Hollywood Flashback: Kathy Bates Enchanted the Emmys With ‘Two and a Half Men’

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This year, Kathy Bates is being discussed for an Emmy in her lead role on CBS’s new “Matlock”. However, her name has often been linked with award speculation since she began her career over 50 years ago on stage and screen. Originally from Tennessee, Bates made a name for herself as a respected theater actress in New York before achieving fame in Hollywood with her Academy Award-winning portrayal of Annie Wilkes in the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s “Misery”.

Shortly following this, the Television Academy started acknowledging the actress for her impressive work on television, having played minor roles since 1978. She received nominations for her performances in series such as “3rd Rock From the Sun” and “Six Feet Under”. The 10th nomination was the winning ticket, as Bates clinched her first Emmy award for exceptional guest actress in a comedy, portraying Charlie Sheen’s character’s ghost on “Two and a Half Men” in 2012. That year, she also received a nomination for lead actress in a drama for her work on “Harry’s Law”.

Two years after, Bates clinched her second Emmy Award for exceptional supporting actress in a limited series or movie, specifically for her role in “American Horror Story: Coven”. This was the third installment of Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology, which centered around a coven of witches in New Orleans. In this production, Bates portrayed Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a character inspired by a real-life serial killer who subjected enslaved individuals to cruel torments in the 1830s, with the intention of preserving her youth. In an interview around that time, Murphy characterized Bates’ character as “an incredibly wicked woman… far more malevolent than her character from ‘Misery'”.

Back in 2016, I shared the screen with Murphy on the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons of American Horror Story. Ryan Murphy, as I put it, breathed new life into my acting career. In his capable hands, this third act of my journey unfolded, far beyond any dreams I ever dared to harbor.

Currently at the age of 76, Bates’ third act unfolds on ‘Matlock’, where she has the opportunity to win an Emmy for Lead Actress. She had been considering semi-retirement before ‘Matlock’, as she shared with THR in October, but this unexpected opportunity came along. “To be honest, I was contemplating semi-retirement,” Bates said about her pre-‘Matlock’ plans. “So this development took me completely by surprise. … I find it hard to believe all of this, particularly at my age.

Originally published in the standalone May issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, you can read this story by subscribing to the magazine. Click here to subscribe now.

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2025-06-01 23:24