"And if real life was like the movies, I should have lived happily ever after."
Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932 – October 14, 2023) was an American actress of stage and screen, known for her roles in the films The Hustler (1961), Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God – all of which brought her Academy Award nominations – and for her portrayal of Catherine Martell in Twin Peaks, which earned her a Golden Globe Award in 1991.
Roles with TV Tropes pages:
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Film roles
- Louisa (1950) as Cathy Nortonnote
- Francis Goes to the Races (1951) as Frances Travers
- The Hustler (1961) as Sarah Packard
- Carrie (1976) as Margaret White
- Ruby (1977) as Ruby Claire
- Return to Oz (1985) as Aunt Em
- Children of a Lesser God (1986) as Mrs. Norman
- Appointment with Death (1988) as Emily Boynton
- Other People's Money (1991) as Bea Sullivan
- Trauma (1993) as Adriana Petrescu
- The Crossing Guard (1995) as Helen Booth
- The Faculty (1998) as Mrs. Karen Olson
- The Dead Girl (2006) as Arden's Mother
- Hounddog (2007) as Grammie
- Hesher (2010) as Grandma
- White Boy Rick (2018) as Grandma Verna Wershe
Television roles
- Playhouse 90 (2 episodes, 1957–58) as Ruth McAdam/Kirsten Arnesen Clay
- The Thorn Birds (3 episodes, 1983) as Anne Mueller
- St. Elsewhere (3 episodes, 1983) as Fran Singleton
- Hotel (1 episode, 1985) as Jessica
- Murder, She Wrote (1 episode, 1985) as Peggy Shannon
- Tender Is the Night (TV movie, 1985) as Elsie Speers
- The Twilight Zone (2 episodes, 1985–86) as Aunt Neva/Gramma
- Matlock (1 episode, 1986) as Claire Leigh
- Beauty and the Beast (1 episode, 1989) as Mrs. Davis
- Twin Peaks (27 episodes, 1989–91) as Catherine Martell/Mr. Tojamura
- Frasier (2 episodes, 1994–99) as Marianne/Mrs. Mulhern
- ER (2 episodes, 1995–96) as Sarah Ross
- Diagnosis: Murder (1 episode, 1996) as ADA Susan Turner
- Touched by an Angel (1 episode, 1997) as Annie Doyle
- Inherit the Wind (TV movie, 1999) as Sarah Brady
- Will & Grace (1 episode, 2000) as Sharon
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1 episode, 2001) as Dorothy Rudd
- State of Grace (1 episode, 2002) as Aunt Sophie
- Dead Like Me (1 episode, 2004) as Nina Rommey
- Cold Case (1 episode, 2005) as Rose – 2005
- MacGyver (1 episode, 2018) as Edith
Tropes in her work:
- Damsel in Distress: Her earlier, pre-Carrie roles.
- Evil Redhead: Her villainous roles, most notably Margaret White.
- The Ingenue: She was Type-cast in these roles in her early career.
- Ms. Fanservice: Most of her earlier roles.
- Rescue Romance: Her earlier roles tends to be involved in this.
- Those Two Actors: Starred alongside Sissy Spacek in three movies: Carrie (in 1976 where she played her mother), The Grass Harp (1995 in where
she played her sister), and the TV movie Midwives (2001). - Two First Names: Though it's only her Stage Name.
