Kathy Bates

{{Infobox person

| name = Kathy Bates

| image = Kathy Bates by Gage Skidmore.jpg

| caption = Bates at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con

| birth_name = Kathleen Doyle Bates

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|6|28}}

| birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

| spouse = {{marriage|Tony Campisi|1991|1997|end=divorced}}

| years_active = 1969–present

| occupation = Actress

| works = Full list

| awards = Full list

| relatives = Finis L. Bates (grandfather)

| education = Southern Methodist University (BFA)

}}

Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948){{cite news|url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/kathy-bates/|title=Kathy Bates - Biography|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526213020/https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/kathy-bates/|url-status=live}} is an American actress. Her work spans over five decades, and her accolades include an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and two British Academy Film Awards.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Bates studied theater at Southern Methodist University before moving to New York City to pursue an acting career. She landed minor stage roles before being cast in her first on-screen role in Taking Off (1971). Her first Off-Broadway stage role was in the play Vanities (1976). She garnered a nomination for the Tony Award Best Lead Actress in a Play for the Marsha Norman play 'night, Mother (1983), and won an Obie Award for her role in Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1988).

Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying Annie Wilkes in the psychological thriller Misery (1990). She was also nominated in Best Supporting Actress for her performances as a tough political operative in Primary Colors (1998), a free spirited neighbor in About Schmidt (2002), and the mother of a bombing suspect in Richard Jewell (2019). Bates' other notable roles were in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1995), Titanic (1997), The Waterboy (1998), Revolutionary Road (2008), The Blind Side (2009), Midnight in Paris (2011), and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023).

On television, Bates received Emmy Awards for her performances in Two and a Half Men (2012) and for her portrayal of Delphine LaLaurie in American Horror Story: Coven (2013). She was also Emmy-nominated for The Late Shift (1996), Annie (1999), Six Feet Under (2003), Warm Springs (2005), Harry's Law (2011–2012), American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014), and American Horror Story: Hotel (2015). Since 2024, she portrays the titular lead in the CBS series Matlock.

Outside of acting, Bates is also known for her advocacy. After undergoing a double mastectomy and developing lymphedema, Bates became a spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN).

Early life

Bates was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the youngest of three daughters of mechanical engineer Langdon Doyle Bates of Tennessee and homemaker Bertye Kathleen (née Talbert) of McCormick County, South Carolina.{{Cite web |last=Watkin |first=Hannah |date=October 8, 2009 |title=Kathy Bates - Biography |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/20091008215/kathy-bates/ |access-date=August 27, 2024 |website=HELLO! |language=en}} Her paternal grandfather Finis L. Bates was a lawyer and author. Her great-great-grandfather, an Irish immigrant to New Orleans, Louisiana, served as President Andrew Jackson's doctor. She graduated early from White Station High School (1965) and from Southern Methodist University (1969), where she studied theater and became a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.{{cite web |url=http://www.uwpanhellenic.com/#!alpha-delta-pi/c5wg |title=University of Washington Panhellenic Association – Alpha Delta Pi |access-date=August 12, 2015 |archive-date=May 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507143750/https://www.uwpanhellenic.com/#!alpha-delta-pi/c5wg |url-status=live}} She moved to New York City in 1970 to pursue an acting career.{{cite web |url=http://www.biography.com/people/kathy-bates-9542641 |title=Kathy Bates Biography |access-date=August 12, 2015 |archive-date=August 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803055016/http://www.biography.com/people/kathy-bates-9542641 |url-status=dead}} Bates is an alumna of the William Esper Studio for the performing arts in Manhattan, New York City.{{cite web |url=https://esperstudio.com/notable-alumni/ |title=William Esper: Notable Alumni |publisher=esperstudio.com |year=2020 |access-date=July 7, 2020 |archive-date=June 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601165704/https://esperstudio.com/notable-alumni/ |url-status=live}}

Career

{{see also|Kathy Bates filmography|List of awards and nominations received by Kathy Bates}}

=Early work and success on stage (1970–1989)=

After moving to New York City, Bates worked several odd jobs as well as minor stage roles while struggling to find work as an actress. At one point, she worked as a cashier at the Museum of Modern Art.{{cite web |title='ART WORK': Famous Former Staff |url=https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2010/07/01/art-work-famous-former-staff/ |archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803014709/https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2010/07/01/art-work-famous-former-staff/ |url-status=live |publisher=Museum of Modern Art |access-date=May 26, 2019}}

In 1970, Bates was cast in a minor role in the Miloš Forman comedy Taking Off (credited as "Bobo Bates"), her first on-screen role in a feature film.{{cite web |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/kathy-bates/ |title=Kathy Bates. Biography, news, photos and videos |website=Hello Magazine |date=October 8, 2009 |access-date=May 26, 2019 |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526213020/https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/kathy-bates/ |url-status=live}} Following this, she continued to struggle to find acting roles, later claiming in an interview with The New York Times that more than one casting agent told her that she wasn't sufficiently attractive to be a successful actress:

