‘Y’all I’m crying’: Kathy Bates was shocked to learn how wrong she was about her 33-year Oscar disappointment

Multi-award-winning actress Kathy Bates has been in the entertainment industry for decades and is lauded for her extensive acting in the roles she has portrayed throughout the years in both film and TV. At 76 years old, she’s now looking back on one of the most iconic roles that won her an Oscar and the burden she has been carrying since that win.

The actress sat down for an interview on CBS Sunday Morning with Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz to talk about her latest TV show, Matclock, a reboot of the 1986 legal drama. They also discussed Bates’ iconic roles and her 1991 Oscar win for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes in the 1990 psychological thriller film based on Stephen King’s novel, Misery. It was a huge achievement for Bates, but she shared how her mother was less than impressed by her Oscar win. “When I won the Oscar for ‘Misery,’ she said, ‘I don’t know what all the excitement’s about. You didn’t discover the cure for cancer.’”

Bates told Mankiewicz that the unusual reaction may have stemmed from her forgetting to thank her mother during her Oscar speech. However, Mankiewicz corrected the actress and said that she did, indeed, thank her mother at the end of her speech. Bates was adamant that she did not, and even told Mankiewicz to look at the recording, to which the host said, “We did go back and look.” The clip was shown to Bates where she said, “I want to thank my family, my friends, my mom at home, and my dad who I hope is watching somewhere.”

Kathy Bates’ memory deceived her

Bates was perplexed after seeing the clip, and the revelation made her emotional and speechless. After a few seconds, the relieved actress said, “Thank you” and wondered why, for decades, she thought she had neglected her mother in her speech. It was a touching moment for the actress, and Mankiewicz asked why it was such an important detail to her. Bates said her mother “should have had my life” and recalled the sacrifices her parents made for her to achieve her dreams of becoming an actress.

Bates was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to parents Langdon and Bertye. Her father was a mechanical engineer and her mother was a homemaker. Earlier in the interview with Mankiewicz, it was said that Langdon and Bertye supported their daughter’s dreams and paid for her tuition to study theater at Southern Methodist University. Bates said her father worked until his 70s to be able to send her to school, and her mother sacrificed a lot to support her. Bertye died in 1997, and at that time, the actress thought, “Even though we had so many difficulties, I wanted her spirit to come into me and enjoy everything I was enjoying because of what she’d given up.” 

In Sept. 2024, fans were upset to learn that Bates was planning to retire after Matlock. However, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she cleared the air and said it was a misunderstanding and added that she was flattered that people were upset about her rumored retirement. Mankiewicz also asked Bates about the retirement rumors, to which she answered, “Not retiring. I’d love to stay with the show as long as it runs, and I hope it runs a very long time.”

Matlock will premiere on CBS on Oct. 17, where Bates portrays the role of Madeline “Matty” Matlock. Other cast members include Skype P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, David Del Rio, and Leah Lewis.