And yet she almost rested her case in Hollywood after a 50-year career.
“I was about it to say sayonara before Matlock came along,” the 76-year-old admitted, “because it’s very hard as you get older to find roles that you can spread your wings, but roles that people see you in. And so I was really having second thoughts about whether to say goodbye.”
Then executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman presented quite the convincing case.
Praising the “amazing character” Urman created, Bates gushed, “It has a whole substance underneath it, and we’re doing so well in all of the ratings. And it’s unbelievable. I just keep pinching myself.”
So win, lose or get memed, she’s thrilled to be recognized by her fellow SAG-AFTRA members.
“I think they know what it takes to do this work and they know it’s hard to get the job, first of all, and how to make it look easy,” Bates explained of the honor. “So, you know, to get a nomination from them means a great deal to me. So win or lose, I feel like I’ve gotten their accolade, and I’m very proud of it.”
Keep reading to see all the winners who thanked their SAG-AFTRA peers.
