I’ve been saying (over and over and over again) how I think at this year’s Emmys, the Best Actress in a Limited Series category is a race between Michelle Williams in Dying for Sex and Cristin Milioti in The Penguin. A nail-biting toss up between two exceptional performances that really can’t be compared. However, when it comes to Best Actress in a Drama, I’m ready to make a bold prediction: Kathy Bates for Matlock, baby! It goes without saying that Kathy’s work is brilliant, and this year I think she also has a huge swell of public favor that will carry her to a win. Kathy is having so much fun with the role of Matty, that it makes it a joy for us to watch. It’s easy to support/vote for an actor having the time of their life like that. Kathy has been candid about how much this show rekindled her fire for the craft of acting, and dug into the subject recently on the LA Times The Envelope podcast. So she’s definitely campaigning, yet also chock full of wisdom. A few highlights:
Listen to this pro’s scene prep: I study a lot. I use an app called Scriptation, which is really helpful. I’m kind of anal about how I choose the colors and how I highlight everything. And then Erica [LeBlanc, her assistant] and I share them. And Jennie [Snyder Urman, “Matlock” reboot creator] gives us tone meetings. … But we have the tone notes that I have specifically for each scene where Matty is in her arc, so we print those up and we put them in my script, or I print up other things like photographs that I’m inspired by.
Still striving to ‘hit it’: I had moments last season — there were very few — but that I felt in tears at times that I wasn’t able to do the scene. There were days when I was just — I love [the pianist Vladimir Horowitz], and there’s a wonderful recording, they’ve restored it and it’s all in color now, and he’s playing Rachmaninoff, the third piano concerto. And at the beginning of this one that’s been upgraded, he talks about his own work and how he doesn’t always hit it. And to hear someone of that massive talent say that he doesn’t always hit it and that will he do it again that night kind of makes you feel more like one of the club. We’re all artists, and we’re trying to hit it. … And you’ll see a performance like Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln,” and he comes in and he is Lincoln, no false note ever. And that’s what you aspire to. I haven’t gotten there. I haven’t gotten there, but that’s wonderful because we keep going, and we’re human beings that are trying to do the best we can do at our career and in our lives.
What she’ll miss when (if!) she retires: You know what, and it’s a strange thing for me to say because I’m really a hermit, I think I’m going to miss walking on those soundstages and hearing people and the cacophony of the voices, or the quietness, the smell of it, the laughter that’s coming from somewhere, walking onstage, seeing people from the day before. When you’re beginning and you’re beginning to form relationships with people, sometimes it’s automatic, sometimes it’s gingerly. And I think it’s taught me how to be a more compassionate person who listens more and watches more. I would miss that. Let’s face it, I would miss being the center of attention.
What a difference a year makes! Remember, back around the 2024 Emmys Kathy was scaring the living daylights out of us talking about how Matlock was her “last dance,” before loosening up to “I’ll keep acting as long as Matlock is running,” and then declaring she hoped to make it as far as Betty White. And now? Kathy’s all like, “I’d miss the attention!” But it’s more than that, and I loved Kathy describing how she’s still trying to “hit it.” Though it’s somewhat ridiculous she doesn’t see herself on the same level as Daniel Day-Lewis, cause I can’t say I’ve ever seen Kathy deliver a false note either! But the humility is genuine and makes me love her even more. There’s loads more to the interview, including how Kathy says she watches a lot of TV to see what her peers are up to. She gives a great shout-out to The Pitt and Noah Wyle, whom she apparently shares a driver with! Maybe they’ll carpool on September 14, where it’s very likely they’ll both be named best leads in drama. Honestly, the only part of this I’m not looking forward to is that Kathy is probably gonna be wearing those goddamn Sneex!
PS — Being anal about highlighter color choices in her script? Be still my beating heart!
photos credit: Faye’s Vision/Cover Images, Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon, Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon, Getty
Love this show, she’s great in it. and the supporting cast are good too. It’s one of those concept series where I can see that if they keep dragging it out too long I could get bored, but in the first season I don’t think they put a foot wrong. Hope she wins.
Haven’t seen the show, but it’s on my to-do list. What is she, the original Matlock’s daughter? I’m just here to show the love for Kathy Bates, movies would not have been the same without her. Face it, girls. I’m older and I have more insurance.
No, she has nothing to do with the original Matlock. Matlock isn’t her real name for the show, she uses Matlock so they don’t know who she really is. I don’t remember why she decided to use that particular name though.
She is so fabulous in Matlock and the supporting cast is great too. Please don’t retire! You’ll be bored as hell and start doing housework to stave off anxiety and guilt. Keep doing what you’re doing!