Matlock TV star Kathy Bates talks about how the series brought her back from the brink of retirement.
During an appearance at The Hollywood Reporter drama actress roundtable, Bates was asked about her decision to not retire from acting, which she was open about considering during the initial round of Matlock promos. “This is something I can really believe in,” Bates responded. “It means something. Up until that point, things were starting to wind down for me.”
“I was getting roles that I really cared about in films that no one would see,” Bates continued. “[There was] disappointment in the way things were edited. It started to hurt too much. I just thought that maybe I ought to think about putting my house on the market and moving to France or something. I just wanted some real stimulation.”
I was getting roles that I really cared about in films that no one would see.
Created by Jennie Snyder Urman, Matlock premiered on CBS in 2024 to a resoundingly positive response from viewers and critics alike. Inspired by the original Matlock starring Andy Griffith from 1986, the new series stars Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, in truth Madeline Kingston, who reinvents herself after losing her adult daughter to opioid addiction. Rather than taking charge of things outright, Bates’ Matty instead works her way into the halls of an esteemed law firm, the very same one that is largely responsible from shielding corrupt pharmaceutical executives from any real repercussions for their part in the country’s opioid crisis.
Matlock Has Become a Big Hit
Matlock also stars Skye P. Marshall as Olympia Lawrence, a junior partner at the Jacobson Moore law firm where Madeline has installed herself, Jason Ritter as senior partner Julian Markston, David Del Rio as first-year associate Billy Martinez, and Leah Lewis as first-year associate Sarah Franklin. The performances from the series’ leading cast have been hailed as hallmarks of its success, as has its story and plotting. As of the time of writing, the first season of Matlock holds a 100% “Fresh” rating via review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as averaged across 36 critical reviews. The series’ first season holds a noticeably lower “Popcornmeter” score of 78%, as averaged across a bevy of user-submitted reviews.
