Cheyenne Jackson says Kathy Bates helped him land tiny TV role to keep health insurance last year
The actor was just thousands of dollars short of qualifying before the Matlock star stepped in
By Callum Wells
Cheyenne Jackson has credited Kathy Bates with helping him keep his health insurance after she found him a small role on Matlock.
The actor was around $6,000 (£4,500) short of qualifying for coverage through the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan in 2025. The amount for 2025 was $27,540 (£20,600).
With his husband, Jason Landau, and their two children also relying on his insurance, he reached out to Bates to ask if she could help him land a part on Matlock, the CBS legal drama in which she stars.
How did Kathy Bates help Cheyenne Jackson keep his health insurance?
Bates came back with an offer. The role was small, with just five lines, and his character didn’t even have a name.
“She’s like, ‘I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is, I got you a role on Matlock. The bad news is, you have five lines, and you don’t have a name,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I was like, ‘Sign me up! No ego amigo here,’” he recalled. “I played no-name detective. I searched a crime scene, and I said, ‘Hey, Sergeant, we got some blood over here.’”
Jackson and Bates had starred together in American Horror Story: Hotel in 2015, where Jackson played fashion designer Will Drake and Bates portrayed hotel manager Iris.
He has since used the experience to launch One Job Away, an Instagram campaign designed to help other actors in a similar position.
“I know what it feels like to be one job away… and what it means when someone actually comes through” – Jackson on Instagram
“Last year, Kathy Bates helped me qualify for my SAG-AFTRA health insurance by helping me get 5 lines on an episode of [Matlock],” Jackson wrote. “I know what it feels like to be one job away… and what it means when someone actually comes through.”
The campaign shares actors’ headshots, credits and contact details in the hope of connecting them with casting directors and producers who can offer paid work.
By 27 October, Jackson had featured 22 performers, including Trace Lysette, Daniel Franzese and Jai Rodriguez. According to Variety, the initiative also received hundreds of submissions within its first 24 hours.
Jackson explained to the publication: “An actor can make $500,000 one year, but when they don’t make much the next year, the $500,000 doesn’t help with the following year’s health insurance minimum.”
He added that performers can end up “scrambling for one little guest spot to try to keep up with their insurance”.