I'm not a stunning woman. I never was an ingenue; I've always just been a character actor. When I was younger it was a real problem, because I was never pretty enough for the roles that other young women were being cast in. The roles I was lucky enough to get were real stretches for me: usually a character who was older, or a little weird, or whatever. And it was hard, not just for the lack of work but because you have to face up to how people are looking at you. And you think, "Well, y'know, I'm a real person."{{cite news |last=Sacks |first=David |date=January 27, 1991 |title=I Never Was an Ingenue |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/27/magazine/i-never-was-an-ingenue.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103093916/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/27/magazine/i-never-was-an-ingenue.html |url-status=live |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 26, 2019 |language=en-US |archive-date=January 3, 2017}}

After Taking Off was released, Bates did not work on another feature film until she appeared opposite Dustin Hoffman in Straight Time (1978), though she continued to perform on stage throughout the 1970s. In 1973 she performed in Wayside Theatre's traveling group, Wayside Theatre on Tour, and was credited as "Bobo Bates".{{cite web |last=Laster |first=James H. |url=https://www.allaboutwayside.com/wayside-theatre-on-tour |title=Wayside Theatre on Tour |publisher=allaboutwayside.com |access-date=May 26, 2023}}{{cite news |last=May |first=Peggy |title=Virginia Folk Tales Presented in all Local Elementary Schools |work=Martinsburg Journal |date=December 3, 1973 |pages=5}} Her first Off-Broadway performance was in the 1976 production of Vanities. Bates subsequently originated the role of Lenny in the first production of Crimes of the Heart at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in 1979. Beginning in 1980, she appeared in Lanford Wilson's Fifth of July. In 1982, she starred in the Robert Altman-directed Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean with Karen Black and Cher. During this time, she also began working in television, making appearances in episodes of prime-time series such as The Love Boat, Cagney & Lacey, and St. Elsewhere in the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, as well as several soap operas, including The Doctors, All My Children, and One Life to Live.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/ |title=Kathy Bates|publisher=IMDb |access-date=August 6, 2022}}

The New York Times wrote that, in the early 1980s, Bates "established herself as one of America's finest stage actresses". In 1983, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play for her role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play 'night, Mother.{{cite web |title=Kathy Bates |url=https://www.womenshistory.org/kathy-bates |url-status=live |archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526234801/https://www.womenshistory.org/kathy-bates |publisher=National Women's History Museum |access-date=May 26, 2019}} The stage production ran for more than a year. She found further success on Off Broadway, in Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, for which she won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1988. McNally specifically wrote the play for Bates. She later succeeded Amy Irving in the Off-Broadway production of The Road to Mecca in 1988. Around this time, she shifted her focus to screen acting, with roles in The Morning After (1986), and Summer Heat (1987).

=Film breakthrough and critical success (1990–2009)=

File:Kathybatesphoto.jpg]]

Bates' performance in the 1990 horror film Misery, based on the book of the same name by Stephen King, marked her Hollywood breakthrough.{{cite web|url=https://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/kathy-bates-greatest-films-ranked-worst-to-best-misery-dolores-claiborne-primary-colors-news/|title=Kathy Bates movies: 15 greatest films, ranked worst to best, include 'Misery,' 'Dolores Claiborne,' 'Primary Colors'|last2=Beachum|first1=Robert |last1=Pius|first2= Chris|date=September 12, 2018|website=GoldDerby|language=en-US|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526234802/https://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/kathy-bates-greatest-films-ranked-worst-to-best-misery-dolores-claiborne-primary-colors-news/|url-status=live}} The film was a commercial and critical success, and her performance as Annie Wilkes was met with widespread critical adulation. Also that year, she had a role in Warren Beatty's crime film Dick Tracy. In the following year she won the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama. The American Film Institute included Annie Wilkes (as played by Bates) in their "100 Heroes and Villains" list, ranking her as the 17th-most iconic villain (and sixth-most iconic villainess) in film history.{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/100Years/handv.aspx|title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains|website=www.afi.com|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304082823/http://afi.com/100years/handv.aspx|url-status=dead}}

Soon after, she starred in the acclaimed 1991 film Fried Green Tomatoes, based on the novel by comedic actress Fannie Flagg. For her performance in this film, she received a BAFTA Award nomination.{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1993/film/actress-in-a-supporting-role|title=1993 Film Actress in a Supporting Role {{!}} BAFTA Awards|website=awards.bafta.org|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=April 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407172549/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1993/film/actress-in-a-supporting-role|url-status=live}} In 1995, Bates played the title character in Dolores Claiborne, another well-received Stephen King adaptation, for which she was nominated for Best Actress at the 22nd Saturn Awards.Beahm 2001, p. 484. {{verify source |date=August 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted (Special:Diff/898952005) by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot in plain-text form. The original cite can be found at Special:Permalink/898443561 cite #19 - please manually restore the original cite and delete this 'verify source' template (2). User:GreenC bot/Job 18}}

In 1995, Bates began working behind the screen as well, as a director, on several television series; her early directing jobs include episodes of Great Performances, Homicide: Life on the Street, and NYPD Blue.

