Kathy Bates retires: Oscar-winner says farewell in "Matlock" reboot

Kathy Bates is a true legend of the film world. She first appeared in theaters in the 1971 comedy by Miloš Forman, "Taking Off." She has over 90 films to her credit. However, she is still mostly remembered as the terrifying Annie from "Misery," based on the Stephen King novel of the same title. She played a fanatical admirer of a writer who, after an accident, suddenly realizes he is not in a hospital but in the home of his psychotic fan. Bates won an Oscar for this role, beating Julia Roberts (nominated for "Pretty Woman") and Meryl Streep (nominated for "Postcards from the Edge").

Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates has announced that her farewell performance will be her upcoming role in the series "Matlock," a reboot of the classic 80s legal drama. Bates, an undeniable force in Hollywood for over five decades, has decided to end her phenomenal career. Interestingly, this was supposed to happen earlier.

In an interview with the "New York Times," Bates revealed that a bad experience on a film set almost led her to retire. However, she did not disclose which production it was. In recent years, she has appeared in lesser-known, not particularly well-reviewed films such as "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," "The Great Lilian Hall," "Summer Camp," and most recently in Netflix's "A Family Affair," where she had a small role alongside Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, and Joey King. Throughout her career, Bates has achieved success both on screen and on stage, participating in a variety of projects from dramas to comedies, winning numerous awards and nominations, including an Emmy for her role in the series "American Horror Story."

She says that she decided to suspend her retirement plans when she received the script for "Matlock" in January 2024. "It's my last dance," the actress commented. - "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.