She debuted in Broadway within 1957 and in 1975 won the Tony Award for Best Actress around the Play for her performance around "Same Time, Next Year." Around 1990 she won a Sarah Siddons Award for her work around Chicago theatre.

Burstyn received her 1st Academy Award nomination for Better Supporting Actress within 1972 for the film The Last Picture Show. She later won a Oscar for Better Actress around 1974 for her performance in the movie ''Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and was nominated for Best Actress in 1973 for the horror movie The Exorcist, in 1978 for Same Time, Next Year, and in 1980 for Resurrection. She besides received an Oscar nomination for her role when Sara Goldfarb inside Requiem for a Dream in 2000. From either 2000 to 2002 she appeared the CBS television drama That's Life''.

Ellen Burstyn served when president of the Actors' Equity Association between 1982 and 1985.

Inside 1997, she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.

Around 2000 she was, along with Al Pacino and Harvey Keitel, named co-president of The Actor's Studio. Partial filmography
The Five People You Meet in Heaven (TV) (2004) - Ruby Brush with Fate (TV) (2003) - Rika Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) - Viviane Joan "Vivi" Abbott Walker Requiem for a Dream (2000) - Sara Goldfarb How to Make an American Quilt (1995) - Hy Dodd The Baby-Sitters Club (1995) - Emily Haberman Dying Young (1991) - Mrs. O'Neil The Ellen Burstyn Show (TV) (1986) - Ellen Brewer The Exorcist (1973) - Chris MacNeil The Last Picture Show (1971) - Lois Farrow