Karen Black

Biography

Karen Black was an American actress and screenwriter who also sang and wrote songs, often playing eccentric characters in studio and independent films, and she became associated with New Hollywood. Born in Park Ridge, Illinois, she studied theater at Northwestern University before moving to New York City, where she performed on Broadway in 1965. Her film breakthrough came with You're a Big Boy Now (1966). She then appeared in Five Easy Pieces (1970) as a waitress, earning an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. She won a second Golden Globe for The Great Gatsby (1974) and a third nomination for The Day of the Locust (1975). Other notable films included Nashville (1975), for which she wrote and performed two songs, Airport 1975 (1974), Trilogy of Terror (1975), and Family Plot (1976). In later decades she worked frequently in independent and horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses (2003), and wrote plays.

74years old at death

Born July 1, 1939Park Ridge
Died August 8, 2013Santa Monica
Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
Karen Blanche Ziegler (birth name)Also credited as Karen Blanche Black

Movie Career

Films: 53
Career span: 49 years1966 to 2015

Genres

Drama42%, 22 films
Comedy36%, 19 films
Horror32%, 17 films
Thriller23%, 12 films
Romance15%, 8 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
Black was cast as an acid-tripping prostitute in Easy Rider after Lana Wood turned the role down, and her sequence was cut from 16 hours of footage.
A role that slipped away
Black turned down the role that Valerie Perrine played in W.C. Fields and Me, released in 1976, because her schedule conflicted with Family Plot.
First role
In the independent film The Prime Time, Black took a minor part that served as her screen debut. She would afterward call it "the worst film ever made."
Behind the camera
In May 2007, Black's play Missouri Waltz opened at the Blank Theater in Los Angeles, starting her career as a playwright. She also acted in it.
Early training
Black attended Purdue University for a year before transferring to Northwestern University, where she majored in theater arts and studied under Alvina Krause. She finished two years of studies at NU and then dropped out.

Karen Black movies on Netflix

Wild in Blue2015IMDb rating 3.8as Justine
Ooga Booga2013IMDb rating 3.7as Mrs. Allardyce
Some Guy Who Kills People2011IMDb rating 6.3as Ruth Boyd
Nothing Special2010IMDb rating 4.4as May
Stuck!2009IMDb rating 3.6as The Neighbor Lady
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos2008IMDb rating 7.8as Herself
Watercolors2008IMDb rating 6.4as Mrs. Martin
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood2003IMDb rating 7.5as Himself
House of 1000 Corpses2003IMDb rating 6.0as Mother Firefly
Curse of the Forty-Niner2002IMDb rating 3.7as Aunt Nelly
Teknolust2002IMDb rating 5.3as Dirty Dick
Gypsy 832001IMDb rating 6.7as Bambi LeBleau
Soulkeeper2001IMDb rating 4.9as Martha la Magnifica
Altman on His Own Terms2000IMDb rating 8.5as Himself
Red Dirt2000IMDb rating 6.1as Summer…
The Underground Comedy Movie1999IMDb rating 2.0as Mother
Conceiving Ada1997IMDb rating 5.0as Lady Byron / Mother Coer
Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering1996IMDb rating 4.3as June Rhodes
Who Is Henry Jaglom?1995IMDb rating 6.6as Himself
Auntie Lee's Meat Pies1992IMDb rating 5.1as Auntie Lee
Rubin & Ed1992IMDb rating 7.0as Rula
The Double 0 Kid1992IMDb rating 4.2as Mrs. Elliot
Children of the Night1991IMDb rating 4.7as Karen Thompson
The Roller Blade Seven1991IMDb rating 2.3as Tarot
Mirror Mirror1990IMDb rating 5.5as Susan Gordon
Night Angel1990IMDb rating 4.6as Rita
Zapped Again!1990IMDb rating 4.3as Substitute Teacher
Homer and Eddie1989IMDb rating 5.3as Belle
Out of the Dark1988IMDb rating 5.4as Ruth Wilson
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive1987IMDb rating 4.9as Ellen Jarvis
Invaders from Mars1986IMDb rating 5.6as Linda Magnusson
Eternal Evil1985IMDb rating 4.0as Janus
Savage Dawn1985IMDb rating 5.1as Rachel
Cut and Run1984IMDb rating 5.6as Karin
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean1982IMDb rating 7.2as Joanne
The Last Horror Film1982IMDb rating 5.6as Karen Black
Killer Fish1979IMDb rating 4.2as Kate
Capricorn One1978IMDb rating 6.8as Judy Drinkwater
Burnt Offerings1976IMDb rating 6.4as Marian Rolf
Family Plot1976IMDb rating 6.8as Fran
Nashville1975IMDb rating 7.6as Connie White
The Day of the Locust1975IMDb rating 6.9as Faye Greener
Trilogy of Terror1975IMDb rating 6.5as Julie / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore / Amelia
Airport 19751974IMDb rating 5.8as Nancy Pryor
Rhinoceros1974IMDb rating 5.7as Daisy
The Great Gatsby1974IMDb rating 6.4as Myrtle Wilson
The Outfit1973IMDb rating 7.0as Bett Harrow
A Gunfight1971IMDb rating 6.3as Jenny Simms
Born to Win1971IMDb rating 5.8as Parm
Cisco Pike1971IMDb rating 6.5as Sue
Drive, He Said1971IMDb rating 5.6as Olive
Five Easy Pieces1970IMDb rating 7.3as Rayette Dipesto
You're a Big Boy Now1966IMDb rating 6.0as Amy Partlett

