Kathy Bates thought that her career would be coming to an early end, but Matlock changed everything. The show serves as a reboot of the 1986 hit, though the characters in-universe are aware of the original show's existence. Inspired by the original Matlock, Bates' Madeline Kingston is inspired to return to law under an alias. She spends much of the show shielding her true identity from her coworkers. Thanks to high viewership, Matlock season 2 has already been approved, despite the fact that season 1 has not even finished.
In an interview with Newsweek, Bates opened up about her emotional response to the renewal. After 55 years as an actor, she thought that her career was drifting to an unwelcome end, but the near-universal acclaim set the show apart and motivated her. She believed that she would slip into the realm of invisibility, but this very production saved her from that sense of uncertainty and powerlessness. Check out her full quote below:
I can't explain it. I really can't. I just don't know how all of this happened. I don't know how I was able to do it. I don't know how it came about. I really felt my career was coming to an end , and I've seen other actresses my age who do feel invisible. I went through an experience with an actor, I don't want to say their name, but we got together for photographs of us in our costumes, and her costumes didn't fit her at all. This was a woman who had an astounding career, and she was quite hurt by that. Did they not know her size? Did they not know her measurements or whatever? And it was really a humiliation for her. I was astounded by that. And in a way, I look back at that, and I think in some ways she was invisible to them, but I think also, all of us are invisible when it comes down to it. What power do we have when it came to the things in our lives, or much less the world around us? So I think we can all relate to that. I feel grateful to play the role. I feel grateful to have this opportunity. I'm certainly just thrilled with the numbers. I can't believe all of that. And to be a woman, as you say, of a certain age, to have this happen is just, it's unreal , it's absolutely unreal. The boomer generation has sort of been pushed to the side. But in fact, we are a powerful force to be reckoned with, as you say, certainly elections and being a voting force. I don't want to get too down about things. I have a friend whose mother is on the downward slope, so to speak. And I saw Jessica Tandy go through that. We were going to do something else together, and she couldn't remember lines anymore, and I wonder if that'll happen to me. When will that happen to me as I get older? So to have this reprieve from the thoughts of that and to delight in [Matty's] cleverness, her passion, her wisdom, but also she screws up, she makes mistakes.
Matlock Saved Kathy Bates' Career
Bates Has Entered Semi-Retirement
It is hard to deny the success of Bates' career. The Oscar-winning actor has played a wide range of roles, and all of Bates' best movies showcase her remarkable talent in a variety of genres. She was nominated for three Oscars and won a fourth, but she also won two Golden Globes and another two Emmys. Despite her long career, however, her most recent major award came in 2014 when she took home an Emmy for American Horror Story: Coven. It has been a decade since she received a major win, which explains why she thought her career was declining.
The new Matlock has maintained a 7.7 out of 10 rating on IMDb.
Matlock changed that. The series debuted with 7.7 million viewers on CBS and maintains a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It continues to thrive, which explains why CBS elected to renew season 2 early. The show is a worthy successor to Andy Griffith's version, but it is made even better by the fact that Bates serves as the perfect example of a leading actor. She has so much experience within Hollywood that she never stumbles. Her performance manages to turn the leading character into a truly memorable protagonist. It has saved Bates from relative obscurity and reignited her popularity.
Our Take On Matlock's Early Success
Matlock Will Keep Bates' Career Going
Bates has always been a stunning actor, who dominated the industry since her Oscar-winning performance in Misery (1990). She has been a pioneer from Broadway to Hollywood, so it is only natural that she would also find a home on TV too. It is painful to see her fears as aging actor, but her comments only make the show's success more touching, even despite Matlock's shaky schedule. It truly serves as a reminder that aging stars could struggle with the pressure of losing their careers. Matlock saved Bates, but Bates is also the reason that the show works so well.
Source: Newsweek
Matlock is a modern reboot of the classic series created for CBS that sees the titular role taken up by Kathy Bates. After years retired from her career, Madeline Matlock rejoins the legal world in a powerful new firm where she uses her seasoned skills to win cases and expose the underlying corruption within the legal system.
Character(s) Madeline Matlock , Julián , Olympia , Billy , Sarah , Alfie Kingston , Elijah Walker , Senior Partner , Kathryn Lawrence-Markston , Courtney (Court) Lawrence-Markston
Release Date September 22, 2024
Seasons 1
Writers Jennie Snyder Urman
Directors Kat Coiro
English (US) ·