Bates is the oldest person ever nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series.
When Kathy Bates took on the role of CBS’s new Matlock, she did so with a promise that it would be her final role, whenever the show might end. Or, as she told The New York Times in September 2024, “This is my last dance.” Unfortunately for her retirement plans, it doesn’t look like the dance will end anytime soon — the 77-year-old has just received an Emmy nomination for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, in celebration of her work on the broadcast procedural.
Bates’ nomination was the only one Matlock received on Tuesday morning, as broadcast series have found themselves struggling to get recognition against cable and streaming series in recent years. She did make some history with it, as she’s the oldest person to ever be nominated in the Lead Actress in a Drama category.
This isn’t Bates’ first Emmy nomination — in fact, she’s been nominated a total of 15 times over the years, beginning with her searing performance as Jay Leno’s aggressive agent Helen Kushnick in the 1996 HBO movie The Late Shift. Currently, she has two wins: The first as Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for a 2012 appearance on Two and a Half Men, and for her 2014 supporting role in 2014’s American Horror Story: Coven.
