What a Misery! Aging Oscar-Winner Kathy Bates Reveals Grim Death Prediction After Battling With Weight for Last Seven Years
Kathy Bates has revealed how working has become a "life force" for her at 76.
Sept. 12 2024, Published 4:17 p.m. ET
Kathy Bates has vowed to keep acting as long as possible – even if it means dying on stage.
While discussing her latest role in the Matlock reboot, Bates said her work has become her "life force" and her recent 100lb weight loss over the last seven years has reinvigorated her spirit to continue working, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Bates said her friends joke she'll "die in (her) chair on the stage" because work has become a "life force" for her.
With a career spanning more than three decades, it's no secret Bates, 76, has long been one of the most hard-working actresses in Hollywood.
While she was "contemplating semi-retirement" before landing her latest role, she recently revealed she could continue working until her dying breath.
In a recent interview with Variety, Bates said: "My friends say I'll probably be like Molière and die in my chair on the stage because it really is a life force for me."
The actress attributed her ability to continue working to her 100lb weight loss.
One major factor contributing to Bates' workhorse mentality is her new lease on life after shedding weight.
The Fried Green Tomatoes star said: "It's helped me tremendously that, over the last six or seven years, I've lost 100lbs.
"I don't think I've been this slim since I was in college."
After dropping 100lbs, Bates said she has a "tremendous amount of energy" and stamina.
She was at her heaviest while working on NBC's Harry's Law in 2011. Her weight not only impacted her stamina, but her mental health too.
Bates recalled: "I had to sit down every moment that I could. It was hard for me to walk. I'm ashamed I let myself get so out of shape, but now I have a tremendous amount of energy."
Now that she's slimmed down, retirement is no longer in her near future. Bates said she hopes to get "several years" on Matlock under her belt before reconsidering stepping away from Tinsel Town.
Bates also credited not being seen as a "beauty queen" for helping her combat ageism in Hollywood.
As she reflected on her next chapter, Bates attributed not being regarded as a "beauty queen" as a positive factor in her career.
While some actresses stepped away from the spotlight as they aged, Bates has continued to work and has been offered leading roles in hit shows like American Horror Story.
She said: "I always knew going into this business that it was going to take me a while because I wasn't a beauty queen.
"I have to say I give an inner wink when I see friends who have been beauty queens who are no longer working because of ageism, and in my case, I've been able to continue working for many years because I don't look like that.
"I don't think I would have gotten the role in Misery if I had been a beauty queen."
Her latest project centers on 70-something lawyer Madeline 'Matty' Matlock, who often faces ageism from colleagues – though, like Bates in real life, she often uses the criticisms to her advantage.
Bates reflected on having to "dig deep" to get into character as Matty.
She added: "There's a lot of my mother in Matty – or, let's say, there's a lot of what I imagine my mother could have been if she had had the opportunity to realize her dreams and become a lawyer.
"I think about that frustration of having that kind of dream and having that dream subverted by the time in which she lived."
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