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.
Photos
Movies (180)
Airports
2025
Deadly Dolls: Deepest Cuts
2018 · (archive footage)
Bottomless Pit
2015 · Karen Black
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
2015 · Self (archive footage)
Return to the 5 & Dime: An Interview with Ed Graczyk
2014 · Self – Joanne (archive footage)
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
2014 · Linda Magnusson (archive footage) (uncredited)
Wild in Blue
2014 · Justine
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
2013 · Self (archive footage)
She Loves Me Not
2013 · Karla
Ooga Booga
2013 · Mrs. Allardyce
Dark Blood
2012 · Motel Woman
Maria My Love
2012 · Maria
OowieWanna
2012 · The Donna
Mommy's Little Monster
2012 · Mrs. Melnick
Hawk Warrior of the Wheelzone
2012 · Tarot
Letters from the Big Man
2011 · Sean's Colleague
Some Guy Who Kills People
2011 · Ruth Boyd
BBStory: An American Film Renaissance
2010 · Self
Henry Jaglom Finds 'A Safe Place'
2010 · Self
Nothing Special
2010 · May
Double Duty
2009 · Annabelle
Stuck!
2009 · The Neighbor Lady
Repo Chick
2009 · Aunt De La Chasse
Irene in Time
2009 · Sheila Shivvers
Meet the Eye
2009
Wamego: Ultimatum
2009 · Self
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
2009 · Self
First Time Long Time
2009 · Dr. Shneidel
A Single Woman
2008 · Storyteller
The Blue Tooth Virgin
2008 · Zena
Watercolors
2008 · Mrs. Martin
Contamination
2008 · Mavis
Hollywood Dreams
2007 · Luna
One Long Night
2007 · Barbara
Suffering Man's Charity
2007 · Renee
Read You Like a Book
2006 · Kate
Wanderlust
2006 · Herself
Whitepaddy
2006 · Mrs. Leider
America Brown
2005 · Marianne Brown
Firecracker
2005 · Sandra / Eleanor, Editorial Consultant
Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula
2005 · Agrippina
Crazy for Love
2005 · Grace's Mom
Dr. Rage
2005 · Molly
Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild
2004 · Self
Birth of Industry
2004 · Sara
WAMEGO: Making Movies Anywhere
2004 · Self
Paris
2003 · Chantelle
Harold Buttleman: Daredevil Stuntman
2003 · Mrs. Buttleman
La casa de los 1000 cuerpos
2003 · Mother Firefly
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
2003 · Self
Curse of the Forty-Niner
2002 · Aunt Nelly
A Light in the Darkness
2002 · Mrs. Melnick
Best of Tromadance Film Festival: Volume 1
2002 · ("Los Vampirios Moronious" short)
Teknolust
2002 · Dirty Dick
Gypsy 83
2001 · Bambi LeBleau
Soulkeeper
2001 · Martha la Magnifica
The Donor
2001 · Mrs. Springle
Plotting 'Family Plot'
2001 · Self
The Independent
2000 · Karen Black
Red Dirt
2000 · Aunt Summer
The Invention of Dr. Morel
2000 · Screenplay
Fallen Arches
2000 · Lucy Romano
Oliver Twisted
2000 · Mrs. Mary Happ
Altman on His Own Terms
2000 · Self
Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage
1999 · Self
The Underground Comedy Movie
1999 · Mother
Mascara
1999 · Aunt Eloise
Conceiving Ada
1999 · Lady Byron / Mother Coer
Paradise Cove
1999 · Ma
Karen Black: Actress at Work
1999 · Self
Charades
1998 · Jude, Writer, Producer
Bury the Evidence
1998 · The Mother
Angel Blue
1998 · Social Worker
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
1998 · Whip Lady
Invisible Dad
1998 · Courtney Whitmer
Malaika
1998 · Jessica Martin
Light Speed
1998 · High Priestess
Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs
1998 · Self
Men
1997 · Alex, Writer
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
1997 · Self
Stir
1997 · Dr. Gabrielle Kessler
Dogtown
1997 · Rose Van Horn
Modern Rhapsody
1997
New York Crossing
1996 · Mrs. Tender
Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering
1996 · June Rhodes
Crimetime
1996 · Millicent
Cries of Silence
1996 · Rose Walsh
Every Minute Is Goodbye
1996
The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley
1995 · Evelyn
Plan 10 from Outer Space
1995 · Nehor, Songs
Dinosaur Valley Girls
1995 · Ro-Kell
Starstruck
1995 · Bertha
The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black: Teather Penumbra
1994
Too Bad About Jack
1994
Fertile La Toyah Video Magazine #2: The Kinky Issue!
