Oscar-winning Hollywood star Kathy Bates of Misery and Titanic fame has made the sad announcement that she will be retiring from acting after she finishes filming the new reboot of Matlock.

Kathy Bates To Retire

Bates, 76, is playing Madeline Matlock in the reboot of Matlock, which premieres on CBS on September 22. In a new interview, Bates is revealing that this will likely be the final role of her impressive career.

“This is my last dance,” she told The New York Times.

Bates went on to say that she was previously ready to quit the business after one movie shoot led to her crying on her sofa. She declined to name the specific movie, however.

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

Matlock Reboot

Bates put her retirement plans on the back burner after she was sent the script for Matlock. The original Matlock was on from 1986 until 1995. It starred the late great Andy Griffith as Benjamin Matlock, a lawyer who charges hefty prices to fight for people’s cases.

In the new version, Bates’ character will rejoin the law workforce as a senior. She must then use her unassuming persona to win cases. Bates made it clear that she could not be more excited about this 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,” she said. “It’s exhausting.”

Check out a trailer for Matlock below.

Related: Bette Midler Reveals She Turned Down One Of Whoopi Goldberg’s Most Famous Roles

Bates’ Previous Struggles

Bates has been open about her struggles in the entertainment business at times in her decades-long career. Back in July, she admitted that during her days as a young actress, she would sometimes “get my feelings really hurt.”

“Sometimes I’d get on a plane and fly home,” she recalled.

One particularly difficult moment for Bates came when she was working as a stage actress in London. She was both shocked and devastated when she found herself the focus of a British tabloid.

“”I had a wonderful producer, God rest, him, Saul Zaentz. And I remember we were in London, and it was just a nightmare. British press… But I remember I got very upset,” she said. “And I said, ‘I’m going home, that’s it. I’m not going to put myself through this anymore.’ And I remember Saul coming up to me and saying, ‘You gotta get tougher.'”

Related: Tom Selleck, 79, Not Enjoying Retirement After ‘Blue Bloods’ Cancellation, and Friends Are Worried About His Health

Bates’ Awards

Thankfully, Bates stuck it out, and she’s had an incredible career in film, television, and the stage. She’s been nominated for four Oscars, winning Best Actress for the 1990 horror movie Misery. Bates’ most recent Oscar nomination came in 2020, when she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the Clint Eastwood-directed movie Richard Jewell.

Bates has also been nominated for fourteen Emmy Awards, winning twice. Only time will tell if she can add to that number with Matlock!

While it’s sad to see that Bates is planning to retire, she certainly deserves to kick back and relax after such a lengthy career. If you’re a fan of Bates, be sure to check out Matlock when it premieres on CBS on September 22!

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