Matlock (1986-1995) featured the late great Andy Griffith as attorney Ben Matlock, who solved cases and caught perpetrators in a charming, unassuming, and disarming way.
It was one of the most popular shows of the period and is still enjoyed by many in reruns and on streaming apps today, which is why the Matlock reboot has been much anticipated.
This new CBS crime drama based on it features the following season 1 cast members and characters.
Madeline “Matty” Matlock (Kathy Bates)
Attorney Matty Matlock seemingly shares only a profession and a last name with Griffith’s Ben Matlock character.
A trailer released by CBS shows Matty talking about the first Matlock series and referring to it as an old TV show, indicating that the original is a fictional show in this new Matlock series’ universe.
Related: Matlock Season 1: Everything We Know So Far
Even so, Matty shares certain other traits with Ben, including age, intelligence, and the ability to disarm.
When she decides to return to the workforce, she uses her skills to win cases while working for a prestigious law firm.
Despite, or perhaps because of, being a septuagenarian, she always gets results, often relying on people’s tendency to underestimate older women.
Playing an attorney is nothing new for Kathy Bates, who played patent lawyer turned criminal defense attorney Harriet Korn on the short-lived series Harry’s Law (2011-2012).
Bates is also famous for portraying such diverse characters as Annie Wilkes in the film Misery (1990), Molly Brown in Titanic (1997), and Mrs. Fowler on The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019). Her three appearances as Mrs. Fowler all occurred in 2018.
The Oscar and Emmy winner’s love of acting started when she appeared in plays at her high school.
Eventually, her love of theater led her to New York to appear in theater productions and later opened doors for her to transition to films and television.
The versatile actress, who also appeared on 58 episodes of American Horror Story, also serves as an executive producer on the series.
Olympia (Skye P. Marshall)
Olympia is “a formidable attorney with a thirst for justice,” according to Deadline.
As a critical player and senior attorney at the law firm, Olympia must balance juggling and maintaining control at all times.
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The difficult-to-impress lawyer already has a lot on her plate and struggles to balance work and home life.
That’s why she isn’t thrilled to take a third junior lawyer under her wing, especially since that junior is a senior citizen who hasn’t practiced law for years.
Based on descriptions, Olympia and Matty will likely clash quite a bit, particularly during the first season.
Skye P. Marshall herself is relatively similar to Olympia in terms of work ethic and ambition.
The United States Air Force Veteran finished her service before graduating from Northeastern Illinois University.
Then, she moved to New York and studied acting and dancing while working full-time as a marketing specialist for a pharmaceutical company.
Her dedication paid off when she began appearing on screen in 2010 with roles in the movies Reservation and Kill Katie Malone.
She has since made notable appearances on such TV series as Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-2020), 9-1-1 (2018-Present), and Good Sam (2022).
Marshall, who also starred in the Hallmark movie To Her, With Love in 2022, brings all of that focus, intensity, and experience to the role of Olympia.
Julian (Jason Ritter)
Olympia’s home life includes dealing with a complication regarding her divorce.
The complication is that her ex, Julian, is the son of the firm’s head.
Related: 20 Friendliest Exes on TV
Julian is a man with a lot to prove who doesn’t want to accept the free ride he could have as the son of the boss.
Instead, he is a hard worker who always puts the firm first, sometimes at the expense of his family.
He is intrigued by Matty’s clever approach to each case.
As the son of comic legend John Ritter and grandson of the late singer Tex Ritter, Jason Ritter is no stranger to the stage and screen.
His first appearance on TV was at the ripe old age of one when he was shown in the opening credits of his father’s series, Three’s Company, beginning during season six.
That was confirmed by John’s costar Joyce DeWitt’s commentary on the DVD set for the show.
Jason’s first significant credited role was in The Dreamer of Oz (1990).
Since then, he has amassed over 120 on-screen credits and repeatedly proved he inherited his father’s talent for acting.
Like many actors who have lent their voices to famous cartoons of the past, Jason has also used his talents to voice Dark Spyro on the series Skylanders Academy (2016-2018) and Ryder in the movie Frozen II (2019), among other cartoon characters.
Billy (David Del Rio)
Although an old hat for law, Matty is forced to establish herself again at the firm by starting as a junior.
She must work closely with two other young associates on the team to prove herself.
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One of them is a young go-getter named Billy.
