For decades, Kathy Bates has been both celebrated and underestimated. When she won an Oscar for her terrible performance in Rob Reiners 1990 Stephen King adaptation of “Misery”, she was greeted as a newcomer, although she had made her film debut almost 20 years earlier in Miloš Forman’s “Take Off.” Her career has since included Oscar -Noms for “primary colors”, “About Schmidt” and “Richard Jewell”, 14 Emmy nominations and two victories for “Two and a Half Men” and “American Horror Story: Coven” and a varied CV that has both dramas as “dramas as” dolores clai dolores
Bates’ Latest Role is the Title Character in Jennie Snyder Urman’s “Matlock,” Which Borrows Its Name from the Andy Griffith Legal Drama from the 1980s and ’90s but knowingly subverts it in the process: Bates’ Madeline Kingston, Sun Matty Matty Matty Matty It turns out that she’s playing the role of Matty in order to infiltrate a law firm that hid evidence on behalf of a pharmaceutical company who was an employee of the opioid -related death of her daughter.
The series is the most successful new show on broadcast -TV this season, and it may well bring Bates, which is 76, a rare Emmy nomination for a lead role. (So far, 10 of her 13 Emmy -noms for actors have come into support and guest categories.)
I sat a table away from you at Critics Choice Awards in January. And when you won the best actress in a drama award for “Matlock”, the room seemed completely satisfied, and you seemed completely shocked.
I was gobsmacked. I was sure Anna Sawai (from “Shōgun”) would win. I never thought of a million years that I would win. That is why I was not dressed. People thought I would come from riding a Harley or something.
Has “Matlock” been a surprise to you in other ways too?
It has been a surprise in every way. I am surprised that the material is so wonderful and surprised that Jennie is consistently someone I love to work with and surprised that (CBS Entertainment President) Amy Reisenbach and (CBS President and CEO) George Cheeks and (CBS Studios President) David Stapf are such as the role, and the role of such as. And surprised, of course, over what a huge audience response we have had. It’s just incredible, right?
When I looked at the first episode, I thought it would be a team show with another case every week until the last minutes of the show, when your character’s real intentions were revealed. And it changed everything. What was your reaction when you first read it?
It was exactly the same. I had no expectations, and I had not seen Jennie’s second show, “Jane the Virgin”, which I hear was very successful. When I started reading, I thought, “Oh, I’ve done it before, and I don’t know if I’m interested in playing another lawyer.” And when I got to the turn at the end, I thought, “Ok, now we’re talking about a character that has a cause.” It just blew all the wide open. And it was also about the opioid crisis, which I know from personal experience. Many years ago, when I had breast cancer, I wanted more medication, and my doctors were very reluctant. And now I understand why. This is how 90% of people become dependent due to injuries or surgery. So it has been a very sober trip.
To know that, did you immediately respond to the script?
They gave me a script on Friday, and I met Jennie on Monday. I liked her very much, and we settled right away and came to work. I had a million questions that I had written down this weekend. When I sat down, I remember saying to her, “I love this. Don’t change a word. Let’s talk about this character.” And then I just dived in.
What kinds of questions did you have?
I have the list here somewhere. I keep everything. Let me see if I can find it. (A minute later) Found it! (reading) How do you see this character, Matty? What would Matty have to do to create her character? How about her age? I’m 74, it’s too old for a daughter. What is her husband doing? How rich are they? How did they earn their money? How many sections have you written? Can I see them? Who will direct the pilot? Where do you see the series go after the first season? Does the Matty solve during the first season? And I told Jennie, “I don’t want this to start unique and turning into ‘Boston Legal.'” I wanted to know, Will Matty argue in court? Who else was in the role? Will we have rehearsal time? It’s really important to me.
(Laugh) So that’s good, right? All these issues. I came across this list of questions recently and I went, “Whoa, I’m really granular.”
Has it been typical of you over the years?
This one was very unusual because of Jennie and who she is. She wants to know everything that happens, and all the questions I have, she comes back to me right away. She is very transparent. I can sit and talk to her, and that has not always been the case. I do not want to go into details or name any names, but it has not always been my experience. Often you are cast, and the next time you see the creator is on the set. And maybe I didn’t push hard enough to say, “Look, I want to sit down and talk to you about this.”
Matty is dismissed consistently and underestimated because of her age and her gender. Has it happened to you in Hollywood?
I don’t want to beat a dead horse, because I’ve talked about this before, but yes. I thank God for Ryan Murphy, because he really helped me rejuvenate my career after being sick of cancer. At that time, when I had my mastectomy back in 2012, I felt my career was over.
I remember when I got sick, I said, “I don’t feel like a woman.” And my doctor said, “You have y chromosome, you are a woman. Every cell of you is a woman.” But I especially believe when you have removed your breasts it is difficult for a woman. I was older and I just felt, “This is. I’m done.”
And “Harry’s Law” (a show 2011–2012 with Bates) had been canceled, especially because (when NBC Entertainment President) Bob Greenblatt said at TCA: “We can’t make money on this show with an older audience,” even though we had fantastic numbers. I thought it was very unfair and very worrying. And I can’t say how many people I have come across over the years who have said, “What happened to” Harry’s Law “?”
So it is wonderful to be able to have “Matlock” satisfy all the people who were upset about “Harry’s law.”
You have made a large selection of things over the years. Are you happy with where your career took you, or do you have regrets?
I would obviously have loved to do more leads, more fleshy roles such as (the movie 1995) “Dolores Claiborne”, which unfortunately did not get the attention we deserved that year. I also think my weight played some of it. I look back and regret that we couldn’t do “” Night, Mom “after we had done it on Broadway. (Bates and Anne Pitonia was nominated for the Tony Awards for their performances in the Pulitzer Prize-winning piece, but Sissy Spacek and Anne Bancroft got the roles in the 1986 film version.) I have regret when I look back and think, “Gee, I wish I could have done it, I could have done it.” But there we go. I do not regret the four Oscar nominations.
So with the success of “Matlock”, where do you want to go from here?
I would like to “Matlock” run for five years or more. I love working on it and I want to see where Jennie goes with it. And if there is a wonderful film role that comes down pike during interruptions, I would love to do so. But I would have to do something good if I were to make a movie. And other than that, I just like this TV schedule.
A version of this story first appeared in the Drama issue of Thewrap’s Awards Magazine. Read more from the question here.
