One role almost made Kathy Bates quit acting for good: “Really broke my heart”
It is difficult to imagine the Hollywood landscape without Kathy Bates‘ supreme talent. She is one of the finest actors of her generation and has gathered plaudits alongside well-earned awards for her variety of impressive roles. Only a newfound singing career away from grabbing EGOT status confirms Bates’ position as one of the most widely beloved actors.
Decades in the business can certainly take a toll on those involved in it, but Bates has largely remained excited about her work. While once notably shaming Hollywood for its beauty standards, the art of acting has always been high on her list of reasons to continue making movies. It has been the silver thread that has stitched together her impressive resume.
The truth is that singular roles can have a profound effect on an actor, and not just their career. 1995’s Dolores Clairborne may not have been as instantly impacting as Bates’ work in Misery, but it is the one the actor holds dearest, and one which fans are slowly coming round to: “It’s interesting, I just had dinner with [director] Taylor Hackford and Helen Mirren maybe six months ago, and he gets the same comments.”
Calling it her “favourite film experience“, Bates reasoned that working with both an actor’s director and talented stars as part of the ensemble was the main reason she loved it so dearly: “Maybe a lot of it has to do with the fact that Taylor is married to Helen; he understands what the actors’ process is,” she said.
“And the excitement of being able to create a character that was young and old. And working with Jennifer [Jason Leigh] and David Strathairn,” before going on to commend “Stephen King’s story and his characters”. That being said, Bates was left “disappointed to this day” that it didn’t catch on the way she believed it should have.
It might not be the only movie to have left Bates broken hearted, and while she doesn’t name it directly, there is one picture which the actor admitted almost made her quit acting for good. She recently explained in an interview: “There was a film that I cared deeply about, that when I saw how it turned out, really broke my heart”.
While Bates refuses to name the movie, she did express just how badly it effected her personally and professionally: “It was a part that I cared deeply about that I had prepared for for a long time, and then when I saw what happened it was just absolutely devastating. I think that was one big moment where I felt, I don’t think my heart can take this anymore”.
Sometimes, the work you put in does not exactly equate to the joy you get out, and this was a lesson Bates learned through the unnamed movie. But, thankfully, she also learned resilience and ensured that her impressive career continued forward, culminating in a resume that few can contend with.
