Kathy Bates Clarifies She's Not Retiring Amid Matlock’s Success: 'I Would Love for This to Keep Going'

While the actress recently made headlines for saying 'Matlock' is her “last dance," she says she isn’t ready to step away from the industry just yet

Transcript

00:00I remember having dinner with some friends and Diane Keaton was there and she talked about turning 40 and becoming invisible.

00:06That was the first time I thought about it because I think I felt invisible to begin with.

00:14And I think that invisibility can lead to a kind of inner despair.

00:21Being invisible is feeling that you're not useful anymore to anyone, to the world, to your job.

00:36I often think if I didn't do this as a living anymore, I'm sure I would face those days where I felt I haven't paid my dues.

00:50And there's this build-up, this feeling of angst, of dissatisfaction that you don't even really know why that's happening.

01:00Because you haven't paid your dues for the talent you've been given.

01:04And certainly I get to an age where I think I can't believe I'm 76.

01:10And you say, oh, if I want the show to run for another five years, I'm like, holy crap, I'll be 81.

01:1876 and 81 seems 20 years apart to me.

01:23I'm so lucky. I'm so glad to have had this opportunity at the end of my career.

01:29I think people got confused and thought I was going to retire.

01:32And what I meant was, how can it get any better?

01:37And I don't want it to end. And I love it so much.