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

House of 1000 Corpses2003 Horroras Mother Firefly
IMDb rating 6.0101K votes
Five Easy Pieces1970 Dramaas Rayette Dipesto
IMDb rating 7.345K votes
Burnt Offerings1976as Marian Rolf
IMDb rating 6.415K votes
Family Plot1976as Fran
IMDb rating 6.827K votes
Nashville1975as Connie White
IMDb rating 7.632K votes
The Great Gatsby1974as Myrtle Wilson
IMDb rating 6.429K votes
Airport 19751974as Nancy Pryor
IMDb rating 5.814K votes
Trilogy of Terror1975as Julie / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore / Amelia
IMDb rating 6.510.0K votes

Most often with

Robert Altman directed two of these films, Dan Curtis two and Lynn Hershman-Leeson two. Eight actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Bruce Dern

Dennis Hopper

Keith Carradine

Peter Bogdanovich

Bud Cort

Richard Lynch

Robert AltmanDirector, 2 films

Dan CurtisDirector, 2 films Lynn Hershman-LeesonDirector, 2 films

Films together

Bruce Dern3 films together, 1971 to 1976
Bruce Dern's page
- Family Plot1976IMDb rating 6.8Black as FranDern as George Lumley
- The Great Gatsby1974IMDb rating 6.4Black as Myrtle WilsonDern as Tom Buchanan
- Drive, He Said1971IMDb rating 5.6Black as OliveDern as Coach Bullion
Dennis Hopper3 films together, 1995 to 2008
Dennis Hopper's page
- No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos2008IMDb rating 7.8Black as HerselfHopper as Himself
- Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood2003IMDb rating 7.5Black as HimselfHopper as Himself
- Who Is Henry Jaglom?1995IMDb rating 6.6Black as HimselfHopper as Himself
Keith Carradine3 films together, 1971 to 2000
Keith Carradine's page
- Altman on His Own Terms2000IMDb rating 8.5Black as HimselfCarradine as Himself
- Nashville1975IMDb rating 7.6Black as Connie WhiteCarradine as Tom Frank
- A Gunfight1971IMDb rating 6.3Black as Jenny SimmsCarradine as The Young Gunfighter
Peter Bogdanovich3 films together, 1995 to 2008
Peter Bogdanovich's page
- No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos2008IMDb rating 7.8Black as HerselfBogdanovich as Himself
- Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood2003IMDb rating 7.5Black as HimselfBogdanovich as Himself
- Who Is Henry Jaglom?1995IMDb rating 6.6Black as HimselfBogdanovich as Himself
Bud Cort3 films together, 1986 to 2000
Bud Cort's page
- Altman on His Own Terms2000IMDb rating 8.5Black as HimselfCort as Himself
- Out of the Dark1988IMDb rating 5.4Black as Ruth WilsonCort as Dave Stringer
- Invaders from Mars1986IMDb rating 5.6Black as Linda MagnussonCort as Mark Weinstein
Richard Lynch3 films together, 1984 to 2002
Richard Lynch's page
- Curse of the Forty-Niner2002IMDb rating 3.7Black as Aunt NellyLynch as Old Man Prichard
- Savage Dawn1985IMDb rating 5.1Black as RachelLynch as Rev. Romano
- Cut and Run1984IMDb rating 5.6Black as KarinLynch as Colonel Brian Horne
Robert AltmanDirector, 2 films, 1975 to 1982
All films by Robert Altman
- Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean1982IMDb rating 7.2Black as Joanne
- Nashville1975IMDb rating 7.6Black as Connie White
Dan CurtisDirector, 2 films, 1975 to 1976
All films by Dan Curtis
- Burnt Offerings1976IMDb rating 6.4Black as Marian Rolf
- Trilogy of Terror1975IMDb rating 6.5Black as Julie / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore / Amelia
Lynn Hershman-LeesonDirector, 2 films, 1997 to 2002
All films by Lynn Hershman-Leeson
- Teknolust2002IMDb rating 5.3Black as Dirty Dick
- Conceiving Ada1997IMDb rating 5.0Black as Lady Byron / Mother Coer
Also three films together2 more actors
- Henry JaglomEasy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003), Who Is Henry Jaglom? (1995) and Drive, He Said (1971)
- Lorna ThayerRhinoceros (1974), Cisco Pike (1971) and Five Easy Pieces (1970)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.