<Tr> <Th> Years active </Th> <Td> 1983--present </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Spouse (s) </Th> <Td> Ken Harper (m . 1971--76) </Td> </Tr> <P> Tessie Jean "Tess" Harper (née Washam; born August 15, 1950) is an American actress . She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her first film role in 1983's Tender Mercies, and for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1986 film Crimes of the Heart . Her other film appearances include Flashpoint (1984), Ishtar (1987), Far North (1988), and No Country for Old Men (2007). She portrayed Jesse Pinkman's mother on Breaking Bad (2008--2013), appearing in the first three seasons . </P> <P> Harper was born on August 15, 1950 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, the daughter of Rosemary (née Langston) and Ed Washam . Most members of her family were quilt makers . On her own time, she liked to sit on the porch - swing and read . She graduated from high school in 1968 . She attended Arkansas State University - Beebe, where she performed in several plays, as well as Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) in Springfield, Missouri, where she graduated with a degree in education . </P>

Who played jesse's mom on breaking bad