As one of the most celebrated and versatile actors of any generation, Kathy Bates will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the best to ever do it. Her ability to adapt to any role makes her one of the great chameleons of our time, and has earned her much-deserved praise from her peers. Nominated for a total of four Academy Awards throughout the years, she won once in 1991 for her portrayal of the unhinged Annie Wilkes in Rob Reiner’s Misery, but if you were to ask Bates’ mother what she thought of her daughter’s success, she’d tell you it was no big deal.
Appearing on CBS Sunday Morning to discuss her career with host Ben Mankiewicz, the subject of Bates’ Oscar win came up, and it was then that the 76-year-old star revealed the comical yet heartbreaking response the matriarch of the family had to her achievement, which wasn’t as positive as one would hope for.
When I won the Oscar for Misery, she said, ‘I don’t know what all the excitement is about, you didn’t discover the cure for cancer.’
Many actors strive for years to win such a prestigious trophy, going so far as to practise their acceptance speech in front of a mirror, with no one looking on other than their own reflection. It’s the things that dreams are made of, so one can only imagine how Bates felt at her mother’s reaction to her win, which marked the first time she’d ever been nominated for the award. She’d suck it up, though, and go on to appear in a number of great movies, including Fried Green Tomatoes, Dolores Claiborne, and Primary Colors, which also earned her an Oscar nod.
Watch Kathy Bates Heal in Real-Time
It’s been 33 years since the historic night when Bates took the stage to give her speech after the incomparable Daniel Day-Lewis called her name, and for the past three decades she’s been living under a cloud of guilt, thinking that she forgot to thank her mother among all the other people she gave credit to. She probably thought that – in a way – her mother’s response was a reaction to the snub, but nothing could be further from the truth.
At the 4:58 mark in the video interview seen above, Bates remains adamant that she never thanked her mom in her acceptance speech, until she’s shown proof by Mankiewicz that yes, she did express her gratitude. You can see the actress healing in real-time, as the weight of that guilt lifts from her shoulders. “Thank you,” she tells the host through tears that threaten to spill down her cheeks. “What a relief.”
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It’s truly a remarkable thing to watch, and Bates’ follow-up about how she believes her mother should have had her life adds even more gravity to the moment. It’s a testament to the fact that, like us, Hollywood stars are human, and live with the same emotions bottled up inside of them that we do. Thankfully, she was able to find peace, which will no doubt make her steps a little lighter as she continues to find success with Matlock, a role, she says, that has invigorated her love of acting.
- Release Date
- September 22, 2024
- Cast
- Kathy Bates , Jason Ritter , Skye P. Marshall , David Del Rio , Leah Lewis , Aaron Harris , Eme Ikwuakor , Beau Bridges , Sam Anderson , Jordyn Weitz , Henry Allen , Colleen Camp
- Seasons
- 1
