On Tuesday, the Matlock star was announced as a 2025 Emmy nominee for Best Lead Actress in a Drama, becoming the oldest performer ever nominated in category at age 77. With the nomination, Bates surpasses the record previously held by Angela Lansbury, who was 70 when she received her final nod in Murder, She Wrote in 1996.

Following an Emmy nomination for her role in 'Matlock,' Kathy Bates is now the oldest nominee for lead actress in a drama series.

Bates, on the other hand, received her nomination for the first season of “Matlock,” a reboot of the classic legal drama starring Andy Griffith that premiered in 1986. Bates stars as Madeline Kingston, a retired lawyer who reenters the profession for personal aims under the alias Madeline “Matty” Matlock.