Kathy Bates has been a beloved figure in Hollywood for many decades, and after losing an impressive 100 pounds, she has revealed that her time as a heavier woman in the entertainment industry was, at times, far from easy.
In a recent interview, the award-winning actress gave an exciting update on her astonishing weight loss, which changed her life after she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago. She revealed that while filming a drama series for NBC in 2011, she wasn’t able to perform without taking several breaks, which made her feel “ashamed.” Thankfully, she has come a long way since then and is ready to step into her next phase of her acting career with more freedom and energy. Read more about her health journey and health experience below.
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Kathy Bates Reveals She's Lost Over 100 Pounds In The Last Few Years
The Misery actress has been performing in major motion pictures since 1990 and is well-known for her powerhouse performances and ability to take on all different kinds of roles. Although she's been successful for years, she sometimes struggled behind the scenes, as she has been on a long weight loss and health journey.
Over the last few years, people and fans of the actress have noticed that she's slimmed down quite a bit, and after taking back a previous statement that she was ready to retire from the spotlight, she's found herself a successful situation on her current series, Matlock, and prepared to address exactly how she managed to lose an impressive 100 pounds.
In a recent interview with People, the 76-year-old spoke about what motivated her to change her life and lose the extra weight she had been carrying for years. She revealed that back in 2011, while filming a drama series titled Harry's Law, she had an "awful" experience, mostly due to the fact that she was in bad shape.
"When I was so heavy in Harry's Law, I had to sit down in between every take, and it was awful," she said.
"I'm ashamed to have put myself through that, to be honest."
Kathy also explained the moment she knew she had to make a change in her life happened when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2017. She said her diagnosis "scared her straight" and made her worry about the impact her health would have on her loved ones.
Kathy Shares That She Feels She's Able To Do So Many Things That She 'Couldn't' Before Losing Weight
After receiving her diabetes diagnosis, the American Horror Story performer worked hard for over seven years to eat better and get fit. She ended up losing 80 pounds through lifestyle changes, then lost another 20 after starting to take the popular weight loss drug made for type 2 diabetics, Ozempic.
In a 2024 interview with the aforementioned publication, she added that she put in a lot of hard work, and things got especially difficult during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's very hard to say you've had enough," admitted the Academy Award winner.
After years of dedicating herself to both her work and her fitness journey, Kathy is finally in a much healthier place where she can do what she wants and goes to work with a smile on her face.
"Now that I've been able to get really healthy, I can move, I can breathe, I can have fun, I'm not sore," she said.
"I get tired and realize I'm like an old lady, but even the kids get tired. It's been a magnificent experience."
Her weight loss has also made a significant impact on how much she's been able to do while performing as lawyer Madeline Matlock on the popular CBS series, which she said has been an "unbelievable" experience.
"Physically, I'm capable of doing this show," she added. "I don't have to sit down. I can stand up all day long and walk and move and breathe and do so many things that I couldn't before."
