What’s age got to do with it? A lot, Kathy Bates says.
The 76-year-old star of TV’s hit “Matlock” reboot knows that the years don’t diminish the fire in your heart.
“In all of us — no matter what age — there is a little part who wants to be the hero,” the celebrated actor says. “I don’t care about numbers, but we still want to be noble. We want to be the one who fights. It’s kind of a superhero thing.”
That’s what brought the Memphis, Tennessee, native to her role as a brilliant septuagenarian lawyer Madeline Matlock in her new series.
“When I finished reading the screenplay, before we even started, I got really excited. Crazy excited,” she says. “I knew that this could be one of those hero moments.”
It’s a total reboot of the TV classic starring Andy Griffith. In the update, the Oscar winner is on a personal crusade. After years as a successful lawyer, the supposedly sweet and unassuming retired grandmother decides to rejoin the workforce with a prestigious law firm to expose them for their role in the death of her daughter.
“Matlock” has already been renewed for a second season.
“I never expected to have this at my age. This is my third act,” says the star of “Titanic,” “Fried Green Tomatoes” and “Misery.” “It’s a thrill of a lifetime. A pinch-me-moment-upon-moment.”
Bates, a cancer survivor, lives in Los Angeles. Her good life tips:
Get healthy
Bates knew that she had a problem several years ago when she did another series called “Harry’s Law.” “I had to sit down between every take,” she says. “It was awful. I’m ashamed to have put myself through that, to be honest.”
That was in 2011, and she vowed to do something about her health, especially after a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis in 2017. Diabetes runs in her family, which also made Bates adjust her diet and start exercising. She cut out salt and learned to push the plate away while also adopting the rule of no eating after 8 p.m.
“I was scared straight,” says the actor, who lost 100 pounds over several years. “I can really move now. I can breathe. It’s so much fun to walk around and not be sore. It’s been a magnificent experience working toward good health.”
Forget your plans
Bates wasn’t so sure that she would return to TV after the disappointment of the “Harry’s Law’s” cancellation. She changed her mind when she least expected it. “I remember reading the first ‘Matlock’ script and I loved it so much,” she shares. “I’ll never forget Matty saying that because of age ‘You’re underestimating me. I’m invisible.’ ”
It wasn’t much longer before she said yes to the role. “At the end of the first meeting, I said, ‘I’m going to do this,’ ” she recalls. “It has been incredibly fulfilling for me as an actor to have so much to dig into.”
Keep laughing
Ask Bates about her family life on “Matlock” with TV husband Edwin, and she doesn’t miss a beat. “I wanted Brad Pitt. I think Brad would have done it. We’re tight,” she jokes.
Character actor Sam Anderson (who played the principal in “Forrest Gump”) was cast for the role. “It’s such a lovely relationship, and Sam is wonderful,” Bates says. “Matty needs a husband as her soft place to fall. He keeps her balanced.”
Get tough; get going
Bates recalls tougher days early in her career when she moved to New York City. “I had furniture I found on the street and worked as a waitress and an office temp,” she says. “It was good because you develop a thick skin. I was rejected so much that I even got used to it. Getting hired was unexpected.”
Enjoy the moments
Bates, a survivor of both ovarian and breast cancer, also had to contend with lymphedema, a blockage in the lymphatic system that causes excessive swelling in the arms and legs. She’s now a spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education and Research Network.
She says that dealing with health issues taught her several things about life. “You can’t sit it out,” Bates says. “I’m less of a hermit now and travel more. I enjoy the moments — and not every single one is terrific. But, I’m grateful and present.”
Learn to chill
Bates has an exercise she uses to deal with stress. “I relax my shoulders straighten my spine, breathe deeply and focus on each little moment,” she shares.
She also has a chill-out hobby in gardening. “I raise miniature and full-size violets,” she says. “I love digging my hands into a bag of soil. It centers me. I love coming downstairs and seeing all my new buds.”
Walking not only helped her lose the weight but is a way to bust stress. And her two Yorkies have taught her to chill, she says: “Their philosophy is: It’s always a nice time to take a little nap.”
Read, read, read
Bates says her mother instilled a lifelong love of books. “My mother always gave us books,” she says. “On Christmas, she would wrap them individually, so we would have many presents to unwrap. We would gather our books up, run to our bedrooms and read, read, read. She taught us that if you can buy only one extra thing, it should be a book.”
Aging with wisdom
“I’m at an age where I don’t take things at face value,” Bates says. “I try to look at life with greater insight. I put myself in other people’s shoes so I can understand them. It’s all about keeping a compassionate heart. … I look at my life and think, ‘What did I do to deserve this joy?’ I wish everybody would have this type of joy in their lives.”
