Exclusive Interview: Carrie Preston Talks The Good Wife | Shockya.com

Read Shockya.com's exclusive interview with actress Carrie Preston, who will be reprising her role of Elsbeth Tascioni on the upcoming episode of ‘The Good Wife,’ titled ‘Executive Order 13224.’ The show, which is set to air at 9 pm on November 6, 2011 on CBS, follows Elsbeth as she works for the legal team of litigator Alicia Florrick, played by Julianna Margulies. Alicia grows concerned that she’ll break confidentiality when the Treasury Department wants her to report on her latest client. Preston discusses with us, among other things, what convinced her to play Elsbeth once again, and how she transitioned into her mindset after playing waitress Arlene Fowler on all four seasons of ‘True Blood.’

Written by: Karen Benardello


ShockYa (SY): You’ll be reprising your role of Elsbeth Tascioni on the upcoming episode of ;The Good Wife.’ What is it about the character that you find appealing, and convinced you to play her once again?

Carrie Preston (CP): Well, she’s so fascinating, and it’s exciting to play such a scatterbrained genius. Usually when you get cast as a lawyer, it’s usually a pretty cut-and-dry role. But on ‘The Good Wife,’ they’re notorious for taking roles like that and providing them with character traits, and giving them a real sense of humanity and authenticity. So that’s what drew me to it. Also, just to be part of such a great show is always appealing.

SY: In ‘Executive Order 13224,’ Alicia worries that she will break confidentiality when the Treasury Department forces her to report on her latest client. How does Elsbeth, a member of the legal team, fit into the story line?

CP: Well, Alicia has found herself in a Catch-22 situation, where she’s defending a suspected terrorist. If she reveals what she knows about the terrorist, what he has said, then the terrorist will go to prison. If she doesn’t reveal what she knows to the State Department, then she’ll go to jail. So she’s in a Catch-22 situation, which is why she brings me in.

SY: Elsbeth is viewed by other members of the legal team as not being the smartest person on staff. How do you prepare to play such a scatterbrained character?

CP: Actually, my character is smarter than everyone else in the room. She’s just the most eccentric person in the room, too. So I started to think of her as someone whose brain is doing one thing, and her hands are doing something else. Her body is moving somewhere else. Somehow, it all ends up integrating into one thing. It’s fun to think of her as someone who’s a thousand times faster than anyone else in the room, intellectually.

SY: How did you transition into Elsbeth’s mindset again, after playing Arlene Fowler on 50 episodes of ‘True Blood?’ What is the process like differentiating the two characters in your mind?

CP: That’s never a problem for me. I’m someone who’s known for her versatility. I really enjoy taking on different types of characters, and trying to provide them with as much serenity as I can, and truthfulness. So it wasn’t a problem to switch. There wasn’t a method to that. I definitely trust the writers, and I start with what they’ve given me, and build it from there.

SY: Since this is only your third episode of ‘The Good Wife,’ and you’ve appeared in all of the episodes of ‘True Blood,’ do you find it harder to play one character over the other?

CP: No, no. No, each character presents its own challenges, but those are always exciting. That’s why I love acting.



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