In 1996, Bates received her first Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, for her performance as Jay Leno's manager Helen Kushnick in HBO's The Late Shift (1996).{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/kathy-bates|title=Kathy Bates|website=Television Academy |access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=February 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219202416/http://www.emmys.com/bios/kathy-bates|url-status=live}} That role also earned Bates her second Golden Globe Award win in the category of Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and her first Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-24-ca-21522-story.html|title=SAG Award Nominations Include Surprises|date=January 24, 1997|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 26, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526234803/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-24-ca-21522-story.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/20/movies/and-the-winner-is.html|title=And the Winner Is . . .|date=January 20, 1997|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 26, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526235757/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/20/movies/and-the-winner-is.html|url-status=live}}

Bates gained wider recognition in 1997 when she portrayed American socialite Molly Brown in James Cameron's epic romance disaster film Titanic. She received her second Academy Award nomination (and first in the Best Supporting Actress category) for her work as the acid-tongued political advisor Libby Holden in Primary Colors (1998), which was adapted from the book by political journalist Joe Klein. That same year, she starred as Adam Sandler's overprotective mother in The Waterboy (1998). The following year, she was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her work as deranged alien hunter Charlotte Everly in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun as well as for Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Movie for her work on the Dashiell Hammett-Lillian Hellman biopic Dash & Lilly. In 2000, Bates received another Emmy Award nomination for her turn as Miss Hannigan in Disney's remake of Annie (1999).

File:Kathy Bates 2006.jpg]]

In 2002, she received her third Academy Award nomination, again in the Best Supporting Actress category, for performance as an aging free-spirited woman in About Schmidt, opposite Jack Nicholson. A scene in the film, which features Bates completely nude entering a hot tub, was noted by critics and received significant public attention.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/highlight-about-schmidt/article17988275/|title=HIGHLIGHT: ABOUT SCHMIDT|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802193238/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/highlight-about-schmidt/article17988275/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=921855|title=Kathy Bates and 'About Schmidt'|publisher=NPR |access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526235327/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=921855|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/general/kathy-bates-60177386/|title=Kathy Bates|author=Hollywood com Staff|date=December 13, 2012|website=Hollywood.com|language=en-US|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526235324/http://www.hollywood.com/general/kathy-bates-60177386/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Nudity-s-a-big-deal-for-Kathy-Bates-But-actress-2749663.php|title=Nudity's a big deal for Kathy Bates / But actress strips for appealing role in 'About Schmidt'|last=Stein|first=Ruthe|date=November 29, 2002|website=SFGate|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526234800/https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Nudity-s-a-big-deal-for-Kathy-Bates-But-actress-2749663.php|url-status=live}} NPR called it "the scene everyone is talking about". Bates spoke about the scene in several interviews; speaking to Hello!, she said:

"People either laugh or cheer ... I was at the premiere and there are a lot of women who are shouting, 'You go, girl!' ... I think there are a lot of women in the audience who are thrilled to see a real woman up on the screen in all her glory."

Throughout the 2000s Bates worked consistently in Hollywood cinema, often playing supporting roles, such as in Rumor Has It... (2005), Failure to Launch (2006), P.S. I Love You (2007), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), and The Blind Side (2009). In 2006, she directed and co-starred in her feature film directorial debut Have Mercy (2006) with Melanie Griffith.{{cite web|url=https://www.wildaboutmovies.com/interviews/kathy-bates-talks-to-tim-nasson/|title=Kathy Bates talks to Tim Nasson|website=Wild About Movies|language=en|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=May 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527002200/https://www.wildaboutmovies.com/interviews/kathy-bates-talks-to-tim-nasson/|url-status=live}} In 2008, Bates played the matriarch Charlotte Cartwright in Tyler Perry's movie "The Family That Preys," and re-teamed with her Titanic co-stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, in the romantic drama film Revolutionary Road.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2008/film/awards/kathy-bates-revolutionary-road-1117997093/|title=Kathy Bates, 'Revolutionary Road'|last=Levine|first=Stuart|date=December 9, 2008|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=June 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607040957/https://variety.com/2008/film/awards/kathy-bates-revolutionary-road-1117997093/|url-status=live}}

During this time, she also appeared frequently on television. She starred in ten episodes of the HBO television drama series Six Feet Under, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2003. She also directed several episodes of the series. Bates received another Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, for Lifetime Television's film Ambulance Girl (2006), which she also directed.

