# Kathy Bates
**Kathy Bates** (born 1948) is an American actress and director whose career spans Broadway, film, and television, best known for her Academy Award-winning portrayal of the obsessive fan [Annie Wilkes](https://www.edgepedia.org/annie-wilkes) in *[Misery](https://www.edgepedia.org/misery-film)* (1990) and, more recently, for starring as Madeline "Matty" Matlock in the CBS drama *Matlock*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kathleen Doyle Bates, born 1948 in Memphis, Tennessee, youngest of three daughters[1](https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/kathy-bates/) |
| Training | Studied theater at Southern Methodist University, graduating in 1969; moved to New York City in 1970[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/bio/) |
| Signature role | Annie Wilkes in Rob Reiner's 1990 adaptation of Stephen King's *Misery*; won the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathy-bates) |
| Emmy wins | First Emmy for a 2012 guest appearance on *Two and a Half Men*; second for Madame Delphine LaLaurie in *American Horror Story: Coven*[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathy-bates) |
| Other honors | Oscar nomination for *Primary Colors* (1998) and a third nomination for *About Schmidt* (2002), winning a National Board of Review Award for the latter[4](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/matlock/talent/?view=kathy-bates) |
| Current work | Stars as Madeline "Matty" Matlock in the CBS legal drama *Matlock* (2024– ), a reimagining of the 1986–1995 Andy Griffith series[5](https://www.cbs.com/shows/matlock/) |
| Emmy record | At 77, became the oldest performer ever nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2025)[4](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/matlock/talent/?view=kathy-bates) |
## Early life and stage career
Bates was born in [Memphis, Tennessee](https://www.edgepedia.org/memphis-tennessee), the youngest of three daughters of Langdon Doyle Bates, a mechanical engineer, and Bertye Kathleen (Talbot) Bates, a homemaker[1](https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/kathy-bates/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/bio/). Her paternal grandfather was the author Finis L. Bates[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/bio/). She began performing in high school plays, studied drama at [Southern Methodist University](https://www.edgepedia.org/southern-methodist-university) in Dallas, and graduated in 1969[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/bio/). She moved to New York City in 1970 and supported herself with jobs ranging from a cash register to taking lunch orders, including a period as a singing waitress at a Catskill Mountain resort[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/bio/) • [6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/kathy-bates).
**Stage breakthrough.** Her first important stage work came through fellow SMU alumni: John Heifner's play *Vanities* served as her Off Broadway breakthrough in 1976, and Beth Henley's Pulitzer Prize-winning *Crimes of the Heart* originally starred Bates at the Actors Theatre of Louisville[1](https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/kathy-bates/). She made her Broadway debut in *Goodbye Fidel* in 1980[6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/kathy-bates). Her performance in *'night, Mother* (1983) brought a Tony Award nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award, and *Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune* (1988) earned her an Obie Award[6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/kathy-bates).
Her screen debut came earlier and more quietly: a bit role in Milos Forman's 1971 film *Taking Off*, in which she sang "And Even the Horses Had Wings"; the film failed at the box office and she did not make another film until 1978's *Straight Time*[7](https://www.cinemasight.com/profile-kathy-bates-revisited/).
## Misery and film stardom
Bates was over 40 when she first made a dent in Hollywood, and to moviegoers she seemed to appear from nowhere with her performance as the psychotic literary fan Annie Wilkes in the 1990 screen adaptation of [Stephen King](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-king)'s *Misery*, directed by [Rob Reiner](https://www.edgepedia.org/rob-reiner)[8](https://static.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kathy_bates). The role won her the [Academy Award for Best Actress](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-award-for-best-actress) and a Golden Globe[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathy-bates). In preparing the part, she and Reiner constructed a character biography in which Annie had been molested as a child by her father, providing a rationale for her psychosis; theatrically trained, Bates relied on extensive rehearsal, in contrast to her co-star James Caan's more improvisatory method[9](https://lib.zu.edu.pk/ebookdata/Media%20Sciences/Film/Acting-by%20Claudia%20Springer.pdf).
The film career that followed mixed character leads and supporting turns: *Fried Green Tomatoes* (1991, with Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations), *The Waterboy* (1998), *Primary Colors* (1998, with Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations and a Screen Actors Guild Award win), *Titanic* (1997), *About Schmidt* (2002, her third Oscar nomination), *The Blind Side* (2009), and *Midnight in Paris* (2011)[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathy-bates) • [4](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/matlock/talent/?view=kathy-bates). She has said that *[Dolores Claiborne](https://www.edgepedia.org/dolores-claiborne-film)* is the performance she is proudest of[10](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/questions-withkathy-bates-9565/).
Typecasting worked against her at times. She created the role of Frankie onstage but lost the film version of *[Frankie and Johnny](https://www.edgepedia.org/frankie-and-johnny-1991-film)* to [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-pfeiffer), along with the film roles in *Crimes of the Heart* and *'night, Mother*[11](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/03/20/the-unsinkable-kathy-bates/b18e6925-ffb4-4908-a515-3918c0f877b6/). She has said director [Garry Marshall](https://www.edgepedia.org/garry-marshall) "couldn't make the leap that people would see me onscreen kissing someone"[12](https://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-06-30/it-was-cruel-unnecessarily-cruel-how-kathy-bates-became-an-unlikely-star.html).
