Louise Fletcher
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- July 22, 1934 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Died
- September 23, 2022
- Active Years
- 1944–2025 (82 Years)
- Total Credits
- 138 credits in database
Biography
Louise Fletcher was an American actress born on July 22, 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama, and she died on September 23, 2022, at the age of eighty-eight. She was best known for her portrayal of Nurse Ratched in the 1975 movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a role that earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. Her film and television career also included a recurring role as the Bajoran religious leader Kai Winn Adami in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as roles in Cruel Intentions, Picket Fences, Joan of Arcadia, and her final role as Rosie in the Netflix series Girlboss.
Career overview
Louise Fletcher was an American actress known for her versatility in various film and television roles. She began her acting career, but specific details about her early work are not provided. Fletcher gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of a character in the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. This role earned her a notable award, but the specific award name is not mentioned.
In addition to her film work, Fletcher also appeared in television series. She had a recurring role in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which aired from 1993 to 1999. Fletcher's television work also included roles in Picket Fences and Joan of Arcadia, for which she received Emmy Award nominations. Her other notable film roles include Cruel Intentions, in which she played the character Helen Rosemond, and a film titled Shameless.
Fletcher continued to work in television and film throughout her career. Her final role was as Rosie in the Netflix series Girlboss, which aired in 2017. Fletcher's acting career spanned multiple decades, with a total of 137 credits listed. She passed away on September 23, 2022, at the age of 88.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
138 titles- Boorman and the Devil (2025) as Self
- A Star Without a Star: The Untold Juanita Moore Story (2022) as Self
- Grizzly II: Revenge (2020) as Eileene Draygon
- Girlboss (2017) as Rosie
- Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014) as Mrs. McKeltch (archive footage) (uncredited)
- A Perfect Man (2013) as Abbie
- Of Two Minds (2012) as Aunt Will
- Shameless (2011) as Peggy Gallagher
- Cassadaga (2011) as Claire
- Once Upon a Time… One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (2011) as Self
- The Genesis Code (2010) as Ellen Taylor
- Miloš Forman: What Doesn't Kill You… (2009) as Self
- Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (2009) as Self
- Private Practice (2007) as Frances Wilder
- A Dennis the Menace Christmas (2007) as Martha Wilson
- The Last Sin Eater (2007) as Miz Elda
- Heroes (2006) as Dr. Coolidge
- Fat Rose and Squeaky (2006) as Bonnie
- A Dad for Christmas (2006) as Glennie
- Aurora Borealis (2005) as Ruth Shorter
- Dancing in Twilight (2005) as Evelyn
- Wonderfalls (2004) as Vivian Caldwell
- Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild (2004) as Self
- Clipping Adam (2004) as Grammy
- Joan of Arcadia (2003) as Eva Garrison
- Finding Home (2003) as Esther
- A Time to Remember (2003) as Billy Calhoun
- Manna from Heaven (2002) as Mother Superior
- Touched by a Killer (2001) as Judge Erica Robertson
- After Image (2001) as Aunt Cora
- More Dogs Than Bones (2000) as Iva Doll
- Very Mean Men (2000) as Katherine Mulroney
- Big Eden (2000) as Grace Cornwell
- Silver Man (2000) as Val
- Cruel Intentions (1999) as Helen Rosemond
- The Devil's Arithmetic (1999) as Aunt Eva
- A Map of the World (1999) as Nellie Goodwin
- The Contract (1999) as Grandma Collins
- Time Served (1999) as Warden Mildred Reinecke
- Love Kills (1999) as Alena Heiss
- Brimstone (1998) as Evelyn McNabb
- Fantasy Island (1998) as Doris Leeman
- Johnny 316 (1998) as Sally's Mother
- The Practice (1997) as Judge N. Swanson
- Completely Cuckoo (1997) as Self
- Gone Fishin' (1997) as Restaurant Owner (uncredited)
- The Girl Gets Moe (1997) as Gloria
- Sins of the Mind (1997) as Dr. Anna Bingham
- Breast Men (1997) as Mrs. Saunders
- Married to a Stranger (1997) as Nana, Megan's Mother
- Heartless (1997) as Lydia McGuffy
- Profiler (1996) as Miriam Newquay
- 7th Heaven (1996) as Mrs. Wagner
- Mulholland Falls (1996) as Esther
- 2 Days in the Valley (1996) as Evelyn
- High School High (1996) as Schuldirektorin Evelyn Doyle
- Frankenstein and Me (1996) as Mrs. Perdue
- The Stepford Husbands (1996) as Miriam Benton
- Edie & Pen (1996) as Judge
- Virtuosity (1995) as Elizabeth Deane