=Continued acclaim and later roles (2010–present)=

In 2010, Bates appeared in the romantic comedy film Valentine's Day, directed by Garry Marshall. From 2010 to 2011, she had a recurring guest role on the NBC sitcom The Office as Jo Bennett.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kathybates-idUSTRE70D0EV20110114|title=Kathy Bates to return to "The Office"|date=January 14, 2011|work=Reuters|access-date=May 27, 2019|language=en|archive-date=May 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527002158/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kathybates-idUSTRE70D0EV20110114|url-status=live}} Her first lead role on a television series was in David E. Kelley's legal drama Harry's Law,{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/01/26/133247321/Kathy-Bates-Hangs-Out-A-Shingle-On-Harrys-Law|title=Kathy Bates: Storefront Lawyer On 'Harry's Law'|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=May 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527002159/https://www.npr.org/2011/01/26/133247321/Kathy-Bates-Hangs-Out-A-Shingle-On-Harrys-Law|url-status=live}} which began airing on NBC on January 17, 2011, but was later canceled on May 14, 2012.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2012/05/11/harrys-law-cancelled/|title='Harry's Law' canceled by NBC|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=May 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527002158/https://ew.com/article/2012/05/11/harrys-law-cancelled/|url-status=live}} In 2011, she portrayed famed art collector Gertrude Stein in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.{{cite web|url=https://anamericanexpatinlondon.wordpress.com/tag/kathy-bates-as-gertrude-stein/|title=Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein – An American in London|language=en-GB|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526235323/https://anamericanexpatinlondon.wordpress.com/tag/kathy-bates-as-gertrude-stein/|url-status=live}} In 2012, Bates made a guest appearance on Two and a Half Men as the ghost of Charlie Harper on the episode "Why We Gave Up Women", which aired on April 30, 2012. This guest appearance resulted in Bates winning her first Emmy Award, in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, following nine nominations.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/awards/kathy-bates-emmy-win-two-and-a-half-men-american-horror-story-1201573759/|title=Kathy Bates Remembers Winning Her First Emmy|last=Berkshire|first=Geoff|date=August 20, 2015|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=June 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608201856/https://variety.com/2015/tv/awards/kathy-bates-emmy-win-two-and-a-half-men-american-horror-story-1201573759/|url-status=live}}

In 2013, she began starring in the American Horror Story series' third season, Coven, as Delphine LaLaurie, an immortal racist New Orleans socialite who is brought back into the modern world after spending 180 years buried alive.{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/kathy-bates-american-horror-story-coven-interview/|title=Kathy Bates Talks AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN, Working with other Talented Women, Her Cruel Character, and More|last=Radish|first=Christina|date=January 4, 2014|website=Collider|language=en-US|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=May 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527002157/http://collider.com/kathy-bates-american-horror-story-coven-interview/|url-status=live}} For that role, she won her second Emmy Award, in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. Bates claimed that Ryan Murphy, the creator of the series, "resurrected [her] career".{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/kathy-bates-american-horror-story-bad-santa|title=How American Horror Story Got Kathy Bates Her Groove Back|last=Chi|first=Paul|website=HWD|date=November 22, 2016|language=en|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=November 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124175306/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/kathy-bates-american-horror-story-bad-santa|url-status=live}}

File:SDCC 2015 - Kathy Bates (19551149449) (cropped).jpg]]

Bates returned for the fourth season of American Horror Story, Freak Show, this time as Ethel Darling, a bearded lady who performs in a freak show.{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/american-horror-story-first-look-728545|work=The Hollywood Reporter|title='American Horror Story': First Look at Freak Show Cast Art (Exclusive)|date=August 27, 2014|access-date=September 9, 2014|archive-date=September 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903083218/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/american-horror-story-first-look-728545|url-status=live}} She subsequently returned again for the fifth season, Hotel, where she played Iris, the hotel's manager.{{cite web |author=Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/ahs-hotel-star-kathy-bates-830028 |title='AHS: Hotel' Star Kathy Bates: There's a Method to Iris' Madness – The Hollywood Reporter |publisher=Hollywoodreporter.com |date=October 7, 2015 |accessdate=January 5, 2022 |archive-date=November 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105190541/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/ahs-hotel-star-kathy-bates-830028 |url-status=live}} Bates returned for her fourth, and the show's sixth season, Roanoke, playing two characters—Thomasin "The Butcher" White and Agnes Mary Winstead.{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/american-horror-story-cast-ranked.html|title=Every American Horror Cast Member Ranked|last=Moylan|first=Brian|website=Vulture|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=May 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527002156/https://www.vulture.com/article/american-horror-story-cast-ranked.html|url-status=live}} She received further Emmy Award nominations for Freak Show and Hotel.

On September 20, 2016, Bates received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work in the film industry. Her star is located at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard.{{cite web|url=http://www.walkoffame.com/kathy-bates|title=Kathy Bates {{!}} Hollywood Walk of Fame|website=walkoffame.com|access-date=September 21, 2016|archive-date=November 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110115056/http://www.walkoffame.com/kathy-bates|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/09/21/kathy-bates-gets-star-on-hollywood-walk-of-fame/|title=Kathy Bates gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame|access-date=September 21, 2016|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=September 21, 2016|agency=Reuters News Agency|archive-date=September 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922013648/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/09/21/kathy-bates-gets-star-on-hollywood-walk-of-fame/|url-status=live}} In 2017, Bates starred in the Netflix television series Disjointed, in which she played the character of Ruth Whitefeather Feldman, an owner of a California medical marijuana dispensary.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/chuck-lorre-kathy-bates-marijuana-comedy-disjointed-ordered-to-series-netflix-1201813796/|title=Chuck Lorre-Kathy Bates Marijuana Comedy 'Disjointed' Ordered to Series by Netflix|last=Holloway|first=Daniel|date=July 13, 2016|language=en-US|website=Variety|access-date=July 14, 2016|archive-date=July 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715145921/https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/chuck-lorre-kathy-bates-marijuana-comedy-disjointed-ordered-to-series-netflix-1201813796/|url-status=live}} The show aired for two seasons.

