Critics Choice Awards 2025: The Touching Reason Kathy Bates Is Giving Her Trophy to Eric Christian Olsen

Kathy Bates is paying it forward.

As the actress accepted the award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Matlock at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., she shared that Eric Christian Olsen—who is an executive producer on the series—was among those directly affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.

“[He] had a house in the [Pacific] Palisades,” she said during her speech Feb. 7, “and it burned down.”

As such, Kathy, 76, told the crowd that while the NCIS: Los Angeles star “hasn’t quite found a home yet,” she would be giving him her trophy as a gift, telling the actor, “this is coming to you first thing for décor.”

During her speech, the Two and a Half Men alum—who was nominated against Caitriona Balfe, Shanola Hampton, Keira Knightley, Keri Russell and Anna Sawai—also commended the first responders in attendance for their bravery in the face of the natural disaster.