Kathy Bates Retirement Set for After Matlock Reboot Series

As a longtime fan of Kathy Bates‘ illustrious career, it’s bittersweet to hear about her impending retirement. Her talent has graced our screens for decades, and she’s left an indelible mark on Hollywood with her captivating performances. It’s hard to imagine the small screen without her larger-than-life presence.


76-year-old Academy Award winner Kathy Bates has announced her intention to retire from acting following her role in the CBS remake of the timeless legal drama Matlock, set to premiere on September 22. This will be her first television project since appearing in American Horror Story: Apocalypse in 2018.

Why does Kathy Bates want to retire from acting?

In a recent interview, Bates has made it clear that the Matlock reboot is her last acting role before retiring, as she plans to step away from acting once the CBS series concludes. Prior to joining the reboot, the actress known for Titanic had already expressed her readiness for retirement following a challenging production experience on an unnamed film.

Bates expressed, as reported by The New York Times, “This is the final dance for me.” He continued, “[Acting] consumes my existence. At times, I feel envious of possessing this gift. Since I can’t contain it, I yearn for my life.

After discovering a script for the Matlock reboot, she eventually chose to delay her retirement because connecting with the character felt like everything she had wished for, labored towards, and struggled to achieve was finally being utilized. In her own words, “All of a sudden, I’m being asked to use all that I’ve prayed for, worked for, clawed my way up for.

The TV series Matlock was developed and overseen by showrunner Jenny Snyder Urman. In the upcoming revamp, Bates will star as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a sharp-witted septuagenarian. As suggested in the plot summary, after having enjoyed success in her youth, Matty decides to return to work at a prominent law firm, where she employs her understated manner and cunning strategies to secure victories and expose corruption from within.

In addition to the main characters, Skye P. Marshall portrays Olympia, Jason Ritter takes on Julian, David Del Rio plays Billy, and Leah Lewis stars as Sarah. The reboot is supervised by Bates, Eric Christian Olsen, Joanna Klein, John Will, and Kat Coiro.

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2024-09-09 18:41