Deceased

How Did Karen Black Die?

Life & Death

Died aged 74

Also known asカレン・ブラック, Karen Blanche Ziegler, Карен Блэк, Карен Бланш Циглер, Caran Black, Karen Ziegler, The Hardest Working Woman in HollywoodGenderFemaleNationalityUnited StatesBorn01/07/1939Born inPark Ridge, Illinois, USADied08/08/2013 (aged 74)Died inSanta MonicaCauseperiampullary cancerWikidataQ232333 ↗Buried atEternal Hills Memorial ParkTMDb#8963 ↗

Karen Blanche Black was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in 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 50 years and includes nearly 200 credits in both independent and mainstream films.

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Filmography153 titles

Year	Title	Character	Age at release
2018	Deadly Dolls: Deepest CutsMovie	(archive footage)	79
2015	Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of BeliefMovie	Self (archive footage)	76
2014	Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon FilmsMovie	Linda Magnusson (archive footage) (uncredited)	75
2014	Wild in BlueMovie	Justine	75
2014	Return to the 5 & Dime: An Interview with Ed GraczykMovie	Self – Joanne (archive footage)	75
2013	Gore Vidal: The United States of AmnesiaMovie	Self (archive footage)	74
2013	Ooga BoogaMovie	Mrs. Allardyce	74
2013	She Loves Me NotMovie	Karla	74
2012	Dark BloodMovie	Motel Woman	73
2012	Maria My LoveMovie	Maria	73
2011	Some Guy Who Kills PeopleMovie	Ruth Boyd	72
2011	Letters from the Big ManMovie	Sean's Colleague	72
2010	Nothing SpecialMovie	May	71
2010	BBStory: An American Film RenaissanceMovie	Self	71
2009	No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & VilmosMovie	Self	70
2009	Double DutyMovie	Annabelle	70
2009	Irene in TimeMovie	Sheila Shivvers	70
2009	First Time Long TimeMovie	Dr. Shneidel	70
2009	Wamego: UltimatumMovie	Self	70
2008	ContaminationMovie	Mavis	69
2008	The Blue Tooth VirginMovie	Zena	69
2007	Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!Series	Jennifer	68
2007	Hollywood DreamsMovie	Luna	68
2007	Suffering Man's CharityMovie	Renee	68
2006	WanderlustMovie	Herself	67
2005	Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's CaligulaMovie	Agrippina	66
2005	Dr. RageMovie	Molly	66
2004	Birth of IndustryMovie	Sara	65
2003	House of 1000 CorpsesMovie	Mother Firefly	64
2003	Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved HollywoodMovie	Self	64
2003	Russians in the City of AngelsSeries	Patricia Sommers	64
2003	ParisMovie	Chantelle	64
2002	Curse of the Forty-NinerMovie	Aunt Nelly	63
2002	TeknolustMovie	Dirty Dick	63
2001	Law & Order: Criminal IntentSeries	Vera Morgan	62
2001	The DonorMovie	Mrs. Springle	62
2001	SoulkeeperMovie	Martha la Magnifica	62
2000	The IndependentMovie	Karen Black	61
2000	Fallen ArchesMovie	Lucy Romano	61
2000	Altman on His Own TermsMovie	Self	61
1999	Easy Rider: Shaking the CageMovie	Self	60
1999	The Underground Comedy MovieMovie	Mother	60
1999	Karen Black: Actress at WorkMovie	Self	60
1998	Rude AwakeningSeries	Crystal Garcia	59
1998	I Woke Up Early the Day I DiedMovie	Whip Lady	59
1998	Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des ErfolgsMovie	Self	59
1998	Bury the EvidenceMovie	The Mother	59
1998	Angel BlueMovie	Social Worker	59
1997	StirMovie	Dr. Gabrielle Kessler	58
1997	The HungerSeries	Miss Gati / Landlady	58
1997	MenMovie	Alex	58
1997	Who Is Henry Jaglom?Movie	Self	58
1996	E! True Hollywood StorySeries	—	57
1996	ProfilerSeries	Evie Long	57
1996	CrimetimeMovie	Millicent	57
1996	Cries of SilenceMovie	Rose Walsh	57
1996	Children of the Corn IV: The GatheringMovie	June Rhodes	57
1996	Every Minute Is GoodbyeMovie	—	57
1995	StarstruckMovie	Bertha	56
1995	Dinosaur Valley GirlsMovie	Ro-Kell	56
1995	Plan 10 from Outer SpaceMovie	Nehor	56
1994	Party of FiveSeries	Doreen Jablonsky	55
1994	The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black: Teather PenumbraMovie	—	55
