Kathy Bates attributes her long career to the fact that she does not look like a “beauty queen”

Kathy Bates, 76, says the secret to her long acting career is not looking like “a beauty queen.”

In an interview with Variety published Wednesday, Bates looked back on her career and shared her thoughts on retirement.

“I always knew it would take a while to get into this business because I wasn't a beauty queen,” she told Variety. “I have to say, I wink inside when I see friends who were beauty queens who no longer work because of ageism, and in my case, I was able to continue working for many years because I don't look like one.”

According to IMDb, Bates made her film debut in 1971 in the film “Taking Off” and has been acting ever since. At the age of 42, she won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1990 for her role as Annie Wilkes in “Misery.”

“I don't think I would have gotten the role in 'Misery' if I had been a beauty queen,” Bates said.

The actress said she considered retiring before landing the lead role in the CBS legal drama “Matlock,” which is set to premiere Sept. 22.

Bates said she hopes to be on “Matlock” for “several years” before quitting.

“My friends say I'll probably be like Molière and die in my chair on the stage,” Bates said, “because that's really a life force for me.”

Bates is not the only actor who has spoken out against age discrimination in Hollywood.

In an interview with Porter magazine in November, Anne Hathaway said she had been told her career would “go downhill” after her 35th birthday.

Kirsten Dunst told Marie Claire in March that she took a two-year break from acting because she was cast in a particular role and only roles as “sad mother” offered.

But Age discrimination against women is not just a problem in Hollywood; it occurs in other workplaces as well.

According to a 2020 report by AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) and the Economist Intelligence Unit, discrimination against older workers cost the U.S. economy an estimated $850 billion in GDP in 2018.

A representative for Bates did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment sent outside of business hours.