Although not much is known about Billy, he is described as a charismatic young man who finished law school only a few years ago.
Despite only being with the firm briefly, Billy seems to know the ropes well and helps Matty find her footing.
One of David Del Rio’s earliest roles was playing Felix Garcia on the Nickelodeon series The Troop (2009-2013).
The Latinx actor has made guest appearances on several TV series and acted in films like Pitch Perfect (2012) and A California Christmas: City Lights (2021).
Not satisfied with acting alone, he has several directing, producing, and writing credits.
Among his most recent roles was a stint as co-lead on the short-lived Hulu show Maggie.
If asked to identify the Brat Pack, David might be able to do so quickly because he uses his entertainment trivia knowledge to participate in the YouTube Movie Trivia Schmoedown competition in his spare time.
When not busy with those endeavors, he and his wife, Katherine, enjoy traveling and often help young people in need.
Sarah (Leah Lewis)
The other young law associate with whom Matty Matlock must work closely is named Sarah.
Beyond that, not much is known about the character or whether she is a friend or foe to Matty.
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She is described simply as “uber-ambitious.”
In the trailer for the new series, she initially expresses her distaste for being trained by a senior citizen.
However, she shows awe and disbelief when she watches Matty trick an inmate by pretending to be his mother’s friend, implying she may be impressed by Matty’s cunning ways.
Leah Lewis is no stranger to solving mysteries because she did so as George Fan on 62 episodes of the successful CW series Nancy Drew (2019-2023).
An American family adopted the Chinese-born American actress when she was a baby.
She began acting on screen in 2005, eventually having single-episode or short-arc guest roles on popular TV series, such as The Good Doctor and Station 19.
The Netflix movie The Half of It (2020) was the film that drastically boosted her career.
That role eventually led to other opportunities, such as working on Nancy Drew and voicing Ember in Disney Pixar’s Elemental (2023).
When she isn’t working, she enjoys participating in multiple physical activities in her spare time, including yoga.
Senior (Beau Bridges)
Senior is one tough cookie. He commands attention as the venerable head of a prominent New York law firm.
His personality dominates any room he enters, and the ripple effects of his moods are felt firm-wide.
Related: 31 of the Finest Gentlemen on Television
One thing made clear from the beginning is that Senior loves his son, Julian, with all his heart.
However, his character is described as possibly having more respect for his daughter-in-law, Olympia.
Given that description, it’s likely that the dynamics between the three may cause some conflicts as the series progresses.
The core cast listed above was locked in quite a while ago because the series was initially set to premiere in 2023 before getting pushed to the fall of 2024.
New changes to the roster in 2024 have been made, including a new Senior, Beau Bridges.
Beau is, of course, an accomplished actor with more than 220 on-screen credits under his belt.
After so many decades, he has amassed a large fan base, which will likely help the series gain traction.
His casting comes after Jamey Sheridan was released from the series, first reported in February 2024.
Shae Banfield (Yael Grobglas)
A second surprise came in April when a new character’s name was announced, Shae.
She even has a last name, Banfield, unlike the primarily single-moniker characters announced so far.
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Shae is described as a master of neurolinguistics, body language, and facial expressions, making her a human lie detector.
Her skills make her an excellent jury consultant.
She is also considered Olympia’s adversary, making her a possible threat to Matty.
The casting of Grobglas, who played Petra Solano and her twin sister, Anezka, on Jane the Virgin, reunites her with Jennie Snyder Urman.
Urman created that series and is an executive producer of Matlock.
The French-Israeli actor got her start on stage and screen in Israel before taking on American film and TV roles.
Her first significant role was on the Israeli science fiction show Ha’Yi (“The Island”)
Since taking on American roles, she has made her biggest splash on Jane the Virgin, receiving critical acclaim for her villainous portrayal of Petra.
Her other credits include appearances on Reign (2013-2017) and Supergirl (2015-2021) and playing Molly in the Hallmark movie Hanukkah on Rye (2022).
What do you think about Matlock’s casting choices?
Also, can Kathy Bates pull the role off with the same charm Andy Griffith brought to the original series?
Should she and the show’s writers even try to fill his shoes, or are they better off making Matty entirely new and unique?
We’d love to hear your thoughts about the new Matlock series.
Please share them with us in the comments section below.
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Jessica Kosinski is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow her on X.