1993	Tales of the CitySeries	Self	54
1993	The TrustMovie	Maria Vandermeer	54
1993	Moon Over MiamiSeries	—	54
1993	Return of the Roller Blade SevenMovie	Tarot	54
1993	Bound and Gagged: A Love StoryMovie	Carla	54
1992	The PlayerMovie	Karen Black	53
1992	The Double 0 KidMovie	Mrs. Elliot	53
1992	Final JudgementMovie	Mrs. Sorrel	53
1992	Auntie Lee's Meat PiesMovie	Auntie Lee	53
1991	Quiet FireMovie	Kim Martino	52
1991	Blood MoneyMovie	Barrett	52
1991	Ralph S. MouseMovie	Miss Kuchenbacker	52
1991	Caged FearMovie	Blanche	52
1991	Evil SpiritsMovie	Ella Purdy	52
1991	Children of the NightMovie	Karen Thompson	52
1990	The ChildrenMovie	Sybil Lullmer	51
1990	Club FedMovie	Sally Rich	51
1990	Haunting FearMovie	Dr. Julia Harcourt	51
1990	OverexposedMovie	Mrs. Trowbridge	51
1990	Twisted JusticeMovie	Mrs. Granger	51
1990	Fatal EncounterMovie	Joan Caldwell	51
1989	Homer and EddieMovie	Belle	50
1988	The Invisible KidMovie	Mom	49
1988	The Legendary Life of Ernest HemingwayMovie	Martha Gelhorn	49
1988	Dixie LanesMovie	Zelma Putnam	49
1987	It's Alive III: Island of the AliveMovie	Ellen Jarvis	48
1987	HostageMovie	Laura Lawrence	48
1986	Worlds BeyondSeries	Lee Jeffreys	47
1986	Invaders from MarsMovie	Linda Magnusson	47
1985	Savage DawnMovie	Rachel	46
1985	Cut and RunMovie	Karin	46
1985	Martin's DayMovie	Karen	46
1984	Miami ViceSeries	Helen Jackson	45
1984	Murder, She WroteSeries	Dr. Sylvia Dunn	45
1984	E/RSeries	—	45
1984	Bad MannersMovie	Gladys Fitzpatrick	45
1983	The HitchhikerSeries	Kay Mason	44
1983	Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?Movie	Zee	44
1982	Faerie Tale TheatreSeries	Sea Witch	43
1982	The Last Horror FilmMovie	Karen Black (uncredited)	43
1982	Miss RightMovie	Amy	43
1982	Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy DeanMovie	Joanne	43
1980	PowerSeries	Rose Vanda-Buchanan	41
1980	Where the Ladies GoMovie	Helen	41
1980	Police Story: Confessions of a Lady CopMovie	Investigator Evelyn Carter	41
1979	The Last WordMovie	Paula Herbert	40
1979	Killer FishMovie	Kate	40
1979	Mr. HornMovie	Ernestina Crawford	40
1979	Mr. HornSeries	Ernestina Crawford	40
1978	Because He's My FriendMovie	Anne	39
1978	The SqueezeMovie	Clarisse Saunders	39
1977	Capricorn OneMovie	Judy Drinkwater	38
1977	The Strange Possession of Mrs. OliverMovie	Miriam Oliver / Sandy	38
1976	Burnt OfferingsMovie	Marian Rolf	37
1976	Family PlotMovie	Fran	37
1976	Crime and PassionMovie	Susan Winters	37
1975	Saturday Night LiveSeries	Self - Host	36
1975	NashvilleMovie	Connie White	36
1975	People's Choice AwardsSeries	Self	36
1975	The Day of the LocustMovie	Faye Greener	36
1975	Trilogy of TerrorMovie	Julie / Millicent Larimore / Therese Larimore / Amelia	36
1974	The Great GatsbyMovie	Myrtle Wilson	35
1974	Airport 1975Movie	Nancy Pryor	35
1974	RhinocerosMovie	Daisy	35
1973	Police StorySeries	Office Evelyn Carter	34
1973	The OutfitMovie	Bett Harrow	34
1973	Little Laura and Big JohnMovie	Laura	34
1972	Ghost StorySeries	Barbara Sanders	33
1972	Cisco PikeMovie	Sue	33
1972	Portnoy's ComplaintMovie	Mary Jane Reid a.k.a. Monkey	33
1971	Drive, He SaidMovie	Olive	32
1971	Born to WinMovie	Parm	32
1971	A GunfightMovie	Jenny Simms	32
1970	Five Easy PiecesMovie	Rayette Dipesto	31
1969	Easy RiderMovie	Karen	30
1968	The Name of the GameSeries	Monica Garrison	29
1968	Adam-12Series	Susan Decker	29
1967	The Carol Burnett ShowSeries	Self - Guest / Various Characters	28
1967	Judd, for the DefenseSeries	—	28
1967	MannixSeries	—	28
1967	The InvadersSeries	Claudia Stone	28
1967	The Second Hundred YearsSeries	Marcia	28
1966	You're a Big Boy NowMovie	Amy Partlett	27
1965	The Big ValleySeries	Carla	26
1965	Run for Your LifeSeries	Jennifer Palmer	26
1965	The F.B.I.Series	Lorraine Chapman	26
1962	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSeries	Self	23
1961	The Mike Douglas ShowSeries	Self	22
1960	The Prime TimeMovie	Betty	21
0	Science Fiction Film AwardsSeries	Herself	—