## Television and directing
Bates built a substantial television record alongside her film work. She played the Queen of Hearts in the Syfy miniseries *Alice*, starred as Harriet "Harry" Korn in the NBC drama *Harry's Law*, and appeared as the recurring character Bettina on *[Six Feet Under](https://www.edgepedia.org/six-feet-under-tv-series)*, for which she also directed episodes and earned a Directors Guild of America Award[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathy-bates) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/bio/). She began directing with episodes of *NYPD Blue* and *Homicide: Life on the Street* in 1993 and made her feature directorial debut with the television movie *Dash and Lilly* in 1999[6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/kathy-bates).
**American Horror Story.** Her two Emmy wins came from television: the first for a 2012 guest appearance on *Two and a Half Men*, the second for playing Madame Delphine LaLaurie in *American Horror Story: Coven*, the third season of the FX anthology series[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathy-bates). She also appeared as Ethel Darling in *[American Horror Story: Freak Show](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-horror-story-freak-show)* and played Iris in *Hotel*, among other roles in the franchise[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathy-bates) • [13](https://www.metacritic.com/person/kathy-bates/). In 2025, creator Ryan Murphy announced her return for the series' thirteenth season[14](https://www.tvinsider.com/1270365/kathy-bates-american-horror-story-season-13/).
## Matlock and late career
In 2024 Bates took the lead in *Matlock*, a CBS drama inspired by the 1986–1995 [Andy Griffith](https://www.edgepedia.org/andy-griffith) series, playing Madeline "Matty" Matlock, a brilliant septuagenarian lawyer who rejoins the workforce at a prestigious Chicago law firm while pursuing a hidden agenda[5](https://www.cbs.com/shows/matlock/) • [15](https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/matlock-trailer-cast-and-everything-we-know-about-the-new-series). She had considered retirement before the series came to her, saying, "I was older and I just felt, 'This is it, I'm done'"[16](https://www.thewrap.com/kathy-bates-interview-matlock-the-wrap-magazine/). The show became a hit, was renewed for a second and then a third season, and earned her a Critics' Choice Award[17](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/kathy-bates-why-considered-retirement-before-matlock).
The 2025 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series made her, at 77, the oldest performer ever nominated in that category[4](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/matlock/talent/?view=kathy-bates). "How often does a 75-year-old woman get to be the head of a series?" she asked in a 2024 interview[18](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/emmy-magazine/articles/kathy-bates-matlock-interview).
## Personal life
Bates married her long-time companion, the actor Anthony Campisi, in 1991; they divorced in 1997[1](https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/kathy-bates/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/bio/). She has successfully battled cancer twice and has served for a decade as the national spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network, having developed lymphedema as a result of her treatment[18](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/emmy-magazine/articles/kathy-bates-matlock-interview) • [19](https://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/magazine/digital_issues_pdf/WebMD_JulyAug17_MobileplusCL.pdf). She received a star on the [Hollywood Walk of Fame](https://www.edgepedia.org/hollywood-walk-of-fame) on September 20, 2016[20](https://www.icg600.com/sites/default/files/2025-03/2025-ICG-Publicists-Awards_Online-Directory_FINAL.pdf).
## References
1. [Kathy Bates, Tennessee Encyclopedia](https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/kathy-bates/)
2. [Kathy Bates Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/bio/)
3. [Kathy Bates, Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathy-bates)
4. [Kathy Bates, Matlock Talent, Paramount Press Express](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/matlock/talent/?view=kathy-bates)
5. [Matlock, CBS](https://www.cbs.com/shows/matlock/)
6. [Kathy Bates, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/kathy-bates)
7. [Profile: Kathy Bates Revisited, Cinema Sight](https://www.cinemasight.com/profile-kathy-bates-revisited/)
8. [Kathy Bates, Rotten Tomatoes](https://static.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kathy_bates)
9. [Acting (Claudia Springer, ed.)](https://lib.zu.edu.pk/ebookdata/Media%20Sciences/Film/Acting-by%20Claudia%20Springer.pdf)
10. [8 Questions With…Kathy Bates, Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/questions-withkathy-bates-9565/)
11. [The Unsinkable Kathy Bates, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/03/20/the-unsinkable-kathy-bates/b18e6925-ffb4-4908-a515-3918c0f877b6/)
12. [How Kathy Bates became an unlikely star, EL PAÍS English](https://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-06-30/it-was-cruel-unnecessarily-cruel-how-kathy-bates-became-an-unlikely-star.html)
13. [Kathy Bates, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/kathy-bates/)
14. [Kathy Bates Confirms American Horror Story Season 13 Return, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1270365/kathy-bates-american-horror-story-season-13/)
15. [Matlock: everything we know about the new series, What to Watch](https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/matlock-trailer-cast-and-everything-we-know-about-the-new-series)
16. [Kathy Bates Thought Her Career Was Over Before Matlock, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/kathy-bates-interview-matlock-the-wrap-magazine/)
17. [Kathy Bates on why she considered retirement before Matlock, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/kathy-bates-why-considered-retirement-before-matlock)
18. [Kathy Bates on Updating Matlock With a Twist, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/emmy-magazine/articles/kathy-bates-matlock-interview)
19. [American Comeback Story, WebMD](https://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/magazine/digital_issues_pdf/WebMD_JulyAug17_MobileplusCL.pdf)
20. [2025 ICG Publicists Awards Directory](https://www.icg600.com/sites/default/files/2025-03/2025-ICG-Publicists-Awards_Online-Directory_FINAL.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames B to Ba*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license