When it comes to describing his onetime co-star Kathy Bates, Sam Rockwell doesn’t hold back. “She’s a badass motherfucker,” he says about his time working with her on Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell.” “It was nothing short of extraordinary. She’s a beast; she’s an animal. She’s an assassin. She’s a baller! Marvel and DC should make her a fucking superhero — or supervillain!”
But as we sit in her “Matlock” dressing room on the Paramount lot, Bates is not quite feeling like a baller. It’s late in the evening after a long day of shooting an episode of the CBS drama’s upcoming second season, and Bates just came off struggling with a tongue twister of a line, which she unraveled with the help of her costar Skye Marshall.
“When I have to do the legalese, sometimes I get kind of turned around,” she says. “And we go so fast — we’re really rehearsing on camera. By the time we’re making soup, it’s like, ’OK, cut! We’re gonna go to the next angle!’”
And yet, Bates doesn’t seem exhausted. When Rockwell’s salty description of her comes up, she brightens. Does Bates feel like a badass motherfucker?
“When I’m around him, I do!” she says. “We’re always texting each other. He’ll write, ’I love you, you fucker!’ And I was watching him in ’Seven Psychopaths,’ because I love that movie so much. I took a screenshot of my TV and sent it to him and said, ’You fucker! I love you too!’
She admits Rockwell could be onto something with that Marvel/DC casting idea: “I’d love to be a superhero who could fly. But be sexy and transform from one thing to another. Maybe a combo platter: A villain who then transforms into a sexy, crazy, perfect woman.”
This is the gregarious, no-bullshit Kathy Bates people keep talking about. Having been a superstar for decades — that 1991 “Misery” Oscar win was nearly 35 years ago, when Bates was already a seasoned stage performer in her 40s — she’s no stranger to transformation.
But at 77, Bates is as close as she’s ever been to her own sexy, crazy, perfect ideal.
For starters, Bates’ career is speeding up, thanks to the tremendous success of “Matlock,” which returns next month for Season 2, as the show’s writers accelerate the face-off at the core of the series. Bates has embraced the challenge of being No. 1 on the call sheet, too, even using her clout to make sure “Matlock” films in Los Angeles, and that its cast and crew are treated properly on set. And then there’s how she’s feeling: better than ever.
Bates calls this the “redemption stage” of her life and career. She’s made it to the other side of some tough times, and now things couldn’t be happier. “I finally feel like I’m who I am,” she says. “I’ve fought my way through the rapids. I feel this is the best time of my life. I’m glad I stuck around for it!”
There’s a new swagger in her step, partly because of her weight loss (she’s dropped around 100 pounds). And she’s got a clean bill of health after surviving multiple bouts of cancer. And then, following some worries about whether her best acting days were behind her, Bates booked the lead on “Matlock.”
Not only is “Matlock” a hit — delivering nearly 16 million viewers across broadcast and streaming last season — but it has led to a new string of honors for Bates (who has two Emmys and a Golden Globe in addition to that Oscar), starting with a Critics Choice Award in January. Now, thanks to the show, Bates is the oldest-ever Emmy nominee in the outstanding drama actress category.
And she’s not bothered that we keep mentioning that age-related historic stat. “I love that,” she says, noting that “this feels totally different” from the success that has come before. “It’s true, first of all, and it’s a badge of honor. It’s just the serendipity of all of it. I’ve never had any of this stuff happen before, where I’ve got five different designers sending dresses!”
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