1994
Bound and Gagged: A Love Story
1993 · Carla
Legend of The Roller Blade Seven
1993 · Tarot
The Trust
1993 · Maria Vandermeer
Return of the Roller Blade Seven
1993 · Tarot
Auntie Lee's Meat Pies
1992 · Auntie Lee
The Double 0 Kid
1992 · Mrs. Elliot
Judgement
1992 · Tiffany Powers
Final Judgement
1992 · Mrs. Sorrel
Tuesday Never Comes
1992 · Michelle
Rubin & Ed
1992 · Rula
The Player
1992 · Karen Black
Dead Girls Don't Tango
1992 · Insp. Wilson
Quiet Fire
1991 · Kim Martino
Evil Spirits
1991 · Ella Purdy
Children of the Night
1991 · Karen Thompson
The Roller Blade Seven
1991 · Tarot
Caged Fear
1991 · Blanche
Blood Money
1991 · Barrett
Ralph S. Mouse
1991 · Miss Kuchenbacker
Mirror Mirror
1990 · Susan Gordon
Club Fed
1990 · Sally Rich
Haunting Fear
1990 · Dr. Julia Harcourt
Night Angel
1990 · Rita
The Children
1990 · Sybil Lullmer
Zapped Again!
1990 · Homeroom Teacher
Twisted Justice
1990 · Mrs. Granger
Overexposed
1990 · Mrs. Trowbridge
Fatal Encounter
1990 · Joan Caldwell
Homer and Eddie
1989 · Belle
Out of the Dark
1988 · Ruth Wilson
Dixie Lanes
1988 · Zelma Putnam
The Invisible Kid
1988 · Mom
The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway
1988 · Martha Gelhorn
On the tracks of a filmmaker
1988 · Karen Black
Hostage
1987 · Laura Lawrence
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive
1987 · Ellen Jarvis
The Little Mermaid
1987 · Sea Witch
Invaders from Mars
1986 · Linda Magnusson
Flight of the Spruce Goose
1986 · Gloria
Savage Dawn
1985 · Rachel
Cut and Run
1985 · Karin
Martin's Day
1985 · Karen
Eternal Evil
1985 · Janus
Bad Manners
1984 · Gladys Fitzpatrick
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?
1983 · Zee
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
1982 · Joanne
The Last Horror Film
1982 · Karen Black (uncredited)
Miss Right
1982 · Amy
Chanel Solitaire
1981 · Emilienne d'Alençon
The Grass Is Singing
1981 · Mary Turner
Separate Ways
1981 · Valentine Colby
Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop
1980 · Investigator Evelyn Carter
Where the Ladies Go
1980 · Helen
Killer Fish
1979 · Kate
The Last Word
1979 · Paula Herbert
The Squeeze
1978 · Clarisse Saunders
In Praise of Older Women
1978 · Maya
Because He's My Friend
1978 · Anne
Capricorn One
1977 · Judy Drinkwater
The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver
1977 · Miriam Oliver / Sandy
Burnt Offerings
1976 · Marian Rolf
Family Plot
1976 · Fran
Crime and Passion
1976 · Susan Winters
Nashville
1975 · Connie White, Original Music Composer
The Day of the Locust
1975 · Faye Greener
Trilogy of Terror
1975 · Julie / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore / Amelia
Airport 1975
1974 · Nancy Pryor
Law and Disorder
1974 · Gloria
The Great Gatsby
1974 · Myrtle Wilson
Rhinoceros
1974 · Daisy
The Outfit
1973 · Bett Harrow
The Pyx
1973 · Elizabeth Lucy, Songs
Little Laura and Big John
1973 · Laura
Portnoy's Complaint
1972 · Mary Jane Reid a.k.a. Monkey
Cisco Pike
1972 · Sue
Born to Win
1971 · Parm
A Gunfight
1971 · Jenny Simms
Drive, He Said
1971 · Olive
Five Easy Pieces
1970 · Rayette Dipesto
Easy Rider
1969 · Karen
Hard Contract
1969 · Ellen
You're a Big Boy Now
1966 · Amy Partlett
The Prime Time
1960 · Betty
George Sluizer - Filming beyond Bounderies
· Self
Vacationland
· Louise
TV shows (36)
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
2007 · Jennifer
Russians in the City of Angels
2003 · Patricia Sommers
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2001 · Vera Morgan
Rude Awakening
1998 · Crystal Garcia
The Hunger
1997 · Miss Gati / Landlady
Profiler
1996 · Evie Long
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Party of Five
1994 · Doreen Jablonsky
Tales of the City
1993 · Self
Moon Over Miami
1993
Worlds Beyond
1986 · Lee Jeffreys
Murder, She Wrote
1984 · Dr. Sylvia Dunn
Miami Vice
1984 · Helen Jackson
E/R
1984
The Hitchhiker
1983 · Kay Mason
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982 · Guest Interviewee, Sea Witch
American Playhouse
1982 · Self
Power
1980 · Rose Vanda-Buchanan
Mr. Horn
1979 · Ernestina Crawford
Saturday Night Live
1975 · Self - Host
People's Choice Awards
1975 · Self
Police Story
1973 · Office Evelyn Carter
Ghost Story
1972 · Barbara Sanders
Adam-12
1968 · Susan Decker
The Name of the Game
1968 · Monica Garrison
Mannix
1967
The Carol Burnett Show
1967 · Self - Guest / Various Characters
Judd, for the Defense
1967
The Second Hundred Years
1967 · Marcia
The Invaders
1967 · Claudia Stone
The F.B.I.
1965 · Lorraine Chapman
The Big Valley
1965 · Carla
Run for Your Life
1965 · Jennifer Palmer
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Self
Science Fiction Film Awards
· Self