Kathy Bates eyes retirement from acting after ‘Matlock’ reboot: ‘This is my last dance’
Kathy Bates is ready to leave Hollywood behind — after one last hoorah.
Bates, whose decades-long acting career has earned her an Oscar and a couple of Emmys, revealed that her retirement is imminent. The “American Horror Story” and “Misery” star said in a recent interview that her upcoming turn in CBS’ reboot of the Andy Griffith procedural “Matlock” will be her final screen project.
“This is my last dance,” Bates told the New York Times in an interview published Sunday.
“Matlock” stars the 76-year-old “Harry’s Law” alum as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, whom CBS describes as “a brilliant septuagenarian.” Embarking on a new chapter of her career, Bates’ character joins a prestigious law firm, “where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases.”
Among the shows our TV writers are looking forward to this season are ‘The Golden Bachelorette,’ ‘Matlock,’ ‘St. Denis Medical’ and ‘Landman.’
While it seems that “Matlock” will mark the end of Bates’ career, the Memphis-born actor said she had contemplated retirement even before the reboot came her way. Bates told the New York Times that she wanted to end her career after a movie shoot had gone awry. A day after filming on the unnamed project, Bates reportedly called her agents to inform them she was ready to retire.
Then, in January, she received the scripts for the “Matlock” reboot.
Bates, who is an executive producer on “Matlock,” said she sees the show as an opportunity to showcase the skills she has honed over the course of her career. Her credits also include films “Titanic” and “Fried Green Tomatoes” and appearances on the TV series “The Office” and “Two and a Half Men.”
“Everything I’ve prayed for, worked for, clawed my way up for, I am suddenly able to be asked to use all of it,” she said, before adding, “It’s exhausting.”
Jennie Snyder Urman, showrunner of ‘Matlock’ on CBS, talks about reimagining the character and why Kathy Bates is perfect for the role.
In The Times’ fall preview, columnist Mary McNamara wrote that “Matlock” “is a showcase for Bates.”
“I think we can all agree that she is always worth showcasing,” she wrote.
“Matlock” premieres on CBS Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. The series, from showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, also stars Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, David Del Rio and Leah Lewis.
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