Actress Kathy Bates Undergoes Double Mastectomy

Actress Kathy Bates underwent a double mastectomy Wednesday after being diagnosed with breast cancer, Reuters reports. The 64-year-old told People magazine:

“After much consideration, I underwent a double mastectomy. Luckily, I don’t have to undergo radiation or chemo. My family call me Kat because I always land on my feet and thankfully this is no exception.”

Bates said the doctors gave her a good prognosis, saying she would “be around for a long time.” The actress said she is looking forward to getting back to work doing what she loves.

This is the Oscar-winner’s second bout with cancer. In 2009, she revealed that she had battled ovarian cancer in 2003. She said she preferred to keep it quiet for personal reasons, but that she admired other celebrities who spoke out openly about cancer and kept up public appearances. In a video for the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, Bates said she was focused on her own survival.

“The whole experience was the best thing that ever happened to me because it focused me on what was important to me, and I wanted to live, and I wanted to enjoy what life was left to me,” Bates said. She urged women to “pay attention to what’s going on in their body” and go to the doctor if something was bothering them.

The actress is probably most famous for the 1990 film Misery. She played Annie Wilkes, a nurse who is obsessed with novelist Paul Sheldon, played by James Caan. The role earned her an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Kathy Bates will be attending the 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 23. She is nominated for outstanding actress in a drama for Harry’s Law, and outstanding guest actress in a comedy for Two and a Half Men.