Kathy Bates denies retirement from acting: “It was misunderstood”

Kathy Bates is not ready to retire yet!

During an interview with On the Red Carpet on the red carpet of the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday, the Oscar winner, who plays Madeline Matlock in the new CBS reboot of Matlock, shared her latest update on her retirement from acting.

The news came following her September 8 interview with The New York Times, in which she told the newspaper that “Matlock” would be her final show, calling it her “last dance.”

A source told ABC News on Monday: “It is believed that Bates changed her mind after the production of 'Matlock.'”

Although she was “flattered” that the retirement story “went around the world,” Bates told ABC's George Pennacchio that she had been “misunderstood.”

“I think it was misunderstood because I already had one foot out the door until I read Jennie. [Snyder] Urman's script and I thought to myself: “Okay, now we're talking. And I want the show [Matlock] to run for many more years,” she said.

The original series of “Matlock” ran from 1986 to 1995. The main role was played by Andy Griffith as a criminal defense lawyer named Benjamin Matlock.

The rebooted series follows Bates' character, who returns to the legal profession as a senior and achieves legal victories in court. In an interview with the New York Times about the series, she said she felt called to the role, especially after experiencing some injustices early in her career.

“Everything I've prayed for, worked for and struggled through, I can suddenly use,” she said at the time. “And it's exhausting.”

Over the course of her career, Bates has won an Oscar for her role as Annie Wilkes in “Misery” and two Emmys for her roles in “American Horror Story: Coven” and “Two and a Half Men.”

Despite her success, looking back on her acting career, she could only think of some of the mistakes she made. She told the New York Times, “I never felt right or well dressed.”

“I felt like an outsider,” she said. “It's that line in 'Misery' when Annie says, 'I'm not a movie star.' I'm not.”

“Matlock” will premiere on CBS on September 22 and will be available to stream on Paramount+.