Carrie Preston doesn’t miss an opportunity to offer actors possible guest spots on her hit CBS series, Elsbeth.
During the 2025 Tony Awards red carpet event in New York City, 57-year-old Preston mentioned to Us Weekly that she encountered many familiar faces that evening. She shared her habit of inviting people she knows to appear on her show, offering to make the connection for them.
She excitedly mentioned some of the individuals she approached at the Tony Awards, including Brooke Shields, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Cole Escola. Preston expressed her desire to have a wide representation of Broadway performers on her show.
Originally known for her roles in The Good Wife and The Good Fight, Preston later returned as Elsbeth Tascioni. In this role, she portrayed a character who, despite not being a detective, had a knack for assisting the NYPD with their investigations. Her unconventional approach and keen observations often proved crucial in solving crimes.
Elsbeth, which premiered in 2024, also stars Wendell Pierce and Carra Patterson. The procedural nature of the show brings new characters to each episode, with viewers usually knowing who is to blame for a crime from the beginning. Familiar faces including Jane Krakowski, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Blair Underwood, Keegan-Michael Key, Laura Benanti and Vanessa Williams.
The season 2 finale, which aired in May, featured a star-studded performance to “Cell Block Tango” from Broadway’s Chicago. Preston didn’t rule out a return to theater after putting on a performance for CBS’ Elsbeth.
“I would totally be open to going and doing theater again. I haven’t done it in so long,” she told Us. “I kind of feel like I do on this show because it’s almost like doing a play each week. I have these scenes that last five or more pages that feel like a monologue. Watching all these shows this season on Broadway, especially, has made me feel like I’d like to do something, maybe a new play.”
Preston continued: “It would be fun to do something new. I’ve done a lot of classical plays in my past. So to do something new would be really fun.”
For now, Preston is focused on the third season of Elsbeth. The next installment of episodes comes after Patterson confirmed her exit as Kaya. Despite Patterson, 41, no longer being a main cast member, Kaya is still expected to make guest appearances.
“She’s not leaving. She’s still with us — she just won’t be with us every episode,” Preston explained to Us. “But yes, Elsbeth is definitely gonna feel the loss of that. But she wants her friend to reinvent herself and fly the way that Elsbeth has been.”
Elsbeth is streaming on Paramount+.