In 2018, she appeared in two films: in Xavier Dolan's critically panned arthouse film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan{{cite web|url=https://nowtoronto.com/api/content/7a861ac0-b5fc-11e8-a111-120e7ad5cf50/|title=TIFF 2018: Five things you missed at The Death And Life Of John F. Donovan premiere|last=Ritchie|first=Kevin|date=September 11, 2018|website=NOW Magazine|language=en-us|access-date=May 26, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} and as political activist Dorothy Kenyon in the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/true-story-basis-sex-how-accurate-is-cast-1150361|title='On the Basis of Sex': 6 of the Film's Stars and Their Real-Life Inspirations|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 24, 2018|language=en|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526234759/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/true-story-basis-sex-how-accurate-is-cast-1150361|url-status=live}} That year, she also guest-starred in the finale of the 11th season of the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/kathy-bates-teller-big-bang-theory-finale-1202786435/|title=Kathy Bates, Teller's Characters in 'Big Bang Theory' Finale Revealed|last=Chuba|first=Kirsten|date=April 25, 2018|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=June 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608232003/https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/kathy-bates-teller-big-bang-theory-finale-1202786435/|url-status=live}}

In 2019, Bates portrayed American politician Miriam A. Ferguson in the Netflix crime film The Highwaymen.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kathy-bates-joins-kevin-costner-woody-harrelson-netflixs-highwaymen-1083888|title=Kathy Bates Joins Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson in Netflix's 'Highwaymen'|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 12, 2018|language=en|access-date=May 26, 2019|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526234803/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kathy-bates-joins-kevin-costner-woody-harrelson-netflixs-highwaymen-1083888|url-status=live}} She also starred in the Clint Eastwood biographical drama film Richard Jewell, playing the mother of the title individual. For her performance, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, as well as her fourth Academy Award nomination (also in the Best Supporting Actress category).

In 2020, it was reported that Bates would be starring in an Irish drama film, The Miracle Club, with Maggie Smith and Laura Linney. The film's plot is being described as a "joyful and hilarious" journey of a group of riotous working-class women from Dublin, whose pilgrimage to Lourdes in France leads them to discover each other's friendship and their own personal miracles."{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/maggie-smith-kathy-bates-laura-linney-unite-miracle-club-1298960/|title=Hollywood Reporter|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=June 17, 2020|access-date=August 13, 2021|archive-date=August 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813073738/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/maggie-smith-kathy-bates-laura-linney-unite-miracle-club-1298960/|url-status=live}} The film premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. She was cast in the coming-of-age film Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023), a feature adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel of the same name, directed by Kelly Fremon Craig.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/kathy-bates-are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret-movie-lionsgate-1234704932/|title=Kathy Bates Joins 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' Adaptation At Lionsgate|last=N'Duka|first=Amanda|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=March 2, 2022}}

In 2024, Bates began starring as Madeline Matlock in the CBS TV series Matlock. In September 2024, the New York Times reported that Bates would retire after the production of Matlock.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/08/arts/television/matlock-kathy-bates.html|title=In 'Matlock,' Kathy Bates Takes One Last Case|last=Soloski|first= Alexis|website=The New York Times|date=September 8, 2024|access-date=September 8, 2024}} However, she later said that she had no plans to quit acting, and that while she "had one foot out the door" prior to beginning production on Matlock, she hoped to play the role "for years".{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/kathy-bates-clarifies-retirement-comments-emmys-red-carpet-matlock-8712932 |title=Kathy Bates clarifies retirement comments about new Matlock series on Emmys red carpet: 'I had one foot out the door' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |last=Braithwaite |first=Lester Fabian |date=September 15, 2024 |access-date=November 3, 2024}} In October 2024, after only two episodes had aired,{{cite web|accessdate=April 26, 2025|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1169100/matlock-season-2-premiere-date-cast-trailer-updates-kathy-bates/#:~:text=Matlock%20was%20one%20of%20the,long%20wait%20for%20Season%202.|title=Everything We Know About ‘Matlock’ Season 2|first=Kelli |last=Boyle|date=April 17, 2025|work=TV Insider}} CBS announced that the show had been renewed for a second season.{{Cite web|url=https://tvline.com/news/matlock-renewed-season-2-cbs-kathy-bates-1235355720/|title=Matlock Renewed at CBS — The Fall's First New Show to Score a Season 2|website=TVLine|first=Matt|last=Mitovich|date=October 22, 2024|access-date=October 22, 2024}} In February 2025, Bates won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of "Matty" Matlock.{{cite web|accessdate=April 26, 2025

|url=https://deadline.com/2025/02/kathy-bates-critics-choice-award-matlock-cbs-1236282463/|title=Kathy Bates Says Her Critics Choice Award For ‘Matlock’ Also Represents A Win For Broadcast TV: “It’s A Big Deal”|first=Katie |last=Campione|date=February 7, 2025|work=Deadline}}

