People Amazed by Kathy Bates's Youthful Look at 77

At two recent awards-season appearances, an Oscar-winning actress reentered the spotlight, sparking admiration and conversation online, not through a red-carpet moment, but via a hairstylist’s striking Instagram posts.

Celebrity hairstylist Marcus Francis shared two Instagram posts featuring Kathy Bates during awards season, both of which drew widespread online reaction. The first, uploaded on January 11, 2026, highlighted Bates styled for the AARP Awards, followed by a second post on January 12, 2026, showcasing her Golden Globes appearance.

AARP Event Photos Circulate

The first post included the caption, "The legendary Kathy Bates for the @aarp awards. Nothing like hot rollers for a sculpted shape and volume ✨ Hair by me, Makeup @stephensollitt Styling @deborahafshani."

Images from the event also circulated online. In one widely shared photo, Bates poses for a portrait during the event, held at the Beverly Wilshire in California.

In the image, she wears a crisp white blazer with delicate diamond jewelry, her silver hair swept back and softly styled, paired with polished makeup and a composed expression against a softly textured, warm golden-brown backdrop.

Another photo captures Bates smiling warmly beside George Clooney at the high-profile event. She is again dressed in the white blazer and holds a small metallic clutch, with her jewelry catching the light. Clooney stands beside her in a dark suit jacket layered over an open-collar white shirt, smiling broadly toward the camera.

Fans React With Praise and Questions

As the photos circulated, reactions poured in from followers. On Francis's post, one commenter remarked enthusiastically, "Always loved her in all her incarnations, but wow, she's blooming anew right now! Go Kathy!"

Another commenter declared with affection, "Now that's how you properly do a facelift ❤️❤️❤️." A third comment observed, "She rejuvenated." A more questioning response asked, "Filter or surgery?"

Bates' Appearance at The Golden Globes Circulates Online

The conversation continued a day later when Francis shared another Instagram post highlighting Bates at the Golden Globes. That post had the caption, "The incredible Kathy Bates at the Golden Globes 🌟 Hair by me Makeup @stephensollitto Styling @deborahafshani."

Images of the "Fried Green Tomatoes" actress at the Globes also circulated online. Arriving at the event, she walks confidently along a red carpet in an off-the-shoulder navy lace gown over a nude base, cinched with a wide bow at the waist, the skirt flowing as she moves. Her silver hair is styled back, paired with a sparkling necklace and earrings, as she smiles broadly.

Online Praise Reaches a Crescendo

After Francis's second post circulated online, viewers responded swiftly. One commenter wrote in amazement, "I've never heard of anyone who has had a glow-up to transcendental beauty in their 70s….until now. Stunning. 😍 🤩"

Another comment added emphatically, "Kathy Bates looks better than she did twenty years ago!" A final comment shared, "OMG! Kathy Bates looked incredible! That dress was everything and looked stunning. You are living proof of aging beautifully!"

Context Behind the Transformation

The attention surrounding Bates’s recent appearances arrives amid ongoing public discussion about her health journey. In October 2024, Bates addressed speculation about her weight loss in an interview with People, clarifying that her transformation was primarily the result of long-term lifestyle changes rather than medication alone.

According to People, Bates lost 80 pounds over seven years through diet and lifestyle adjustments before losing an additional 20 pounds with Ozempic.

"There's been a lot of talk that I just was able to do this because of Ozempic," Bates said at the time. "But I have to impress upon people out there that this was hard work for me, especially during the pandemic. It's very hard to say you've had enough."

Health, Discipline, and Long-Term Change

Bates explained that her health journey began after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis around 2017. She said:

"I ate because I was afraid, and I ate because it was a FU to my self-esteem. [Diabetes] runs in my family, and I'd seen what my father had gone through. He had had a leg amputation. One of my sisters is dealing with it very seriously, and it terrified me. It scared me straight."

She credited the advice her niece gave her — listening to her body — as a turning point. "When we're full, we experience an involuntary sigh," Bates explained. "I just pushed the plate away."

She also noted significant dietary changes and shared that maintaining consistency remains essential to her. "I used to eat terribly: burgers and Cokes and pizza," she admitted, adding that she also stopped eating after 8 p.m.

Bates added that maintaining her progress remains a priority as she adjusts to a new routine after wrapping the first season of "Matlock." Bates said her next challenge is figuring out a workout plan now that she is no longer moving constantly on set.

"That's going to be my next thing that I'm worried about because I won't be on set running back and forth," she said. "I have a treadmill here at the house, and I might try Pilates."

She continued, "People always ask, 'Don't you want a trainer?' No, I really don't. I don't want anybody over my shoulder. It's just very important to me to keep this going. I don't want to slip," noting that her weight loss "coincided beautifully" with the timing of "Matlock," allowing her to take on the physically demanding role with renewed confidence.

"Physically, I'm capable of doing this show," she stated. "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."

Embracing a New Chapter On and Off Screen

In a September 2025 interview with Variety, Bates reflected emotionally on adjusting to her new body while continuing her work on the “Matlock” reboot. "She had a beautiful dress for me to try. I looked at it on the hanger, and I thought, 'That's not gonna fit.' I put it on, and it fit, and I just melted down," Bates said. "I just started crying and crying."

"I'm still figuring out what it’s like to be without all of that weight. What was it for? What was I hiding myself from? What are the emotions that are pouring out because I don't have that armor? It just really surprised me, really shocked me," she added.

As awards-season images continue to circulate, admiration for Bates's presence, confidence, and style has remained front and center, leaving many observers openly amazed by her youthful look at 77.