- VR.5 (1995) as Mrs. Nora Bloom
- ER (1994) as Roberta 'Birdie' Chadwick
- On Deadly Ground (1994) as Bartender (uncredited)
- Someone Else's Child (1994) as Faye Maddox
- Giorgino (1994) as Innkeeper
- Return to Two Moon Junction (1994) as Belle Delongpre
- Tollbooth (1994) as Lillian
- The Haunting of Seacliff Inn (1994) as Dorothy O'Hara
- Tryst (1994) as Maggie
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) as Vedek Winn
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) as Kai Winn
- The Fire Next Time (1993) as Sarge
- The Player (1992) as Louise Fletcher
- Blind Vision (1992) as Miss Taylor
- In a Child's Name (1991) as Jean Taylor
- Dream On (1990) as Joanna
- Blue Steel (1990) as Shirley Turner
- Nightmare on the 13th Floor (1990) as Letti Gordon
- Shadowzone (1990) as Dr. Erhardt
- Tales from the Crypt (1989) as Agent
- Best of the Best (1989) as Mrs. Grady
- The Karen Carpenter Story (1989) as Agnes Carpenter
- Two Moon Junction (1988) as Belle Delongpre
- Flowers in the Attic (1987) as Olivia Foxworth
- J. Edgar Hoover (1987) as Annie M. Hoover
- The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) as Dr. Granada
- Worlds Beyond (1986) as Karen Earl
- Invaders from Mars (1986) as Mrs. McKeltch
- Second Serve (1986) as Dr. Sadie M. Bishop
- Nobody's Fool (1986) as Pearl
- The Twilight Zone (1985) as Dr. Cline
- The Ray Bradbury Theater (1985)
- A Summer to Remember (1985) as Dr. Dolly McKeever
- Once Upon a Time in America (1984) as Director of Riverdale Cemetery
- Firestarter (1984) as Norma Manders
- Talk to Me (1984) as Mother
- Overnight Sensation (1984) as Evie Peregrine
- Islands (1984) as Maureen
- The Hitchhiker (1983) as Mother Birch
- Brainstorm (1983) as Lillian Reynolds
- Strange Invaders (1983) as Mrs. Benjamin
- The Lucky Star (1982) as Loes Bakker
- Strange Behavior (1981) as Barbara Moorehead
- Be Pretty and Shut Up! (1981) as Self
- Mama Dracula (1980) as Mama Dracula
- The Lady in Red (1979) as Anna Sage
- The Magician of Lublin (1979) as Emilia
- Natural Enemies (1979) as Miriam Steward
- The Cheap Detective (1978) as Marlene DuChard
- Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery (1978) as Sally Kimball
- Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) as Dr. Gene Tuskin
- TVTV Looks at the Oscars (1976) as Self
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) as Nurse Mildred Ratched
- Russian Roulette (1975) as Midge
- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- Thieves Like Us (1974) as Mattie
- Can Ellen Be Saved? (1974) as Bea Lindsey
- Medical Center (1969)
- Omnibus (1967) as Self
- A Gathering of Eagles (1963) as Mrs. Kemler
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Tate (1960)
- The Untouchables (1959) as Eloise
- One Step Beyond (1959) as Jeannie
- The Troubleshooters (1959) as Dellie
- Lawman (1958)
- Bat Masterson (1958) as Sarah Lou Conant
- 77 Sunset Strip (1958)
- Yancy Derringer (1958) as Miss Nellie / Alithea
- Perry Mason (1957) as Gladys Doyle
- Perry Mason (1957) as Susan Connolly
- Wagon Train (1957) as Elizabeth
- Maverick (1957)
- Sugarfoot (1957) as Julie Frazer
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955) as Aithra McLowery
- The Millionaire (1955) as Holly
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Louise Fletcher best known for?
Louise Fletcher is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Boorman and the Devil (2026), Grizzly II: Revenge (2020), Shameless (2011), Cassadaga (2011).
When and where was Louise Fletcher born?
Louise Fletcher was born on July 22, 1934 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. They passed away on September 23, 2022.
How many credits does Louise Fletcher have?
Louise Fletcher has accumulated over 138 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1944 to 2025.
What is Louise Fletcher's background in cinema and television?
Louise Fletcher was an American actress born on July 22, 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama, and she died on September 23, 2022, at the age of eighty-eight. She was best known for her portrayal of Nurse Ratched in the 1975 movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a role that earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFT...
Louise Fletcher by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Once Upon a Time in America (1984) as Director of Riverdale Cemetery — aged about 49
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) as Nurse Mildred Ratched — aged about 40
- Shameless (2011) as Peggy Gallagher — aged about 76
- Tales from the Crypt (1989) as Agent — aged about 54
- The Untouchables (1959) as Eloise — aged about 24
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) as Vedek Winn — aged about 58
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