Actress Kathy Bates has been a staple on television and movies for decades. She is known to play fierce characters and in real life, she is just as intimidating.
The actress was diagnosed with a chronic condition that forced her to make some very drastic changes…
In 1970, Kathy Bates moved to New York to pursue her dream of acting. She looks back on that time and reflects on how she was never the typical young star but still found a way to succeed. “I was never the young star,” she explains. “I’ve always been more of a character actor. When I was younger, it was tough because I didn’t fit the mold of being pretty enough. It was challenging, not just because of the limited roles, but also because I had to deal with how people viewed me,” Bates shared.
Her Broadway career really took off in 1980 when she starred as Stella May in Come Back To The Five And Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Although she missed out on some film adaptations of her stage roles, everything changed when she turned 42. She became a huge star almost overnight after playing a crazed fan in Misery, which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Bates discussed the types of roles she often got, saying, “You’re either young and glamorous, and you get the lead role, or you’re not attractive enough, so you end up playing the friend, the villain, or the doctor. The person who gets to play the young, pretty character who wins the guy at the end doesn’t really have any power. On the other hand, a character can have power but might not be seen as feminine.”
She started directing episodes including some for shows like Homicide: Life On The Street, NYPD Blue, Kathy Bates starred in the popular TV show Six Feet Under and the series Oz, which gained a lot of attention.
In her personal life, she has faced some tough challenges with her health. She was diagnosed with cancer two times: first with ovarian cancer in 2003 and then with breast cancer in 2012.
After her surgery for breast cancer, Kathy began to share her experience with lymphedema, a condition she was diagnosed with. Now, she serves as a spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network.
She shared that she has lost 80 pounds over the past few years. The actress needs to wear compression sleeves to prevent her arms from swelling. She always puts them on when she flies or does something physically demanding because her condition can get worse without them.
She mentioned that she has to remind herself to take it easy to handle her condition. The actress explained, “If I can slow down, relax my shoulders, keep my back straight, breathe deeply, and focus on finishing each task one step at a time, I feel more confident in managing my lymphedema. The pandemic made me slow down.”
She encourages others with the same condition not to let it hold them back from enjoying life. The actress said, “Wearing a compression garment in public can be tough, especially when people don’t understand lymphedema. But staying at home and being inactive will only make things worse for your body and mind.”
She emphasized the importance of not allowing your condition to control who you are, and she practices this in her own life too.
She is actively pushing for more research on lymphedema and is working to secure funding for those who are raising awareness about it.
Kathy Bates doesn’t let her diagnosis hold her back; she continues to take on roles she loves and does the work that makes her happy!
The actress has learned to not just live with her condition but also how to make sure she can thrive with it.
Share this article to inspire others in their fight against lymphedema.
