Kathy Bates is ready to leave Hollywood behind, after one last hurrah.
Bates, whose decades-long acting career has earned her an Oscar and a pair of Emmys, revealed that her retirement is imminent. The “American Horror Story” and “Misery” star said in a recent interview that her upcoming role in CBS’s reboot of Andy Griffith’s “Matlock” will be her last film project.
“This is my last dance,” Bates told The New York Times in an interview published Sunday.
“Matlock” stars Madeline “Matty” Matlock, 76, a “Harry’s Law” alumna, whom CBS describes as “a brilliant septuagenarian.” Entering a new chapter in her career, Bates’ character joins a prestigious law firm, “where she uses her unassuming demeanor and shrewd tactics to win cases.”
While “Matlock” appears to mark the end of Bates’ career, the Memphis-born actress said she had contemplated retirement even before the remake arrived. Bates told the New York Times that she wanted to end her career after a film shoot went awry. A day after filming the unnamed project, Bates reportedly called her agents to inform them that she was ready to retire.
Then, in January, he received the scripts for the reboot of “Matlock.”
Bates, who is an executive producer on “Matlock,” said she sees the show as an opportunity to showcase the skills she has honed throughout her career. Her credits also include the films “Titanic” and “Fried Green Tomatoes” and appearances on the television series “The Office” and “Two and a Half Men.”
“Everything I’ve prayed for, everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve fought for, I can suddenly be asked to use it all,” she said, before adding: “It’s exhausting.”
In the Times’ fall preview, columnist Mary McNamara wrote that “Matlock” “is a showcase for Bates.”
“I think we can all agree that it is always worth highlighting,” he wrote.
“Matlock” premieres on CBS on September 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.
