Kathy Bates Says She Had to ‘Dig Deep’ to Find Guilt for ‘Matlock’
After her Critics Choice Awards win, the "Misery" actress also says she never thought Demi Moore was a "popcorn actress" The post Kathy Bates Says She Had to ‘Dig Deep’ to Find Guilt for ‘Matlock’ appeared first on TheWrap.
Fresh off her win for best actress in a drama series at the Critics Choice Awards, Kathy Bates said she had to “dig deep” to develop the guilt needed for her starring role in CBS’ “Matlock.”
“I had to dig really deep for this character to understand [her] — I’m not a mom, and she lost her daughter,” Bates told press at the Critics Choice award after her win. “Thankfully, I didn’t have to go through drugs or go through someone dealing with drugs, so all of that was very new to me, so I had to read a lot of the books that are out there, wonderful books that talk about the opioid epidemic. Even though it’s not featured in every episode, it’s an engine that drives Matty.”
Bates added that the role also made her think of her mom, who was born in 1907 and “didn’t have anywhere near the opportunities that we had,” as well as a dear friend who was killed in a car wreck in the ’80s.
“That loss was so tremendous that I’ve been able to use that to deal with the loss of my daughter,” Bates said. “It took different things from my life to try to create this tremendous amount of guilt that Matty has so that it can keep her driving through this preposterous event where she decides to infiltrate this law firm for justice.”
Bates said the win for “Matlock,” one of the first the show has received this awards season, was a “big deal,” especially for CBS, as it’s one of the increasingly rare times a broadcast network has gotten critical attention during awards season. She recalled preparing to go into her meeting with CBS president Amy Reisenbach by researching her, only to see a photo of Reisenbach with folded arms next to a headline that said, “broadcast TV is not dead.”
Bates remained tight-lipped on what the rest of the first season of “Matlock” — which has already been renewed for a second season — will bring, but she said her favorite episodes coming up are episodes 17-19. “Things are going to fall into place,” she said.
The “Misery” actress also showed some love for Demi Moore and “The Substance,” weighing in on the ongoing discussion of horror and the Oscars by emphasizing the importance of “performance.” Bates said she never thought of Moore as a “popcorn actress,” saying “she’s done amazing work, and I love seeing her being recognized for this.”
“Matlock” airs new episodes on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
The post Kathy Bates Says She Had to ‘Dig Deep’ to Find Guilt for ‘Matlock’ appeared first on TheWrap.