Reception and acting style

Since her universally acclaimed breakout role in Misery (1990), Bates has often been referred to by the media as one of America's most respected actresses.{{cite magazine |last1=Chi |first1=Paul |title=How American Horror Story Got Kathy Bates Her Groove Back |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/kathy-bates-american-horror-story-bad-santa |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=November 22, 2016 |access-date=January 23, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Pius |first1=Robert |last2=Holland |first2=Misty |last3=Beachum |first3=Chris |title=Kathy Bates movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best |url=https://www.goldderby.com/gallery/best-kathy-bates-movies/ |website=Gold Derby |date=June 25, 2022 |access-date=January 23, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Lassell |first1=Michael |title=New Again: Kathy Bates |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/new-again-kathy-bates |website=Interview |date=July 20, 2016 |access-date=January 23, 2023}}

She has been praised for her ability to portray a wide range of characters across genres and performing media.{{cite web |last1=Peeke |first1=Dan |title=Kathy Bates: Her 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Films & Shows, According To IMDb |url=https://screenrant.com/kathy-bates-best-worst-films-imdb/ |website=Screen Rant |date=May 20, 2020 |access-date=January 23, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Doyle |first1=Laura |title=American Horror Story: Kathy Bates' Characters Ranked Worst To Best |url=https://whatculture.com/tv/american-horror-story-kathy-bates-characters-ranked-worst-to-best |website=WhatCulture |date=January 12, 2021 |access-date=January 23, 2023}} Bates ascribes this to her perceived lack of conventional beauty, which has allowed her to take on unconventional and interesting roles from the very beginning of her career.{{cite news |last1=Sacks |first1=David |title=I Was Never an Ingenue |work=The New York Times |date=January 27, 1991 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/27/magazine/i-never-was-an-ingenue.html |access-date=January 23, 2023}} Derek Malcolm of The Guardian noted that Bates emerged as a new kind of a film actress unrestrained by the necessity to be glamorous, a standard that had hitherto been expected of female screen stars. Referring to her acting talent, Malcolm added that, "[Bates] is a fine actress who knows that less in the way of a ‘performance’ is often more and that strong moments have to be severely rationed."{{cite news |last1=Malcolm |first1=Derek |title=Stephen King's Misery on the big screen – archive, 1991 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/may/09/stephen-king-misery-kathy-bates-review |website=The Guardian |date=May 9, 2017 |access-date=January 23, 2023}} Roger Ebert suggested that her role of Annie Wilkes is a prime example of Bates' exceptional talent for versatility, commenting that she is "uncanny in her ability to switch, in an instant, from sweet solicitude to savage scorn".{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |title=Misery |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/misery-1990 |website=Rogert Ebert |access-date=January 23, 2023}}

In addition to commending Bates for her versatility, critics have pointed to her remarkable talent for making her characters believable, no matter how strange or unconventional their personality may be.{{cite web |last1=Rabin |first1=Nathan |title=In Misery, Kathy Bates made a nobody into a monster |url=https://thedissolve.com/news/4325-in-misery-kathy-bates-made-a-nobody-into-a-monster/ |website=The Dissolve |access-date=January 23, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Newell |first1=C.H. |title=Being a Bitch: The Survival Tactics of DOLORES CLAIBORNE |url=https://fathersonholygore.com/2015/09/06/dolores-claiborne-1995-review/ |website=Father Son Holy Gore |date=September 6, 2015 |access-date=January 23, 2023}}{{cite news |title=Normal Bates |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/normal-bates-zhqjr2mrs6g |website=The Times |access-date=January 23, 2023}} Jacob Trussell of Film School Rejects notes how "truthful" Bates' performances are, observing that her ability to access a character's inner life enables her to "approach [them] from unique angles that can surprise even the writers who created them".{{cite web |last1=Trussell |first1=Jacob |title=Kathy Bates is the Face of Toxic Fandom in 'Misery' |url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/kathy-bates-in-misery/ |website=Film School Rejects |date=November 29, 2020 |access-date=January 23, 2023}}

Due to being theatrically trained, Bates tends to invest considerable time in studying the script, examining her given character's background, and rehearsing.{{cite magazine |last1=Staskiewicz |first1=Keith |title=From the archives: Revisit James Caan's reunion with Misery costar Kathy Bates |url=https://ew.com/movies/revisit-james-caan-reunion-misery-kathy-bates/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=January 23, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Lerner |first1=Will |title=MVPs of Horror: How 'Misery' director Rob Reiner cast an unknown Kathy Bates — and how she really tortured James Caan |url=https://uk.style.yahoo.com/mvps-horror-misery-director-rob-reiner-cast-unknown-kathy-bates-really-tortured-james-caan-144515681.html |website=Yahoo |date=October 30, 2018 |access-date=January 23, 2023}}

Personal life

As a teenager, Bates wrote self-described "sad songs" and struggled with bouts of depression.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/27/magazine/i-never-was-an-ingenue.html|title=I Never Was an Ingenue|last=Sacks|first=David|date=January 27, 1991|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 27, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103093916/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/27/magazine/i-never-was-an-ingenue.html|url-status=live}} Bates was married to Tony Campisi for six years, from 1991 until their divorce in 1997.{{cite web|title=Married Oscar Winners Who Didn't Give Thanks and Later Split|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/married-oscar-winners-who-didnt-869768/item/hilary-swank-oscar-winners-who-869758|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 26, 2016|access-date=August 10, 2017 |archive-date=August 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810212657/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/married-oscar-winners-who-didnt-869768/item/hilary-swank-oscar-winners-who-869758|url-status=live}} She met Campisi in 1977 and dated him for 14 years before their marriage.{{cite web|title=Kathy Bates|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/11405%7C183412/Kathy-Bates/#family-companions|website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=May 14, 2023}}

