Kathy Bates Nearly Threw Away Her 'Waterboy' Role—Here's How Her Niece Saved It

Kathy Bates says niece saved 'The Waterboy' role after she tossed script in trash

Washington, June 20

Speaking in a recent video interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bates recalled receiving the script for the sports comedy and dismissing it after reading only a portion of it.

"I didn't know who Adam Sandler was and I got a script. It was a football script, and I was like, 'Oh, let's give me a football.' Twelve pages I read and I thought, 'Oh man, I can't do this thing. This is ridiculous,'" she recounted.

She added, "So, I just tossed it in the waste basket, and my niece, who works with me, saw it and picked it out of the [trash]. She said, 'What is this?' So I said, 'It's a script that some kid Adam Sandler [wrote],' and she went, 'Adam Sandler! You don't know the Hanukkah song?"'

Bates' niece was referring to Sandler's novelty track, 'The Chanukah Song,' which he first performed during his stint on Saturday Night Live in 1994.

The actress said her niece's reaction prompted her to revisit the script. "So I took another look at it, and I thought, well, I'll do this for Linda. Turns out we had the most fun. He's brilliant. He's a genius," Bates said.

She added, "I dove in the deep end and just had a great time. Just screwed around. And I loved working with him. That's when he first started really getting known and people really flocking to see him."

In 'The Waterboy', Bates portrayed Mama Boucher, the fiercely protective and deeply religious mother of Sandler's character, Bobby Boucher, a socially awkward water boy.

The actress also disclosed that she nearly missed out on another major project, 'Matlock', because she initially failed to read the entire script.

"Matlock is a miracle for me," Bates said, adding, "I had one foot out the door. A film that I did not too long before just was such a heartbreaking disappointment. You know, at my age, I'm going to be 80 in two years, I just thought, this is not working out, it's not giving me any happiness."

According to Bates, her first impression of the legal drama was less than enthusiastic.

"Then I got the script for Matlock. And at first I was reading, and I was talking to my friend in New York, Billy. I said, 'Ah, this is just a procedural.' He said, 'Did you read it? Did you finish it?' He said, 'Read it to the end.' So, I read and, of course, it's got this great twist at the end. And I thought, 'OK, now we're talking,'" she said.

She explained that the show's deeper themes ultimately convinced her to take on the role.

"I wanted it to be about something. I didn't want it just to be a case of the weak. And the fact that there's this woman who's got a real mission and something in the real world that people are struggling with," she said.

The series follows Bates' character, Madeline Matlock, as she returns to work at a prestigious law firm, using her sharp instincts and unconventional methods to solve cases and uncover wrongdoing.

The show has already been renewed for a third season.

Reflecting on the opportunity, Bates said she remains especially grateful for the series at a time when many entertainment industry professionals are facing uncertainty.

"Times are hard. A lot of people in this industry are out of work," she said, adding, "A big part of our joy is that we have a place to go every day. We have something wonderful to make."

— ANI