Iconic Actress Announces She’s Done Her Final Project

Hollywood star Kathy Bates announced that she’s done her final project and will retire once the reboot of CBS’ “Matlock” airs later this month.

Speaking to The New York Times, the 76-year-old actress shared how she had planned on retiring before she was sent the script to play Madeline Matlock in the reboot of the popular attorney TV series that aired from 1986-1995 and had Andy Griffith playing the lead.

“This is my last dance,” Bates said as she revealed that she knew it was time to quit after she ended up crying on her sofa during an unnamed movie shoot.

“It becomes my life,” she added. “Sometimes I get jealous of having this talent. Because I can’t hold it back, and I just want my life.” 

Kathy Bates was ready to retire before starring in #Matlock and reveals the reboot will be her final role: “Everything I’ve prayed for, worked for, clawed my way up for, I am suddenly able to be asked to use all of it…And it’s exhausting” https://t.co/NLkrijmRiE pic.twitter.com/Kuc7jCQiyM

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 9, 2024

Bates also said, “Everything I’ve prayed for, worked for, clawed my way up for, I am suddenly able to be asked to use all of it…And it’s exhausting.”

A description of the “Matlock” series says it “[f]ollows Madeline Matlock as she rejoins the work force at a prestigious law firm, where she uses her wily tactics to win cases and expose wrong doing.”

Bates has been part of Hollywood and Broadway for more than five decades.

Her impressive resume includes the 1990 movie based on Stephen King’s horror novel “Misery” in which Bates played a fan who kidnaps her favorite author (played by James Caan) and subjects him to a whole host of horrific tortures to get him to revive her favorite characters storyline.

The role was a huge boost to her career and led to her capturing the “‘Best Actress’ Oscar and Golden Globe award, a first in that genre (horror) for that category,” IMDb noted.

A year later, Bates appeared in the flashback period piece “Fried Green Tomatoes” alongside actress Jessica Tandy. In 1995, Bates landed a “Best Supporting Actress” nomination for her role in the 1998 political movie “Primary Colors.”

Bates has also done work on the small screen, landing 14 Emmy awards or nominations to date for her appearances on such series as “Six Feet Under” in 2001, “The Office” in 2005, “Harry’s Law” in 2011, and “American Horror Story” that same year for which she won an Emmy as Ethel Darling.

“Matlock” debuts on CBS on September 22 and will later stream on Paramount+, People magazine noted.

Related: Bryan Cranston To Retire From Acting To Focus On Marriage: ‘We Want To Go The Distance’