=Health=

In 2003, Bates was diagnosed with ovarian cancer; in January 2009, she said she had been in remission for more than five years.{{cite web|last=Gariano|first=Francesca|date=December 14, 2019|title=Kathy Bates opens up about double mastectomy and the painful condition that followed|url=https://www.today.com/health/kathy-bates-talks-lymphedema-double-mastectomy-t170027|url-status=live|access-date=August 8, 2021|website=TODAY.com |archive-date=August 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808160549/https://www.today.com/health/kathy-bates-talks-lymphedema-double-mastectomy-t170027}}{{cite news|url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/28580263/ns/today-today_people|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302222419/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/28580263/ns/today-today_people|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 2, 2011|title=Kathy Bates reveals her triumph over ovarian cancer|last=Celizic|first=Mike|date=January 9, 2009|newspaper=MSN|access-date=January 17, 2011}} In September 2012, she revealed via Twitter that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer two months earlier and had undergone a double mastectomy.{{cite news|url=http://news.health.com/2012/09/13/kathy-bates-mastectomy-breast-cancer|title=Kathy Bates reveals she is battling breast cancer|access-date=September 13, 2012|archive-date=September 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914170908/http://news.health.com/2012/09/13/kathy-bates-mastectomy-breast-cancer/|url-status=live}} In 2014, at the New York Walk for Lymphedema & Lymphatic Diseases, Bates announced via pre-recorded audio that, due to the double mastectomy, she has lymphedema in both arms. That year, Bates was designated a spokesperson{{Cite web |date=2014-10-25 |title=You may recognize LE&RN’s newest Spokesperson… |url=https://thelymphielife.com/2014/10/25/you-may-recognize-lerns-newest-spokesperson/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The Lymphie Life |language=en-US}} by the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) and appointed chairperson for LE&RN's honorary board.{{cite web|url=https://lymphaticnetwork.org/|title=Lymphatic Education and Research Network, Lymphedema Lymphatic Disease – Lymphatic Education & Research Network|website=lymphaticnetwork.org|access-date=March 23, 2019|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322064048/https://lymphaticnetwork.org/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://lymphaticnetwork.org/about/honorary-board|title=Honorary Board – Lymphatic Education & Research Network|website=lymphaticnetwork.org|access-date=March 23, 2019|archive-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324024747/https://lymphaticnetwork.org/about/honorary-board|url-status=live}}

In 2021, Bates participated in LE&RN’s National Lymphedema Awareness Campaign,{{Cite web |title=CDC Campaign Info {{!}} Lymphatic Education & Research Network |url=https://lymphaticnetwork.org/cdc-campaign-info?utm_source=Landing+Page+Text+Above+Kathy&utm_medium=Website&utm_campaign=CDC+Campaign |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=lymphaticnetwork.org}} funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to highlight her personal experience battling lymphedema and the risks of developing lymphedema for cancer patients.

In April 2019, in her official capacity as LE&RN’s spokesperson, Bates testified to the United States Congress{{Cite web |title=Actress Kathy Bates to testify about lymphedema |url=https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/actress-kathy-bates-to-testify-about-lymphedema-1481267267829 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=MSNBC.com |language=en}} and led advocates in a Capitol Hill Lobby Day{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smPhOxfwQyc |title=Watch Kathy Bates Testify on Capitol Hill - April 9 2019 - LE&RN |date=2019-04-10 |last=Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) |access-date=2025-03-20 |via=YouTube}} to garner congressional support for further research funding for lymphatic diseases. With the goal to make lymphedema a treatable disease, she asked Congress{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smPhOxfwQyc |title=Watch Kathy Bates Testify on Capitol Hill - April 9 2019 - LE&RN |date=2019-04-10 |last=Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) |access-date=2025-03-20 |via=YouTube}} to establish a National Commission on Lymphatic Disease Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and to expand lymphatic disease research and programming at the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2018, Bates addressed supporters at the first-ever DC/VA Walk to Fight Lymphedema & Lymphatic Diseases{{Cite web |last=Farrell |first=Laura |date=2018-04-18 |title=Kathy Bates to kick off LE&RN DC/VA #LymphWalk at Lincoln Memorial May 12 |url=https://www.einpresswire.com/article/442776587/kathy-bates-to-kick-off-le-rn-dc-va-lymphwalk-at-lincoln-memorial-may-12 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=EIN Presswire |language=en-US}} at the Lincoln Memorial. She was awarded the 2018 WebMD Health Heroes "Game Changer" Award for her role in raising awareness of chronic lymphatic disease.{{cite web|url=https://www.ascopost.com/issues/march-25-2019/webmd-recognizes-seven-cancer-innovators-with-its-health-heroes-award/?email=2ee2a5b075e26db593702633f47bdeb0b80cd381928ebc08cbbe245f1e3aa130|title=WebMD Recognizes Seven Cancer Innovators With Its Health Heroes Award – The ASCO Post|website=www.ascopost.com|access-date=April 10, 2019|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802205806/https://www.ascopost.com/issues/march-25-2019/webmd-recognizes-seven-cancer-innovators-with-its-health-heroes-award/?email=2ee2a5b075e26db593702633f47bdeb0b80cd381928ebc08cbbe245f1e3aa130|url-status=live}}

