Kathy Bates is winning cases on screen, and might win over Emmy voters next.
Bates, a titan of stage and screen, is poised to make Emmy history this year. If she receives a nomination for her magnetic performance in CBS’s “Matlock” reboot, she will become the oldest nominee ever in the lead drama actress category — at the age of 77.
Bates, born June 28, 1948, would be just two weeks past her birthday when the 2025 Emmy nominations are announced on July 17. Should her name be called — as many believe she’s the current frontrunner in the category — she would surpass the record held by Angela Lansbury, who was 70 when she received her final nomination in 1996 for “Murder, She Wrote.”
In “Matlock,” Bates plays Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a woman who reenters the legal world decades after retiring under seemingly tragic circumstances. The public version of her story is that she was widowed and left financially ruined by her husband’s gambling addiction, then forced to raise her grandson following the devastating death of her daughter in a car accident. She’s hired at the prestigious law firm Jacobson Moore, where she reports to Olympia, a sharp junior partner, despite her own decades of legal wisdom.
But beneath the surface, Matlock is not who she claims to be.
Her real name is Madeline Kingston — a woman of means, still happily married, but harboring a secret vendetta. The true loss she’s grieving is that of her daughter, who died from an opioid overdose. Her reinvention as “Matlock” — a nod to the beloved TV series — is part of a calculated mission to seek justice for her daughter’s death.
Bates balances the dual identities with trademark nuance, offering audiences a character steeped in wit, resolve and heartbreak. It’s a role tailor-made for an actress of her caliber, and the early buzz suggests Emmy voters are paying attention.
This wouldn’t be Bates’ first time in the Emmy spotlight. She has previously won two Emmys — for “Two and a Half Men” in the guest comedy actress category and for “American Horror Story: Coven” in supporting actress (limited series). She also earned a nomination in the lead drama actress category in 2012 for her work in “Harry’s Law,” where she played Harriet Korn, another fierce, principled attorney. At the time, she was 64, and currently stands as the fifth oldest nominee in the category’s history.
Undoubtedly revered in the Hollywood industry, Bates is also an Academy Award winner for her performance as an obsessive fan in “Misery” (1990), and a Tony Award nominee for lead actress in a play for 1983’s “’night, Mother.”
“Matlock” (CBS) — “Tricks of the Trade – Part One” and “Tricks of the Trade – Part Two”
Courtesy of Sonja Flemming/CBS
Still, a nomination for “Matlock” would place her atop a remarkable list of acting legends who earned Emmy nods in impressive second chapters of their careers, including Cicely Tyson (“Sweet Justice,” age 70), Imelda Staunton (“The Crown,” age 68) and Glenn Close (“Damages,” age 65).
Here’s a look at the 10 oldest previous nominees in the category Bates would top:
Angela Lansbury — “Murder, She Wrote” (1996) – Age 70
Cicely Tyson — “Sweet Justice” (1995) – Age 70
Imelda Staunton — “The Crown” (2024) – Age 68
Glenn Close — “Damages” (2012) – Age 65
Kathy Bates — “Harry’s Law” (2012) – Age 64
Joan Blondell — “Here Come the Brides” (1970) – Age 63
Sally Field — “Brothers & Sisters” (2009) – Age 62
Jeanette Nolan — “Dirty Sally” (1974) – Age 62
Barbara Stanwyck — “The Big Valley” (1968) – Age 60
Barbara Bel Geddes — “Dallas” (1981) – Age 58
As of 2025, Close holds the record as the oldest winner in the category at 65. If Bates brings home the statuette, she will break that record by 12 years. It’s been a decade since a woman from a network TV show has won this category — Viola Davis for ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder,” and 11 years since CBS has taken home this category with Julianna Margulies for “The Good Wife” in 2014.
Bates is embedded in a competitive race that is expected to include Keri Russell (“The Diplomat”), Britt Lower (“Severance”) and Bella Ramsey, who became the fourth-youngest nominee in the category in 2023 at age 19 for “The Last of Us.”
By comparison, in the lead drama actor category, Anthony Hopkins currently holds the record as the oldest nominee — at 79 — for his 2017 performance in “Westworld.”
See Emmy Award predictions below:
Variety Awards Circuit: Emmys
In an industry often criticized for sidelining older women, Bates continues to redefine what’s possible for actresses of a certain age. Her performance in “Matlock” has already earned her a Critics Choice Award earlier this year, beating out critical darling Anna Sawai for “Shōgun.”
