As the protagonist of the series, it would make sense for Alicia Florrick to be the most skilled lawyer of them all. But that's what's unique about The Good Wife: it's not a legal drama that's all about the courtroom.
The Good Wife(2009–2016) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Series Directed by Rosemary Rodriguez (18 episodes, 2010-2016) Michael Zinberg (15 episodes, 2010-2016) Brooke Kennedy (15 episodes, 2011-2015) James Whitmore Jr. (12 episodes, 2009-2016)
Most recently seen in Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and on “Homeland,” F. Murray Abraham plays Burl Preston on “The Good Wife,” a big shot lawyer from Los Angeles. The “House” actor appears in three episodes of “The Good Wife” including “Get a Room,” “Feed the Rat,” and “Marthas and Caitlins.”
In 2009, Margulies began starring in the CBS legal drama The Good Wife. She played Alicia Florrick, an attorney returning to legal practice after her husband Peter Florrick (played by Chris Noth) resigned as Illinois State's Attorney amid a sex and corruption scandal. She won two Primetime Emmy Awards for the series.
Actor: Laura Benati. First episode: “Tying the Knot” Season 5, Episode 19. Number of episodes: 2. Colin Sweeney’s wife (and later, ex-wife) was just as crazy and evil as he was. It was always a special treat to watch both of them creepily vibe off each other. 31.
No I’m not crying. It’s just the pepper spray. 41. Daniel Golden. Actor: Joe Morton. First episode: “Fixed” Season 1, Episode 4. Number of episodes: 11. Long before he became Papa Pope on Scandal, Morton’s Daniel Golden helped get Peter Florrick out of jail. 40.
Actor: Carrie Preston. First episode: “Mock” Season 1, Episode 20. Number of episodes: 14. With her quirks and stream of consciousness lawyering, Elsbeth was, arguably, the most brilliant lawyers on the show, and Preston’s portrayal of her was equally brilliant.
Amy Amatangelo, the TV Gal ®, is a Boston-based freelance writer, a member of the Television Critics Association and a regular contributor to Paste.
Actor: Dreama Walker. First episode: “Threesome” Season 1, Episode 9. Number of episodes: 8. Zach’s high school (sort of) girlfriend was a horror show—sickly sweet to adults, obsessed with the underbelly of Florrick’s life and not afraid to take on anyone—even Eli.
Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold. The reason Sarah Steele and her character Marissa Gold are up so high on our list is because Steele’s Marissa totally snuck up on us with the lasting emotional impact the character had on not one, but two of The Good Wife ‘s major players: Alicia and Eli Gold, Marissa’s dear old dad.
We will miss you two tremendously. The Good Wife finale airs Sunday, May 8 (9 p.m. ET) on CBS.
Nathan Lane as Clarke Hayden. Of all the supporting player character evolutions on the show, and there are so many great ones, Nathan Lane ’s performance as Clarke Hayden stands out for tugging at our heartstrings.
Martha Plimpton’s Patty Nyholm was always a great challenger for Alicia, Diane, Will, etc. And even though she frequently used her pregnancy and later her baby to manipulate and garner sympathy for her side of an argument, she made for great TV – not to mention the fact that Plimpton won an Emmy for the role. 3.
Cuesta was the very first judge we ever met, way back in The Good Wife 's pilot episode; he would go on to appear seven more times over the next seven years. He may not have had any of the quirks or gimmicks of some of his fellow guest stars — but his professional demeanor and stolid dependability is what made him stand out from the pack.
When The Good Wife is over, will you miss hearing about Louis Canning's tardive dyskinesia? Probably not. But you probably will miss Michael J. Fox's devious character, a refreshing take on a person with an illness who's not afraid to use that illness to get exactly what he wants — which, usually, is defeating Alicia.
Well, duh. Did you honestly think anyone else would end up at number one on this list? Preston won an Emmy for playing Elsbeth Tascioni, and for good reason: within The Good Wife 's impressively large recurring cast, Elsbeth is easily the most original, hilarious, smartest, eccentric, and memorable character of them all. The impending finale is sad for a lot of reasons… but one of the biggest is that it means we'll never get to see Elsbeth and her uniquely odd brain win another impossible case.
Eli Gold collects enemies like Professor Slughorn collects students. As a fledgling political consultant, this Grey's Anatomy alum never stood a chance against him; but it was his egregious use of Alicia's children for political purposes that really doomed him.
