Kathy Bates believes there is "a lot of ageism" in Hollywood

During a Q+A session with her 'Matlock' co-stars in Pasadena, California, she explained: "A woman my age would never have such a role, ever. The complexity; the writing. A lot of ageism exists, and I've only been interested in doing the best work I can possibly do."

The 'Titanic' star enjoyed success in the theatre early on in her career but made her the move into cinema relatively late and had appeared in minor roles in films such as 'My Best Friend Is A Vampire' and 'Dick Tracy' by the time she won an Academy Award for her role as psychopathic nurse Annie Wilkes in the 1990 thriller 'Misery'.

In recent years, Kathy has undergone a body transformation and explained that losing 60lbs was after realising that there was a history of diabetes in her family and her success came from recognising when she was actually full.

She told Extra: "I was facing diabetes - it runs in my family - and I really didn't want to live with that.

"After you eat for 20-30 minutes, you experience an involuntary sigh. It's communication between stomach and brain telling you you had enough... and what I discovered is if you listen to that sigh and push that plate away for just five minutes, you realize you're satisfied and you don't have to eat more."