Mary Elizabeth Spacek was nicknamed "Sissy" by her two brothers. Singing and dancing since the age of six, Sissy was bound for stardom. At the age of seventeen, she moved to New York City to pursue her dream as an entertainer. After a short singing stint performing in local coffee houses throughout the city, as well as recording vocals for commercials, Sissy decided to focus her efforts towards an acting career and enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Theatrical Institute. She began to gain attention as an actress in the 1970’s and 1980’s by appearing in television shows such as The Waltons and Love-American Style.
      Sissy met her husband, director designer-director, Jack Fisk while shooting the film Badlands. They decided to leave the lights of Hollywood behind and raise their two daughters Schuyler (an actress who appeared in the films The Babysitter’s Club and Orange County) and Madison, in the more humble and relaxed atmosphere of their Virginia farm.
      Although far from Tinsletown, Sissy did not stop starring in motion pictures and television movies. In fact, in the 1990’s Sissy played various characters in a number of productions including, The Long Walk Home (1990), JFK (1991), A Private Matter (1994), A Place For Annie (1994), Trading Mom (1994), If These Walls Could Talk (1996), Affliction (1997), The Straight Story (1999), and many more.
      Most recently, Spacek has been recognized by audiences, critics and the Motion Pictures Academy for her role in the independent film In the Bedroom, which gained Sissy a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress, and marked her sixth Oscar nomination to date.
Photo © Corbis.com - Bio contributed by N. Somere