As a kid, Sissy Spacek climbed trees, rode horses, swam and played in the woods (other than that, she gave no indication of one day becoming an Oscar-winning actress). She was born Mary Elizabeth Spacek on December 25, 1949, in Quitman, Texas. She attended Quitman High School and was homecoming queen (therefore popular, unlike her character in Carrie). After graduating, Sissy decided on an acting career, having gotten interested in the profession through her cousin, Rip Torn. She relocated to New York, and through him, enrolled in the New York branch of the Actors Studio. She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, and also tried modeling and singing, appearing in West Village showcases such as the Bitter End for $10 a night. The petite (5'2") Sissy finally broke into films, one of her first being Badlands, art direction by Jack Fisk, with whom she would make eight films and marry in 1974. Her breakout role was in another film she worked on with Fisk, Carrie, in which she played the humiliated prom queen who goes postal with her telekinesis. Sissy had a long career in TV and movies, winning the Oscar for Best Actress for Coal Miner's Daughter; she seems to take it all in stride. Sissy and Jack and their two daughters, Schuyler Fisk and Madison Fisk, live on a large horse ranch in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. For the last several years the most important thing for Sissy has just been creating a stable home life for her family. And when Sissy isn't working on a movie, she can be seen tooling around town in a pickup, being a mountain mom.
"Sissy" was a nickname that her brothers used to call her when she was growing up, and it stayed with her. 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. 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. Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1976" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 28. She appeared in the music video and sang in the choir on the song "Voices That Care." Attended Quitman High School in Quitman, Texas. She was a majorette and homecoming queen. Lives with her husband Jack Fisk and their daughters Schuyler Fisk and Madison Fisk on a 210-acre horse farm in northern Virginia. She first got into acting when she was visiting her cousin, actor Rip Torn. Attended the Lee Strasburg Institute. 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. 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. Lives on 300 acre farmland named "Beau Val" near Charlottesville, Virginia. Brother Robbie died of leukemia at age 18 in 1967. Brother Ed is a music industry consultant in Austin, Texas. Measurements: 34B-24-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine) Was Homecoming Queen of her Senior Class in High School. Godmother of Rebecca Taylor. One of a chosen few to be Oscar nominated for a lead performance in a horror film -- Carrie (1976). Was originally cast as Leia in Star Wars, but swapped with Carrie Fisher. Her performance as Carrie White in "Carrie" (1976) is ranked #63 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.