Kathy Bates is coming to primetime in the 2024 TV schedule as star of CBS' reboot of Matlock, which will be her first lead role on the small screen since the end of Netflix's Disjointed back in 2018. The project, on which the actress is also an executive producer, kept Bates from going into retirement. Now, with the series premiere quickly approaching, she shared a quote that helped her conquer her fears of leading the reboot... and it's a quote from Dune, of all things!
While it's a safe bet that similarities between Dune – either the original books or the screen adaptations – and the new Matlock will be limited, Bates cited a quote from the novel saga penned by author Frank Herbert that kept her going early in production. She told EW:
For the pilot, I went through a moment of just abject terror of creating this woman. So the first thing I had to do was manage my fear. Every day I went out to focus on the scenes and the work and not succumb to the fear. But in the mornings before I began, it really took a moment to focus. And it's that wonderful saying from Dune by the Bene Gesserit about fear. It's the mind killer. And I wrote that out in my script and had it there with me so that I could look at that because I didn't want to think about the tremendous responsibility of doing this role for so many months and letting anybody down. I can't think about that. I have to think about the work.
Kathy Bates plays Madeline "Matty" Matlock, who rejoins the workforce in her 70s to bring a unique approach to cases at a prestigious law firm. While fans of the original Matlock undoubtedly see the similarities, the new show is unique among reboots in that it's not just revamping the premise like Magnum P.I. or continuing the story as a sequel like Night Court.
The original Matlock actually exists within the canon of the new Matlock, as established in the trailer. Based on the early footage, Matty is a confident woman, so it's seems like a very good thing that Bates was able to draw inspiration from Dune as she created the character. The actress continued:
After I've done the inside work, then the scenes happen to me, and that's the way it's supposed to be. I mean, it is hard work. I'm lucky that physically I'm in shape. I'm in the best shape I've ever been in my life. I've lost about a hundred pounds over the last few years. I'm moving and breathing and on my feet all day and walking about three miles a day working, so I'm in fantastic shape. I feel good. I feel strong. I don't think I could have done this if that weren't the case.
Matlock has certainly been a long time coming for Kathy Bates, as the reboot with her as the leading lady was announced back in January 2023. Television production was more than a complicated later in 2023 due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike, but the 75-year-old actress is ready to settle into her role as Matty for quite some time, if Matlock is enough of a hit for CBS. She has shared that "maybe five" seasons would be an ideal run.
Of course, other hour-long dramas had some bad luck on CBS earlier this year, with So Help Me Todd and NCIS: Hawai'i getting cancelled and Blue Bloods on its way out. (Matlock is actually inheriting So Help Me Todd's former 9 p.m. ET time slot on Thursdays.) That said, CBS ordering shows like Matlock and NCIS: Origins may have contributed to some cancellations to open up primetime slots; if Matlock is a winner in the ratings like Elsbeth, then perhaps it will have a long enough run to fulfill Kathy Bates' wishes. At the very least, it's far to early to make any informed predictions for better or worse.
While Matlock will eventually take its place on CBS Thursday nights ahead of Elsbeth, the series premiere will air on a special night. You can find the very first episode with Kathy Bates as Matty on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, before moving to Thursdays for the second episode onward starting on October 17.
