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Heather Kafka

Heather Kafka

Actor · Born July 7, 1972 (54) · Austin, Texas, USA

Heather Kafka (born 7 July 1972, Austin, Texas) is an American film, television, and voice actress who has been acting since age 6. She lives and works in Austin, Texas. She is best known as Chloe in MTV's first-ever scripted series Austin Stories (1997–98), Lacy in the independent drama Joe (2013, dir. David Gordon Green), and Henrietta Hewitt in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). Other notable film roles include Where the Heart Is (2000), Idiocracy (2006), Lovers of Hate (2010, Independent Spirit Award-nominated), Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013), and Song to Song (2017, dir. Terrence Malick). On television she has had recurring roles on Queen Sugar (2018–2022, as Deborah, 9 episodes), Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023), Friday Night Lights (2006), and guest appearances on House, The Leftovers, Longmire, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. As a voice actress for ADV Films, she voiced Hinagiku Tamano/Angel Daisy in the anime Wedding Peach and Jun Hunoo in Mazinkaiser. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 7, 1972 (54)
From
Austin, Texas, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
25 on MovieCove · 44 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Up 47% in 30 days

What are Heather Kafka's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
28%
Survival
28%
Morality
21%
Self
11%
Society
11%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 7

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 5

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 4 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles
  • Heroas Bug in Bug (2017)
  • Threshold guardianas Deborah in Bug (2017)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Dread
5
Melancholic
4
Bittersweet
3
Contemplative
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Unsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Heather Kafka's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 25 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Heather Kafka's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

44 credits, 25 with a MovieCove page.

  • All That We Love(2024)

    as Podcast Host

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Leads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Producer · Story · as Mags Malloy

  • The Long Game(2023)

    as Alice Glenn

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Blood Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Actor

  • Lawmen: Bass Reeves(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · as Florence Hammersly

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Wüm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Madge

  • No Future(2021)

    as Linda

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Lola: Girl Got a Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Mom

  • There You Are (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Actor

  • Foxy Trot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Carol

  • Maude (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Actor

  • Don't Ever Change (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Amy

  • Song to Song(2017)

    as Suzie (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Whiskey Fist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Karen

  • Daylight's End(2016)

    as Earnesta

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Bug(2017)

    as Deborah

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Samaritans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Lou-Anne

  • Some Beasts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Actor

  • Skunk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Leila's Mom

  • The Leftovers(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Susan

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Joe(2013)

    as Lacy

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Angels Sing(2013)

    as David's Doctor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Ain't Them Bodies Saints(2013)

    as Midwife #1

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Loves Her Gun(2013)

    as Debbie (Neighbor)

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Pit Stop(2013)

    as Linda

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Black Metal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Rose

  • Saturday Morning Massacre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Mona

  • Longmire(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Holly Whitish

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Kid-Thing(2012)

    as Mom

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Wind Session Tiger Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Mrs. Blake

  • The Man Who Never Cried (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Mary Winston

  • Lovers of Hate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Diana

  • Idiocracy(2006)

    as Woman at Carl's Jr.

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Night Stalker(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Katrina Ortega

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows

  • The Wendell Baker Story(2005)

    as Marianne

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • House(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Sarah Kelvey

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • CSI: NY(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(2003)

    as Henrietta

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Mindy DuPont

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Strong Medicine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Callan Howe

  • Where the Heart Is(2000)

    as Delphia

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Monster Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Cassandra

  • The Secret She Carried(1996)

    as Cheryl

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • ER(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Rhonda

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 88th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 44 titles from 1994 to 2025; peak year 2013.

Biggest box office

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

$107M worldwide

Highest rated

Joe (2013)

Midcredits 76th

Most popular right now

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Film career

19942025

Peak 2013 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting44 of 44: 43 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdWriting1 of 44: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 44: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s3 · acting2000s9 · acting2010s25 · acting2020s7 · 7 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 14th · top billed in 0% of 9 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Heather Kafka's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 39th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

24thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 25 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 25 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

Bug (2017)

86th percentile spread · 55% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Joe (2013)

Midcredits 76th · 67% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Heather Kafka's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 82 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 77 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 63 · intenseMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 67 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Heather Kafka work with?

People who share at least 2 of Heather Kafka's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Merriman shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers

Mixed roles