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Karen Blanche Black 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.
Birth Name
Karen Blanche Ziegler
Born
Saturday, 01 July 1939
Died
Thursday, 08 August 2013
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock | Self | 2023 |
| Bunker of Blood: Chapter 2 - Deadly Dolls: Deepest Cuts | (archive footage) | 2018 |
| Hollywood Insider | Self | 2018 |
| Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief | Herself (archive footage) | 2015 |
| Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films | Linda Magnusson | 2014 |
| Karen Black: On Acting | Self | 2014 |
| Wild in Blue | Justine | 2014 |
| Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia | Self | 2013 |
| She Loves Me Not | Karla | 2013 |
| Ooga Booga | Mrs. Allardyce | 2013 |
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock | Self | 2023 |
| Bunker of Blood: Chapter 2 - Deadly Dolls: Deepest Cuts | (archive footage) | 2018 |
| Hollywood Insider | Self | 2018 |
| Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief | Herself (archive footage) | 2015 |
| Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films | Linda Magnusson | 2014 |
| Karen Black: On Acting | Self | 2014 |
| Wild in Blue | Justine | 2014 |
| Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia | Self | 2013 |
| She Loves Me Not | Karla | 2013 |
| Ooga Booga | Mrs. Allardyce | 2013 |
| Window Dressing | Beth | 2012 |
| Dark Blood | Motel Woman | 2012 |
| Maria My Love | Maria | 2012 |
| OowieWanna | The Donna | 2012 |
| Mommy's Little Monster | Mrs. Melnick | 2012 |
| Letters from the Big Man | Sean's Colleague | 2011 |
| Some Guy Who Kills People | Ruth Boyd | 2011 |
| Troma Is Spanish for Troma | (archive footage) | 2010 |
| Funny or Die Presents... | Debbie Rubbie | 2009 |
| Nothing Special | May | 2010 |
| Double Duty | Annabelle | 2009 |
| Stuck! | Next Door Neighbor Lady | 2009 |
| Repo Chick | Aunt de la Chasse | 2009 |
| Irene in Time | Sheila Shivvers | 2009 |
| A Single Woman | Storyteller | 2009 |
| Wamego: Ultimatum | Self | 2009 |
| No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos | Self | 2009 |
| The Blue Tooth Virgin | Zena | 2008 |
| Watercolors | Mrs. Martin | 2008 |
| Contamination | Mavis | 2008 |
| Hollywood Dreams | Luna | 2007 |
| One Long Night | Barbara | 2007 |
| Suffering Man's Charity | Renee | 2007 |
| Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Jennifer | 2007 |
| Read You Like a Book | Kate | 2006 |
| Wanderlust | Herself / Self | 2006 |
| America Brown | Marianne Brown | 2005 |
| Firecracker | Sandra / Eleanor | 2005 |
| Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula | Agrippina | 2005 |
| Crazy for Love | Grace's Mom | 2005 |
| Love Wine | Aunt Anita | 2005 |
| The Straun House | Molly | 2005 |
| The Work of Director Chris Cunningham | Dancer (segment "Windowlicker") | 2003 |
| Summer Solstice | Dr. Sally McDermott | 2003 |
| Paris | Chantelle | 2003 |
| Buttleman | Mrs. Buttleman | 2003 |
| House of 1000 Corpses | Mother Firefly | 2003 |
| Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood | Herself / Self | 2003 |
| Russians in the City of Angels | Patricia Sommers | 2003 |
| Hard Luck | Aunt Judy | 2002 |
| A Light in the Darkness | Mrs. Melnick | 2002 |
| The Best of Tromadance Film Festival, Volume 1 | ("Los Vampirios Moronious" short) | 2002 |
| Teknolust | Dirty Dick | 2002 |
| Curse of the Forty-Niner | Aunt Nelly | 2002 |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Vera Morgan | 2001 |
| The Donor | Mrs. Springle / Françoise's mother | 2001 |
| Plotting 'Family Plot' | Herself / Self | 2001 |
| Gypsy 83 | Bambi LeBleau | 2001 |
| Soulkeeper | Martha la Magnifica / Magnificent Martha | 2001 |
