Born Mary Elizabeth Spacek in Quitman, TX. Fair-haired, blue-eyed, slim leading lady of Hollywood films. A cousin of actor Rip Torn, she came to films via the Actors Studio, where she studied for eight months under Lee Strasberg. Early in her career she specialized in impersonating weird teenagers. She made a strong impression in BADLANDS (1973), in which at the age of 24 she gave a convincing portrayal of a 15-year-old girl on an intense crime spree with a psychotic boyfriend. She was 27 when she gave an equally believable performance in the role of a tormented high-school senior who gets even with her taunters through telekinetic powers in CARRIE (1976). And she was 31 when she portrayed country singer Loretta Lynn from age 13 to maturity in COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER (1980), then proved herself equally superior in adult roles. Other notable (non-nominated) credits include WELCOME TO L.A. (1976), 3 WOMEN (1977), RAGGEDY MAN (1981), MARIE (1985), VIOLETS ARE BLUE and 'NIGHT MOTHER (both 1986), THE LONG WALK HOME (1990), HARD PROMISES and JFK (both 1991), TRADING MOM (1994), THE GRASS HARP (1995), AFFLICTION (1997), BLAST FROM THE PAST, THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 and THE STRAIGHT STORY (all 1999), TUCK EVERLASTING (2002), A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD (2004), NINE LIVES, THE RING TWO, NORTH COUNTRY and AN AMERICAN HAUNTING (all 2005), SUMMER RUNNING: THE RACE TO CURE BREAST CANCER and GRAY MATTERS (both 2006), HOT ROD (2007), and LAKE CITY (scheduled for 2008). Married to art director Jack Fisk since 1974, Spacek worked as a set decorator on such films as PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974) and DEATH GAME/THE SEDUCERS (1977). Their daughters, Schuyler Fisk and Madison Fisk, are actresses.  Nominated for Actress 1976: CARRIE  Actress 1980: COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER  Nominated for Actress 1982: MISSING  Nominated for Actress 1984: THE RIVER  Nominated for Actress 1986: CRIMES OF THE HEART  Nominated for Performance by an actress in a leading role 2001: IN THE BEDROOM 6 nominations, 1 Award