Here’s a case for Matlock to solve: will Kathy Bates make Emmys history this year?
In 2009, then-62-year-old Glenn Close became the oldest Best Drama Actress winner to date. It was her second consecutive trophy for Damages, surpassing the previous oldest champion, Sally Field, who won at age 60 for Brothers & Sisters in 2007.
Bates turned 77 on June 28, which means if she wins at the 2025 Emmys on September 14, she would beat Close’s record by 15 years. But as we all know, age is just a number!
“I am deeply grateful to the Television Academy for this honor,” said the former Best Actress Oscar winner for 1980’s Misery. Bates thanked CBS and the cast and crew for their dedication, highlighting show creator Jennie Snyder Urman for trusting her with Matty’s complex story. “This nomination really belongs to you … what a joy it has been for all of us to bring your Matlock to life.”
About Matlock and Bates’ Role
Bates is nominated for playing Madeline “Matty” Matlock on CBS’s loosely inspired remake of the classic Andy Griffith legal drama. In this version, Matty pretends to be the original Matlock to uncover which lawyer at her new firm hid evidence that could have prevented the opioid epidemic that caused her daughter’s death.
Other Best Drama Actress nominees this year are Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters), Britt Lower (Severance), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), and Keri Russell (The Diplomat). Among them, only Bates has previously won an Emmy—twice, for Two and a Half Men (Guest Actress, 2012) and American Horror Story: Coven (Supporting Actress, 2014).
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Challenges and Opportunities
The biggest hurdle for Bates isn’t age but that Matlock airs on a broadcast network. Broadcast shows have struggled at awards in recent years, with voters favoring streaming services and premium channels. The last CBS nominee for Best Drama Actress was Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife, winning in 2011 and 2014.
If anyone can break this trend, it’s Bates. The veteran actress has already won the Critics Choice Award and received nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Golden Globes. Plus, legal dramas traditionally resonate with Emmy voters—shows like Boston Legal, The Practice, Ally McBeal, L.A. Law, Damages, and The Good Wife all earned acting Emmys.
Bates was previously nominated in this category for Harry’s Law but did not win. This year, she is the early front-runner to win the Best Drama Actress Emmy for Matlock.
