Kathy Bates has brilliant foul-mouthed reaction to surprise Critics’ Choice Awards win

‘Matlock’ star froze and looked stunned when her name was called out. Kathy Bates has amused fans with her brilliant shocked reaction to winning a Critics’ Choice Award for her performance in the legal drama Matlock. During Friday night’s ceremony (7 February), the Oscar-winning actor was announced as Best Actress in a Drama Series for playing Madeline Matlock, a septuagenarian lawyer who rejoins the workforce at a prestigious law firm after decades away from the profession.

When Bates’ name was called out as the winner, she froze in a state of disbelief as she shook her head and appeared to say: “F***! F***! No, no, no!”. With a stunned, half-frowning expression, she looked around at the people surrounding her, who began to lightly shake her and encouraged her to collect the award. When she arrived onstage, she told the crowd: “Wow I really didn't think this was going to happen,” before giving several shoutouts to her co-workers, including co-stars Beau Bridges, Skye P Marshall, and Jason Ritter.

“You know, when we come to work everyday, there's so much love on that set,” she said. “And so many hundreds of years of experience, rolling the dolly, working the camera, the costumers, the prop people – they're just the top of the line, and walking onto that set, it feels like a miracle, and I'm so grateful to all of them.”. Elsewhere in her speech, Bates thanked the firefighters who fought the devastating Los Angeles wildfires last month.

Bates also offered her trophy to her producer Eric Christian Olsen, who she said was still looking for a permanent home after losing his property in the wildfires. “I really have to thank the firefighters. You know, our producer, Eric Christian Olsen, had a house in the Palisades and it burned down, and so it's very personal to us, and to watch all the film of you guys standing in a line with a just a wall of flames in front of you is just terrifying and I don't know how you did it. But I thank you so much for so many of us in Los Angeles.”.

She concluded: “I also want to tell Eric Olsen who hasn't quite found a home yet – this is coming to you first thing for decor!”. Viewers have been celebrating Bates’ win – and also enjoying watching the clip of her response. “Omg I love Kathy Bates' stunned reaction,” said one viewer as another compared it to Beyonce’s viral reaction at the Grammys last week when the singer won Best Country Album and froze in motion before looking around the room.

Another fan said of Bates: “Much much deserved!!! Best show on TV by a landslide. Congratulations!!!”. Bates has drawn critical acclaim for her performance in the reboot of the Eighties and Nineties legal drama, which originally starred Andy Griffith. Her performances in American Horror Story and Two and a Half Men, earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards. Playing nurse Annie Wilkes in Misery won her a Golden Globe award as well as the Oscar for Best Actress, and she won a second Golden Globe for playing Jay Leno’s manager Helen Kushnick in The Late Shift.