A look at Kathy Bates’ most memorable TV roles amid fears of retirement

In a September interview with The New York TimesKathy Bates was referring to her CBS series Matlockand said, “This is my last dance.” The internet broke down when she found out she was retiring from acting. But is it even true?

Bates made her television debut on the ABC sitcom All my children back in 1984. Since then she has shone in small roles in legal dramas (LA Law), comedies (Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory) and horror. She won her first Emmy for a guest appearance Two and a half men. Sure, she’s a movie star too. But Ms. Bates’ television career was also outstanding.

In honor of Bates’ rumored “last dance,” we’re taking a look at some of her most impressive and memorable television roles.

Network sitcom writing can be a little too neat and tidy for some tastes, but CBS’ Matlock gives us an entertaining and varied cast to enjoy. Fun quiz questions sneak in make it clear the age difference between Maddy and her young colleagues, and in all cases you really are more convinced of one side than the other. Maddy “Matlock” hides big secrets from her colleagues to advance a hidden agenda, and Bates plays her with a sly charm more reminiscent of Columbo than the original Matlock, Andy Griffith.

Bates has played some of the most notable villains in television history. La Laurie is a slave-owning, sadistic murderer kept alive by a voodoo curse from her mortal enemy. Bates gives Delphine an irresistible charm despite her terrible actions – and receives her second Emmy for it. We hate them, we enjoy what they offer in return – and we can’t look away. Delphine will also appear in a future season, Apocalypsefor a hot minute!