CBS, in addition to Bates, is giving a substantial awards push for “Matlock” across the board. The network is also submitting Critics Choice nominee Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, David Del Rio and Leah Lewis in the supporting drama races, and veteran actor Beau Bridges will compete in the guest drama actor race, who at 83, would be among the top 10 oldest nominees in the category’s history. Moreover, writer and executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman, will be submitting the pilot for consideration.
Whether or not she takes home the Emmy, a nom would mark a crowning achievement in a career full of them — and one more reason Kathy Bates remains one of the most respected and resilient talents of her generation.
The two-part season finale airs on April 17 on CBS.
Check out this week’s Emmy predictions in key series and acting categories below. For a full breakdown of every Primetime Emmy race, visit our main awards page, and explore the official rankings on each individual category page.
Pictured (L-R): Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock.
CBS
Drama Series“Andor”“The Diplomat”“The Last of Us”“The Pitt”“Severance”“Slow Horses”“Squid Game”“The White Lotus”
Lead Actor (Drama)Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”Eddie Redmayne, “The Day of the Jackal”Adam Scott, “Severance”Billy Bob Thornton, “Landman”Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
Lead Actress (Drama)Kathy Bates, “Matlock”Britt Lower, “Severance”Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
Supporting Actor (Drama)Zach Cherry, “Severance”Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus”Jason Isaacs, “The White Lotus”Young Mazino, “The Last of Us”Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us”Sam Rockwell, “The White Lotus”Tramell Tillman, “Severance”John Turturro, “Severance”
Supporting Actress (Drama)Adria Arjona, “Andor”Patricia Arquette, “Severance”Carrie Coon, “The White Lotus”Kaitlyn Dever, “The Last of Us”Allison Janney, “The Diplomat”Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt”Catherine O’Hara, “The Last of Us”Parker Posey, “The White Lotus”
Guest Actor (Drama)Andy Garcia, “Landman”Scott Glenn, “The White Lotus”Shawn Hatosy, “The Pitt”Joe Pantoliano, “The Last of Us”Jeffrey Wright, “The Last of Us”
Guest Actress (Drama)Gwendoline Christie, “Severance”Fiona Shaw, “Bad Sisters” Hilary Swank, “Yellowjackets”Tracey Ullman, “Black Doves”Merrit Wever, “Severance”
Comedy Series“Abbott Elementary”“The Bear”“The Four Seasons”“Hacks”“Nobody Wants This”“Only Murders in the Building”“Shrinking”“The Studio”
Lead Actor (Comedy)Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This”Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”Seth Rogen, “The Studio”Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Lead Actress (Comedy)Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This”Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”Tina Fey, “The Four Seasons”Natasha Lyonne, “Poker Face”Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Supporting Actor (Comedy)Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio”Colman Domingo, “The Four Seasons”Paul W. Downs, “Hacks”Harrison Ford, “Shrinking”Ebon Moss-Bach, “The Bear”Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”
Supporting Actress (Comedy)Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”Kathryn Hahn, “The Studio”Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”Linda Lavin, “Mid-Century Modern”Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio”Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”
Guest Actor (Comedy)Jon Bernthal, “The Bear”John Cena, “The Bear”Bryan Cranston, “The Studio”Timothée Chalamet, “Saturday Night Live”Christopher McDonald, “Hacks”Martin Scorsese, “The Studio”
Guest Actress (Comedy)Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Bear”Cynthia Erivo, “Poker Face”Ariana Grande, “Saturday Night Live”Melissa McCarthy, “Only Murders in the Building”Julianne Nicholson, “Hacks”Sarah Polley, “The Studio”
Limited or Anthology Series“Adolescence”“Black Mirror”“Disclaimer”“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”“The Penguin”
Television Movie“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”“The Gorge”“Mountainhead”“Out of My Mind”“Rebel Ridge”
Lead Actor (Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie)Colin Farrell, “The Penguin”Paul Giamatti, “Black Mirror”Stephen Graham, “Adolescence”Brian Tyree Henry, “Dope Thief”Cooper Koch, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”
Lead Actress (Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie)Cate Blanchett, “Disclaimer”Cristin Milioti, “The Penguin”Ellen Pompeo, “Good American Family”Amanda Seyfried, “Long Bright River”Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex”
Supporting Actor (Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie)Javier Bardem, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”Owen Cooper, “Adolescence”Jay Duplass, “Dying for Sex”Rhenzy Feliz, “The Penguin”Diego Luna, “La Máquina”Ashley Walters, “Adolescence”
Supporting Actress (Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie)Emma Corrin, “Black Mirror”Erin Doherty, “Adolescence”Lesley Manville, “Disclaimer”Deirdre O’Connell, “The Penguin”Jenny Slate, “Dying for Sex”Christine Tremarco, “Adolescence”
