007). The other twelve actors and their respective performances are: Spencer Tracy for playing Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town , Gary Cooper for playing Alvin C. York in Sergeant York , Patty Duke for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker , Jason Robards for playing Benjamin Bradlee in All the President's Men , Robert De Niro for playing Jake La Motta in Raging Bull , Jeremy Irons for playing Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune , Susan Sarandon for playing Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking , Geoffrey Rush for playing David Helfgott in Shine , Julia Roberts for playing Erin Brockovich in Erin Brockovich , Jim Broadbent for playing John Bayley in Iris , Jennifer Connelly for playing Alicia Nash (née Alicia López-Harrison de Lardé) in A Beautiful Mind and most recently Helen Mirren for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen .

Not only did she win an Oscar for her performance in Coal Miner's Daughter , but she was nominated for a Grammy for her rendition of the title song in the category Best Country Vocal Performance, Female.

Frequently works with Tommy Lee Jones, having appeared with him in Coal Miner's Daughter , JFK , and The Good Old Boys (TV). Separately, they have also each appeared in films in the Lonesome Dove series. Jones appeared in the original "Lonesome Dove" , while Spacek appeared in "Streets of Laredo" .

Not only did she win an Oscar for her performance in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), but she was nominated for a Grammy for her rendition of the title song in the category Best Country Vocal Performance, Female.

Sissy won an Oscar for playing Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), making her one of only a few actors to win the Award for playing a person who was still alive on the evening of the Award ceremony. The other actors and their respective performances are: Spencer Tracy for playing Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town (1938), Gary Cooper for playing Alvin C. York in Sergeant York (1941), Patty Duke for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962), Jason Robards for playing Benjamin Bradlee in All the President's Men (1976), Robert De Niro for playing Jake La Motta in Raging Bull (1980), Jeremy Irons for playing Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune (1990), Susan Sarandon for playing Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995), Geoffrey Rush for playing David Helfgott in Shine (1996), Julia Roberts for playing Erin Brockovich in Erin Brockovich (2000), Jim Broadbent for playing John Bayley in Iris (2001/I), Jennifer Connelly for playing Alicia Nash (née Alicia López-Harrison de Lardé) in A Beautiful Mind (2001), Helen Mirren for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006), Sandra Bullock for playing Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side (2009), Melissa Leo for playing Alice Ward and Christian Bale for playing Dicky Eklund, both in The Fighter (2010), and Meryl Streep for playing Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (2011).

Frequently works with Tommy Lee Jones, having appeared with him in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), JFK (1991), and The Good Old Boys (1995) (TV). Separately, they have also each appeared in films in the Lonesome Dove series. Jones appeared in the original "Lonesome Dove" (1989), while Spacek appeared in "Streets of Laredo" (1995).

According to her commentary on the DVD of Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Sissy initially aspired to be a singer and auditioned for Decca Records. The label liked Sissy but told her she was too similar to another artist they had on their label. That artist was Loretta Lynn.

Was the original choice for the role of Milena in Bad Timing (1980), but the production's start date eventually coincided with Sissy's work on another film.

Was the first choice to play the daughter in Terms of Endearment .

Released a country LP titled Hangin' Up My Heart on Atlantic Records in 1983.

Was the first choice to play the role of Emma in Terms of Endearment (1983).

She was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in March 2001 in Austin, Texas.

Sissy's career has several connections to Robert Duvall. She and Duvall both appear in Four Christmases (2008) and Get Low (2009). Sissy starred in "Streets of Laredo" (1995), a sequel to "Lonesome Dove" (1989), starring Duvall. Further, her nephew Stephen Spacek appeared with Duvall in Gods and Generals (2003). Finally, Sissy narrates an audio book version of To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), which was Duvall's first film.