Kathy Lamkin, Who Played Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Tea Lady, Dies at 74
Kathy Lamkin, best known for her roles in 2003's Texas Chainsaw Massacre and No Country For Old Men, has passed away. She was 74 years old. The actress passed away on April 4 after a short illness, according to a statement by her family, which was provided to Deadline, who first broke the news of Lamkin's passing. Lamkin appeared in almost 50 movies and TV shows over the course of 25 years, before retiring from the screen in 2014.
Lamkin has been featured in movies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Waiting for Guffman, and Sweetwater, as well as TV shows like Bones, My Name is Earl, and Malcolm in the Middle. Some of her best roles have been her strangest, with her turn as the Tea Lady in Texas Chainsaw Massacre standing shoulder to shoulder with the giant 200-pound fat suit she had to wear on Nip/Tuck. Her scene-stealing performance in No Country For Old Men nabbed her a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2007.
"Each director I have worked with has something different to offer and all have one thing in common – a passion for filmmaking," Lamkin told myReviewer in 2009, during an interview in support of indie horror movie Staunton Hill. "All take you aside and speak to you privately about what they want in a particular take. It was fun working with Michael Polish [director of The Astronaut Farmer] …Michael keeps the film rolling after dialogue was finished and you keep in character. Cameron let the film roll after the page was finished and we got a couple of good improvisations. Some directors I would crawl over broken glass for because they inspire everyone to a higher standard of excellence and are so nice."
Lamkin was born in 1947 in Texas and her official bio says she was drawn to performing through her school choir. She continued acting at Texas Women's University before eventually settling in Houston. In addition to her decades of screen credits, Lamkin taught theatre arts at Codwell Elementary School in Houston, and with the Unicorn School of Acting and USA Theatre.
Lamkin is survived by her husband Steve, her son Greg, and her daughter Kati, who is a film editor. Arrangements are being made for a celebration of life, though there are no public deatils at this point. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Actors Fund by clicking here. Our thoughts go out to Lamkin's family, friends, collaborators, and fans in this difficult time.