Between roughly 2017 and 2024, Bates lost {{convert|100|lb|kg}}, and said the weight loss gave her more energy to take on the leading role in Matlock.{{cite news|url = https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/kathy-bates-retirement-weight-loss-ageism-matlock-1236138759/|title = Kathy Bates on When She'll Actually Retire, Her 100-Lb. Weight Loss and Leaning Into Ageism for 'Matlock' Reboot|last = Longeretta|first = Emily|date = September 11, 2024|accessdate = December 3, 2024|work = Variety}}

Activism

In June 2016, the Human Rights Campaign released a video in tribute to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting; in the video, Bates and others told the stories of the people murdered there.{{cite web|url=http://www.hrc.org/blog/watch-49-celebrities-honor-49-victims-of-orlando-tragedy-in-new-ryan-murphy|title=49 Celebrities Honor 49 Victims of Orlando Tragedy|publisher=Hrc.org|access-date=June 30, 2016|archive-date=August 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823154109/http://www.hrc.org/blog/watch-49-celebrities-honor-49-victims-of-orlando-tragedy-in-new-ryan-murphy|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/gay-south-florida/article83301677.html|title=Pulse Orlando shooting scene a popular LGBT club where employees, patrons 'like family'|last=Rothaus|first=Steve|date=June 12, 2016|work=The Miami Herald|access-date=June 15, 2016|archive-date=June 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615082724/http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/gay-south-florida/article83301677.html|url-status=live}}

Bates has spoken extensively about her experience with lymphedema and the need for greater awareness about lymphatic diseases as part of her advocacy work as spokesperson for LE&RN. She has provided numerous keynote addresses on this subject including in 2016 at the Gordon Research Conference in Lymphatics,{{Cite journal |date=September 2016 |title=Kathy Bates Delivers Historic Speech at 2016 Gordon Research Conference in Lymphatics - Ventura, CA |url=https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/lrb.2016.29009.kb |journal=Lymphatic Research and Biology |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=193–195 |doi=10.1089/lrb.2016.29009.kb |issn=1539-6851|url-access=subscription }} in 2017 at the Research!America's Annual Meeting{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLpyf_APsII |title=Research! America's 2017 Annual Meeting – Guest Speaker Kathy Bates |date=2017-03-20 |last=ResearchAmerica |access-date=2025-03-20 |via=YouTube}} where she received the Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion{{Cite web |title=2017 Advocacy Awards |url=https://www.researchamerica.org/advocacy-awards/past-advocacy-awards/2017-advocacy-awards/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Research!America |language=en-US}} for raising awareness of lymphedema and lymphatic diseases alongside honorees former President Joseph Biden and Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, in 2018 at the Lymphedema Symposium{{Cite web |title=Harvard Lymphedema Symposium 2018 {{!}} Lymphatic Education & Research Network |url=https://lymphaticnetwork.org/treating-lymphedema/the-lymphedema-symposium-2018 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=lymphaticnetwork.org}} at Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School, and in 2019 at the American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting{{Cite web |title=Keynote Address – Annual Meeting {{!}} ASBrS |url=https://www.breastsurgeons.org/meeting/2019/keynote |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=www.breastsurgeons.org}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHwZ9DWwEHs&t=55s |title=Kathy Bates Gives the Keynote Address at the American Society of Breast Surgeons Conference |date=2019-05-28 |last=Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) |access-date=2025-03-20 |via=YouTube}}.

In 2024, Bates appeared on the MeSsy Podcast with Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU0KVEGmeIw |title=Kathy Bates |date=2024-11-12 |last=MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler |access-date=2025-03-20 |via=YouTube}} to speak about her breast cancer diagnosis, her experience managing lymphedema, and her national lobbying and global advocacy work as the spokesperson for LE&RN. Bates has also discussed her efforts to raise awareness about lymphedema in interviews with The Saturday Evening Post{{Cite web |last=Wolf |first=Jeanne |date=2024-08-12 |title=3 Questions for Kathy Bates |url=https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/08/3-questions-with-kathy-bates/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=The Saturday Evening Post |language=en-US}} and on the Office Ladies{{Cite web |date=2024-12-11 |title=Episode 228 {{!}} An Interview with Kathy Bates |url=https://officeladies.com/episodes/2024/10/12/episode-228-an-interview-with-kathy-bates |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Office Ladies |language=en-US}} podcast. On March 6, 2025, Bates commemorated World Lymphedema Day, appearing in a video campaign{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TakVWVSv4QE&t=2s |title=World Lymphedema Day 2025 - Featuring Kathy Bates |date=2025-01-03 |last=Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) |access-date=2025-03-20 |via=YouTube}} for LE&RN alongside advocates from around the world to raise awareness about lymphedema.