Louise Fletcher Estelle Louise Fletcher is the Academy Award - winning , Emmy Award - nominated American actress who played the Bajoran spiritual leader Vedek ( later Kai ) Winn Adami in fourteen episodes of . A screen legend in her own right , Fletcher is best known for her performance as the loathsome Nurse Mildred Ratched in the classic film " One Flew over the Cuckoo ' s Nest " , which earned her the 1975 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role . guest star Brad Dourif was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the film , while Michael Berryman , Peter Brocco , Christopher Lloyd , and Vincent Schiavelli also had roles . The film featured makeups by Fred Phillips . Fletcher is one of only four " Star Trek " performers to have been nominated for a Best Leading Actress Academy Award ( the others being Samantha Eggar , Whoopi Goldberg and Jean Simmons ) and the only one to have won the award . Life and early career . Fletcher was born in Birmingham , Alabama . Both of her parents were deaf , and as a result , she learned sign language at a very early age . Her aunt , who taught her how to speak , also introduced her to acting . Fletcher attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , where in 1956 she acted in the Institute of Outdoor Drama . After graduation , she traveled to Los Angeles , working as a receptionist by day and taking acting classes at night . By the end of 1958 , she was working regularly in television , and continued to do so for several years . Fletcher made guest appearances on dozens of popular television series , including " Maverick " , " Wagon Train " , and " Perry Mason " . She also appeared in the second episode of the CBS action drama series " The Untouchables " , which , like , was produced by Desilu Studios . She made her film debut with an uncredited role in the 1963 war drama " A Gathering of Eagles " , which featured Robert Lansing in a supporting role . Following her marriage to producer Jerry Bick in 1960 and subsequent motherhood , Fletcher went on a long hiatus to raise her family , returning in the 70s . Fletcher divorced Bick in 1978 after 18 years of marriage ; they have two grown sons . 1973 - 1989 . Fletcher returned to the silver screen when she was cast by legendary director Robert Altman in the 1974 film " Thieves Like Us " . Her co - stars in this film included Keith Carradine , John Schuck and Bert Remsen . In January 1975 , Fletcher won the role of Nurse Ratched in " One Flew Over the Cuckoo ' s Nest " . Five other actresses had turned down the role , and Fletcher was cast only a week before filming began . Not only did Fletcher win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance ( which was presented to her by Jill Ireland and her husband ) , but the film also won Best Picture , as well as three other Oscars . Her portrayal of a cruel , sadistic nurse in a 1950s mental ward , stifling patients ' individuality ( as well as their recovery ) , was ranked the fifth greatest screen villain by the American Film Institute . Since winning her Academy Award , Fletcher has starred in numerous other film projects , the majority of which feature fellow " Star Trek " alumni . In 1978 , she had a memorable supporting role in the comedic thriller " The Cheap Detective " , co - starring James Cromwell , David Ogden Stiers , Vic Tayback , and Jonathan Banks . The following year , she appeared with her " Cuckoo ' s Nest " co - star Christopher Lloyd ( Kruge in ) in the comedy " The Lady in Red " ( also featuring Dick Miller ) . In 1983 , special effects director - turned - feature film director and producer Douglas Trumbull cast her in the science fiction film " Brainstorm " . That same year , she co - starred with fellow recurring DS9 performer Wallace Shawn in " Strange Invaders " , along with Kenneth Tobey , Dey Young and Thomas Kopache . Fletcher was also cast in the 1984 thriller " Firestarter " based upon the novel by Stephen King and also costarred Leon Rippy . Fletcher won a Saturn Award as Best Actress from the Academy of Science Fiction , Fantasy & Horror Films for her role in " Brainstorm " , and was also nominated for a Saturn Award for her performance in the 1987 horror film " Flowers in the Attic " . In 1989 , she was seen in the martial arts film " Best of the Best " , which was edited by William Hoy . 1990 - present . Fletcher had a role in the 1990 film " Blue Steel " , co - starring Clancy Brown , Mike Starr , and William Marshall . She then appeared in the Emmy Award - nominated mini - series " In a Child ' s Name " with Jeff Allin , Timothy Carhart , Dennis Cockrum , David Huddleston , Caroline Kava , and Mitch Ryan . In 1992 , she was a regular on the short - lived CBS series " The Boys of Twilight " , along with Amanda McBroom . In 1994 , Fletcher co - starred with David Warner in the thriller " Tryst " , with Seymour Cassel in " Tollbooth " , and with Bruce Davison in the TV movie " Someone Else ' s Child " . In 1995 , Fletcher portrayed Elzabeth Deane in the science fiction film " Virtuosity " , which involved virtual reality . She then portrayed Nora Bloom on the similarly - themed , short - lived television series " VR . 5 " . Fletcher then guest - starred in two 1996 episodes of the CBS series " Picket Fences " , earning an Emmy Award nomination for her performance in her second episode . Fletcher was one of several " Trek " alumni to star in the 1997 film " Breast Men " , her performance in which earned her a Golden Satellite Award nomination . Among her co - stars in " Breast Men " were Matt Frewer , Terry O ' Quinn , Raphael Sbarge , Frank Novak , and Heidi Swedberg . In 2000 , Fletcher co - starred with Whoopi Goldberg in " More Dogs Than Bones " , and in 2005 , she co - starred with Erick Avari in " Dancing in Twilight " . Fletcher earned her second Emmy Award nomination for her performance in an episode of CBS ' " Joan of Arcadia " , on which Michael Welch was a regular . Fletcher then appeared on " 7th Heaven " ( which starred Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks ) and had a recurring role on NBC ' s long - running medical drama , " ER " . More recently , she portrayed Mrs . Wilson in the direct - to - video release , " a Dennis the Menace Christmas " . In 2009 , Fletcher guest - starred in two episodes of the popular NBC series " Heroes " . Her first episode , " Ink , " was directed by former " Voyager " regular Roxann Dawson and also guest - starred Robert Knepper and Rick Worthy . Her second episode , " Hysterical Blindness , " featured series regulars Greg Grunberg , Zachary Quinto , and Cristine Rose . As Winn Adami . In , Fletcher accepted the role of Vedek Winn in the first season of " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " . Her portrayal of the inflexible , wry character gave it the condescending edge the part required . After two seasons , her character advanced to the status of Kai , which made her an even more integral part of the DS9 saga . Her recurring character on the series continued until the series finale in . Other Trek connections . Additional film & television works not mentioned above in which Fletcher worked with other " Star Trek " alumni are :