Harper was born in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas and attended Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri State University) in Springfield, Missouri.

Harper began acting in theater production and appearances in theme parks, dinner theatres and children's theatre. Her first feature film was Tender Mercies, where she played Robert Duvall's younger wife. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her part.

She appeared in the TV mini-series Chiefs (1983) and Celebrity (1984), as well as many made for TV movies including Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land (1983) and Reckless Disregard (1985). In (1983) she appeared in Silkwood.

In 1986 she was nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work as Chick Boyle in Crimes of the Heart. She would also play parts in such films as Ishtar (1987), Far North (1988), The Man in the Moon (1991), The Jackal (1997) and Loggerheads (2005).

Harper had a regular role in the CBS TV series Christy from 1994 to 1995. Her roles have frequently been playing the part of a Southern lady, although she had worked to lose her Arkansas accent.

Harper married Ken Harper in 1971, but the couple divorced in 1976.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tess_Harper"

Categories: American film actors | American television actors | Arkansas actors | 1950 births | Living people | People from Arkansas

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