When your protagonist is running for office, how do you not make the ensuing conflict incredibly one-sided for your audience? By having her opponent be played by David Hyde Pierce, of course. We didn't want to see either of them lose the race for States Attorney!
Unlikable, unapologetic, and unafraid to make enemies in her climb to the top, Wendy Scott-Car was one of the show's most surprisingly insidious villains, first as Peter's political rival, and then as the lawyer prosecuting Will for bribery.
No matter what Nancy Crozier says or what airs she puts on, she is most definitely not "just a Michigan girl." Although she pretends to be naïve and blundering on the outside, she's really one of the most ruthless lawyers The Good Wife has ever introduced. It's a delicious juxtaposition.
The regular cast, including Matt Czuchry as Cary Agos, Zach Grenier as David Lee, and Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart, was consistently good, but the stream of guest appearances helped the show stay fresh. Here are 10 of the best. Warning: I have not included Carrie Preston’s thoroughly scattered but brilliant Elsbeth Tascioni, a role for which she won a best guest Emmy. I know she has been the recurring favorite for many “Good Wife” fans, but I cringe when I see her and her neuroses coming. To me, she belongs on a broader series, something more like “Ally McBeal.” Sorry in advance, Elsbeth heads. Matthew Gilbert
He was an extraordinary addition to the show, delivering his best work in years. Watching him act against Julianna Margulies, with his constant body movements and shifting agendas and her almost preternatural stillness, was always a treat.
As the calculating lawyer who pretended to be innocent and harmless before she pounced and destroyed, Gummer was unforgettable. Each of the many times the perky Nancy faced off against Alicia, Gummer — who is Meryl Streep’s daughter — made her oh-so-wholesome shtick wonderfully entertaining.
In 2009, Margulies began starring in the CBS legal drama The Good Wife. She played Alicia Florrick, an attorney returning to legal practice after her husband Peter Florrick (played by Chris Noth) resigned as Illinois State's Attorney amid a sex and corruption scandal. She won two Primetime Emmy Awards for the series.
In 2008, Margulies starred in the legal series Canterbury's Law, a Fox mid-season replacement show. She played the title character, Elizabeth Canterbury, a lawyer described as a "tough-minded defense attorney who isn't afraid to push boundaries in order to protect innocent clients".
Margulies chose ER and remained on the show for six seasons until 2000.
Those are the things I wanted to do.". After leaving the series, Margulies worked on stage and screen. On stage, she appeared in a MCC Theater production of Kate Robin 's Intrigue With Faye, a Lincoln Center production of Jon Robin Baitz's Ten Unknowns, and The Vagina Monologues.
Margulies has won eight Screen Actor Guild Awards, making her the second most awarded woman ever within SAG after Julia Louis-Dreyfus, one Golden Globe Award, and three Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2015, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Margulies made her feature film debut in Steven Seagal 's action film Out for Justice (1991), playing a prostitute. In 1994, Margulies was cast in the pilot episode of the NBC medical drama ER as Carol Hathaway, an emergency care nurse who attempted suicide.
In November 2019, it was announced that Margulies will guest star in Billions. Margulies will play Catherine Brant in the Showtime drama, who is described as an Ivy League sociology professor and bestselling author.
Diane is the heavy hitter that other lawyers call when they're in trouble, even her co-founder and other name partner Will Gardner. She's also one of the most dynamic characters on the show. Her romance with Kurt McVeigh, a conservative Republican, gives The Good Wife room to explore the clash of political views and the nuance of trying to reach understandings between polar viewpoints.
Peter Florrick, portrayed by Chris North ( Law & Order, Sex and the City ), begins the series as Cook County State's Attorney. He resigns in disgrace, gets re-elected, rides the wave of public opinion all the way to the Illinois Governor's mansion, and then ends the series the same way he started by resigning in disgrace all over again. Not surprising from a man who can't keep it in his pants.
Star of The Resident, Matt Czuchry, started his career in season one as a first-year associate alongside Alicia Florrick. Throughout the series, he is sometimes friend and sometimes foe, but what never changes is the fact that he's a formidable opponent in the office and in the courtroom. At the end of season one, he defects to the State's Attorney's office, and, from there, he takes a meandering path to success.
But that's what's unique about The Good Wife: it's not a legal drama that's all about the courtroom. Alicia excels outside the courtroom—in depositions and settlements and closed-door meetings—where her ability to empathize with people can really shine.