**Sissy Spacek (born Mary Elizabeth Spacek)** is an American actress known for her versatility and ability to portray complex and intense female characters.

Her film career took off with a starring role in Terrence Malick's *Badlands* (1973), but she became an icon with Brian De Palma's *Carrie* (1976), where she masterfully portrayed the shy and persecuted teenager, earning her first Academy Award nomination.

She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her acclaimed performance as singer Loretta Lynn in *Coal Miner's Daughter* (1980). Other significant roles include *Missing* (1982) and *In the Bedroom* (2001), both of which earned her further Academy Award nominations.

Spacek is praised for her natural and profound acting, which allows her to bring to life strong, vulnerable, and deeply human women, often with roots in the Southern United States.