Kathy Bates shares Matlock is her swan song

There comes a time for most people to retire. Kathy Bates has her eyes on that, and she shares that Matlock is going to be her “last dance.”

According to TVLine, her last role was going to be an unnamed movie. She shared that her work becomes her life, and sometimes she’s “jealous of having this talent.” She isn’t able to hold back, but she wants to be able to enjoy her life.

However, the script for Matlock landed on her desk, and she just couldn’t say no. She immediately connected with the protagonist, and she knew that this was the role for her.

Kathy Bates says Matlock is exhausting

Despite it being a dream role, it is an “exhausting” one. Bates shared that she is using everything she has ever learned over the years. She is doing everything she clawed her way to the top for.

Filming broadcast TV isn’t easy. It does require long hours for many months. CBS is looking to get 22-episode seasons again, although Matlock is a new series, which will mean it is initially a shorter series unless it’s picked up for more episodes. Still, at 13 episodes, that is months of daily work.

Matlock is going to be a fun story

It’s clear that Matlock is going to be a fun show to watch, though. Bates plays Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a woman who was a brilliant lawyer when she was younger. She’s since retired, but she wants to return to the workforce. Based on the trailer, there is a reason for that—and it’s not the one she’s giving.

Matty knows how to use her age to her advantage. She’s able to be invisible, so people say and do things around her that they wouldn’t around anyone else. This will help her win cases, proving that she still has it.

Matlock premieres on Sunday, Sept. 22 before moving to the regular Thursday 9/8c timeslot in October on CBS.