| The Independent | Herself / Karen Black | 2000 |
| The 72nd Annual Academy Awards | Self - Audience Member | 2000 |
| Red Dirt | Griffith's Aunt / Summer / Aunt Summer | 2000 |
| Oliver Twisted | Mrs. Mary Happ | 2000 |
| Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage | Herself / Self | 1999 |
| I Woke Up Early the Day I Died | Whip Lady | 1999 |
| Independent Lens | Self | 1999 |
| Mascara | Aunt Eloise | 1999 |
| The Underground Comedy Movie | Mother | 1999 |
| Conceiving Ada | Mother Coer / Lady Byron | 1999 |
| Karen Black: Actress at Work | Self | 1999 |
| Charades | Jude | 1998 |
| Bury the Evidence | The Mother | 1998 |
| My Neighbor's Daughter | Social Worker | 1998 |
| Rude Awakening | Crystal Garcia | 1998 |
| Invisible Dad | Courtney Whitmer | 1998 |
| Fallen Arches | Lucy Romano | 1998 |
| Light Speed | High Priestess | 1998 |
| Malaika | Jessica Martin | 1998 |
| Men | Alex | 1997 |
| The Hunger | Miss Gati / Landlady | 1997 |
| Who Is Henry Jaglom? | Self | 1997 |
| Stir | Dr. Gabrielle Kessler | 1997 |
| Modern Rhapsody | 1997 | |
| Children of the Corn: The Gathering | June Rhodes | 1996 |
| Dogtown | Rose Van Horn | 1996 |
| Profiler | Evie Long | 1996 |
| Crimetime | Millicent | 1996 |
| Sister Island | Rose Walsh | 1996 |
| The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley | Evelyn | 1995 |
| Plan 10 from Outer Space | Nehor | 1995 |
| Dinosaur Valley Girls | Ro-Kell | 1995 |
| Jonas in the Desert | Self | 1994 |
| Party of Five | Doreen Jablonsky | 1994 |
| Too Bad About Jack | 1994 | |
| Bound and Gagged: A Love Story | Carla | 1993 |
| Tales of the City | Self | 1993 |
| Moon Over Miami | Lorraine Pitzer | 1993 |
| Legend of the Roller Blade Seven | Tarot | 1993 |
| The Trust | Maria Vandermeer | 1993 |
| Return of the Roller Blade Seven | Tarot | 1993 |
| Auntie Lee's Meat Pies | Auntie Lee | 1992 |
| The Double 0 Kid | Mrs. Elliot | 1992 |
| Hitz | Tiffany Powers | 1992 |
| Caged Fear | Blanche | 1992 |
| Tuesday Never Comes | Michelle | 1992 |
| The Player | Karen Black | 1992 |
| Dead Girls Don't Tango | Insp. Wilson | 1992 |
| Final Judgement | Mrs. Sorrel | 1992 |
| Quiet Fire | Kim Martino | 1991 |
| Children of the Night | Karen Thompson | 1991 |
| The Roller Blade Seven | Tarot | 1991 |
| The Killers Edge | Barrett | 1991 |
| Rubin and Ed | Rula | 1991 |
| Hollywood Mavericks | Rayette Dipesto | 1990 |
| Mirror Mirror | Susan Gordon | 1990 |
| Club Fed | Sally Rich | 1990 |
| Haunting Fear | Dr. Julia Harcourt | 1990 |
| Night Angel | Rita | 1990 |
| The Children | Sybil Lullmer | 1990 |
| Zapped Again! | Substitute Teacher | 1990 |
| Twisted Justice | Mrs. Granger | 1990 |
| Overexposed | Mrs. Trowbridge | 1990 |
| Fatal Encounter | Joan Caldwell | 1990 |
| Evil Spirits | Ella Purdy | 1990 |
| Homer and Eddie | Belle | 1989 |
| The Pat Sajak Show | Self - Guest | 1989 |
| Out of the Dark | Ruth Wilson / Ruth | 1988 |
| Dixie Lanes | Zelma Putnam | 1988 |
| In the Heat of the Night | Carla Ray | 1988 |
| The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway | Martha Gelhorn | 1988 |
| The Invisible Kid | Deborah / Mom | 1988 |
| Hostage | Laura Lawrence | 1987 |
| It's Alive III: Island of the Alive | Ellen Jarvis | 1987 |
| Worlds Beyond | Lee Jeffreys | 1986 |
| Invaders from Mars | Linda Magnusson | 1986 |
| Flight of the Spruce Goose | Gloria | 1986 |
| Martin's Day | Karen | 1985 |
| Eternal Evil | Janus | 1985 |
| Savage Dawn | Rachel | 1985 |
| Cut and Run | Karin | 1984 |
| Murder, She Wrote | Dr. Sylvia Dunn | 1984 |
| Miami Vice | Helen Jackson | 1984 |
| E/R | Sheila Sheinfeld | 1984 |
| Bad Manners | Gladys Fitzpatrick | 1984 |
| The Hitchhiker | Kay Mason | 1983 |
