From tear-jerkers like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, to comedies like Summer Camp and dramas like The Miracle Club, Kathy Bates can truly do it all. At 76 years old, the Tennessee native has established herself as one of the most steadfast presences in Hollywood today. What does she credit that longevity to? As she revealed in a recent interview with Variety, it concerns her looks. But not in the way you might think.
Kathy Bates Talks Beauty Standards in Hollywood
“I always knew going into this business that it was going to take me a while because I wasn’t a beauty queen,” Bates told Variety this week. “I have to say I give an inner wink when I see friends who have been beauty queens who are no longer working because of ageism, and in my case, I’ve been able to continue working for many years because I don’t look like that. I don’t think I would have gotten the role in Misery if I had been a beauty queen.”
Despite her comfort in not being a beauty queen, Bates has also struggled with her body throughout her career, revealing to the outlet that “It’s helped me tremendously that, over the last six or seven years, I’ve lost 100 pounds. I don’t think I’ve been this slim since I was in college.” Bates noted that she was her heaviest while filming Harry’s Law, which took a toll on her stamina. “I had to sit down every moment that I could. It was hard for me to walk. I’m ashamed I let myself get so out of shape, but now I have a tremendous amount of energy.”
