After five decades in Hollywood, Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress Kathy Bates says she is ready to yell cut. The esteemed performer will put away her scripts following CBS’ reboot of Matlock, premiering Sept. 22 and later dropping on Paramount+.

“This is my last dance,” she told the New York Times simply in a new interview published Sunday.

In fact, Bates revealed that she was ready to retire earlier, after a film shoot had soured for her (she did not specify the production) late last year. However, in January 2024, her agents sent her the script for the procedural, the premise of which — a reimagining on the classic legal TV drama, featuring a septuagenarian righting wrongs — intrigued the actress as a person who has faced injustice earlier in her career, she 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,” she said of the series. “And it’s exhausting.”

Bates is most known for her Academy Award-winning role as Annie Wilkes in 1990’s Misery, about a violent hermit who kidnaps a famous novelist. Later on, she had arcs on television shows like Six Feet Under, The Office, Two and a Half Men and American Horror Story: Coven. She won Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for the latter two projects. She also starred in Netflix’s two-season-long 2017 sitcom Disjointed, which follows a medical dispensary’s owner. Her latest turns were in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Netflix’s A Family Affair, opposite Nicole Kidman.

With an 18-episode order, Matlock is anything but restful. The remake of the late ’80s original (which starred Andy Griffith) follows a brilliant attorney’s return to a prestigious law firm after having achieved success in her younger years. It will also feature Jason Ritter, Skye P. Marshall and Beau Bridges. It hails from showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman.

“It becomes my life,” Bates said of the all-consuming nature of acting. “Sometimes I get jealous of having this talent. Because I can’t hold it back, and I just want my life.”

A Career Filled With Ups and Downs

The actress, who has been nominated for three Academy Awards, says her career was a constant rollercoaster. “Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain. Do I have the right to feel this pain? When I was given so much?” Bates asks in her interview.

Bates, who played a violent kidnapper in the film Misery, received high praise for her performance, earning her an Academy Award. However, she has been vocal about how she felt during the publicity tour for the film, saying she felt like a misfit and felt that she wasn’t pretty enough to be a movie star. “I never felt dressed right or well,” she says, noting that she felt a kinship with Annie Wilkes in Misery, who says, “I’m not a movie star.”

Although Bates has a history of portraying offbeat roles, she admitted that she has often felt like an outsider in Hollywood, saying, “I never really thought about being a movie star. I just wanted to be the best I could be.”

Bates’ career trajectory did not unfold overnight. The actress had to claw her way to the top and, despite all of the accolades she received, she still feels like an outsider in Hollywood.

However, Bates, who has garnered three Academy Award nominations and two Primetime Emmys, has worked consistently throughout her career, building up a diverse portfolio of critically acclaimed films and television programs. She was ready to retire, but the script for Matlock caught her attention, as she said she identified with her character in the reimagining of the classic legal series.

Finding Meaning in Matlock

In the reboot, Bates plays Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a septuagenarian who, after achieving success in her younger years, decides to rejoin the workforce at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases.

“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,” Bates said.

The actress admitted she identifies with her character, Matty. “Maybe on some deep level that’s why I was attracted to this,” she said. “There’s this funny thing that happens when women age. We become damn near invisible,” says Matty in the trailer for the show.

The Last Dance

Bates has confirmed that Matlock will be her last role before retirement, and after five decades of acting, she is ready to walk away from the spotlight. However, the actress is leaving a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of actors to come.

It’s always bittersweet when a beloved actor decides to leave the stage, especially an actress like Kathy Bates who has entertained audiences for decades with her electrifying performances.

While her departure from the world of acting will be felt deeply, her talent and passion for the craft will leave a lasting impact on Hollywood. Bates has made a significant contribution to the world of entertainment, and her legacy will continue to be celebrated long after she hangs up her acting shoes.