Publication date: October 22, 2024
Photo from MATLOCK’s Instagram Why Kathy Bates chose MATLOCK over retirement Movieguide® Contributor
Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates talks about why she took on the role of Madeline Matlock and how she hopes the show will reach all generations.
MATLOCK was touted as a reboot of the classic ’80s legal drama, but by the end of episode one, fans of the show realized that this wasn’t necessarily the case. In the final minutes of the pilot, the show revealed that Bates’ character was a wealthy woman seeking revenge for her daughter, rather than the doting widow she had played. This twist not only caught the attention of viewers, making the show the most-watched pilot of the past five years on CBS, but also caught the attention of Bates.
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“As always, the most important thing was the script and the plot twist,” Bates told The Hollywood Reporter when asked why he wanted to play the role. “When I read this, I realized that it wasn’t just an episode and had a serious story to tell, but it also had missions that would run throughout the season. And that’s what fascinated me so much. When I’m acting, I like things that have substance, that have meaning, that I can really dig into. And then I met Jenny Urman and I really liked her, so it was a good collaboration. I felt that I could do it.”
The interesting twists and gripping storyline not only caught Bates’ attention, but also helped her emerge from the semi-retirement life she was beginning to settle into.
“Frankly, I was thinking about going into semi-retirement and just waiting for things to happen that I wanted to do. So I wasn’t going to do anything for a while. So this is me It was a complete surprise to us and continues to be because of the latest numbers we have,” Bates said.
“We’re all really excited about everything, and CBS is excited too,” she continued. “There’s been some great articles about the network and how they’re really moving forward and being very smart with their programming and marketing. It’s great to have such a strong foundation behind us and the show. I feel really lucky. We all keep pinching ourselves. The actors love it. I know everyone says that, but this is completely different from anything I’ve ever experienced. All of this is really unbelievable, especially at my age.”
Beyond the shocking ending, Bates believes the reason the show is so popular is because it has characters that all generations can relate to. After the pilot premiered, the cast received countless notes from people of all ages thanking them for giving them a series they could relate to.
“When[Maddie]meets the kids, they’re so different and have come from different walks of life. That was interesting to her at first. She wonders if she’ll fit in. I think so,” Bates said. “She finds herself in a law firm with different lawyers of different ages, and the world has changed. She can’t understand some of the Gen Z conversations. Is that what you call the right generation? I don’t even know. I really don’t know.”
“And at Olympia, I don’t think she expected to meet such a formidable opponent. That’s why I love diversity…” Bates continued. “So it’s a work that brings together people from different age groups, and I think that’s one of the reasons why it appeals to so many people. They all come from different walks of life, and that’s why One of the things that excites us all: We’ve all received calls or emails from friends or acquaintances, and like people at work, they’re completely different, of different ages, and have a lot of different lives. They all have different walks of life. They all found something in the show that resonated with them. It’s very powerful to be able to reach all of these people.”
MATLOCK continues to release new episodes every Thursday at 9pm on CBS.
Movieguide®’s review of the first episode reads in part:
Episode 1 of MATLOCK is a reboot of CBS-TV’s classic legal drama. Kathy Bates plays Madeline Matlock, an elderly female lawyer who comes out of retirement. Matty manages to join a major law firm and takes on a case involving a black man who was falsely accused of rape 26 years ago. The law firm is trying to secure a multimillion-dollar settlement from the city, but the case stalls just before the lawsuit begins. Matty needs to help a young lawyer locate a former prostitute who may have been assaulted after her arrest.
The pilot episode of the new MATLOCK is entertaining and compelling, featuring a masterful performance by Kathy Bates, who plays the title character. This episode focuses on justice and family. For example, Matlock wants to hold those responsible for her daughter’s death. Also, a father and daughter are reunited due to a certain incident. However, there is some foul language in the first episode of MATLOCK. Two witnesses were also former prostitutes. One does not regret his lifestyle, while the other, with God’s help, reformed his life.