| Breakaway | Self | 1983 |
| Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? | Zee | 1983 |
| Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean | Joanne | 1982 |
| Faerie Tale Theatre | Guest Interviewee, Sea Witch | 1982 |
| The Last Horror Film | Karen Black | 1982 |
| Miss Right | Amy | 1982 |
| The Grass Is Singing | Mary Turner | 1981 |
| Separate Ways | Valentine Colby | 1981 |
| Chanel Solitaire | Emilienne d'Alençon | 1981 |
| Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop | Investigator Evelyn Carter | 1980 |
| Power | Rose Vanda-Buchanan | 1980 |
| Killer Fish | Kate / Kate Neville | 1979 |
| Mr. Horn | Ernestina Crawford | 1979 |
| The Last Word | Paula Herbert | 1979 |
| In Praise of Older Women | Maya | 1978 |
| The Squeeze | Clarisse Saunders | 1978 |
| America 2-Night | Self | 1978 |
| The 50th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Performer | 1978 |
| Capricorn One | Judy Drinkwater | 1977 |
| Dolly | Self | 1977 |
| The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver | Miriam Oliver / Sandy | 1977 |
| ABC Weekend Specials | Miss Kuchenbacker | 1977 |
| Circus of the Stars | Self - Performer | 1977 |
| America at the Movies | Rayette Dipesto | 1976 |
| Burnt Offerings | Marian Rolf | 1976 |
| Family Plot | Fran | 1976 |
| Crime and Passion | Susan Winters | 1976 |
| Saturday Night Live | Mona Lisa / Various / Self - Host, Catherine the Great / Various / Self - Host | 1975 |
| The Bobby Vinton Show | Self | 1975 |
| Nashville | Connie White | 1975 |
| The Day of the Locust | Faye Greener / Faye | 1975 |
| Trilogy of Terror | Amelia / Julie / Millicent / Therese / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore | 1975 |
| Airport 1975 | Nancy Pryor | 1974 |
| Law and Disorder | Gloria | 1974 |
| The Great Gatsby | Myrtle Wilson | 1974 |
| Rhinoceros | Daisy | 1974 |
| The Outfit | Bett Harrow | 1973 |
| The Pyx | Elizabeth Lucy | 1973 |
| Little Laura and Big John | Laura | 1973 |
| Portnoy's Complaint | Mary Jane Reid (The Monkey) / Mary Jane Reid | 1972 |
| The 44th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Presenter | 1972 |
| Circle of Fear | Barbara Sanders | 1972 |
| Cisco Pike | Sue | 1972 |
| Born to Win | Parm | 1971 |
| A Gunfight | Jenny Simms | 1971 |
| Drive, He Said | Olive | 1971 |
| Rollin' on the River | Self | 1971 |
| Five Easy Pieces | Rayette Dipesto | 1970 |
| The David Frost Show | Self - Guest | 1969 |
| Easy Rider | Karen | 1969 |
| Hard Contract | Ellen | 1969 |
| Adam-12 | Susan Decker | 1968 |
| The Name of the Game | Monica Garrison | 1968 |
| Mannix | Elaine Tate | 1967 |
| The Carol Burnett Show | Self - Guest / Various Characters | 1967 |
| Judd for the Defense | Alethea Staunton | 1967 |
| The Second Hundred Years | Marcia | 1967 |
| The Invaders | Claudia Stone | 1967 |
| Iron Horse | Patricia Dunne | 1966 |
| You're a Big Boy Now | Amy Partlett | 1966 |
| The F.B.I. | Lorraine Chapman | 1965 |
| The Dean Martin Show | Self | 1965 |
| The Big Valley | Carla | 1965 |
| Run for Your Life | Jennifer Palmer | 1965 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Herself - Guest | 1962 |
| The Mike Douglas Show | Herself - Actress | 1961 |
| The Prime Time | Betty - Painted Woman / Betty | 1960 |
| This Is Your Life | Self | 1955 |
Producer Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| Charades | 1998 |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1976 | Golden Globe | Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama | Nominated |
| 1975 | Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture | Won |
| 1971 | Oscar | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 1971 | Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture | Won |
