Emmy Winning Star of Elsbeth Carrie Preston returns to Behind the Awards to chat about Season 3 of the Award Nominated series. Carrie gives us the secret behind Elsbeth’s many bags and Easter Eggs to look out for. She also tells us about this seasons guest stars including, Lindsey Mendez and Laura Benanti. Also hear about her gender bending performance opposite Vanessa Redgrave 20 years ago at The Public.
Also in this episode - Eila & Bruce’s Favorite Performances of 2025; Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue, The Cast of Broadway’s Liberation, Jasmine Amy Rogers in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Welcome to Derry, Jonathan Groff, and Carrie Preston in Elsbeth.
Carrie Preston continues to reprise her Emmy Award-winning role as the astute but unconventional attorney ‘Elsbeth Tascioni’ in the hit CBS series, ELSBETH. The beloved character was first introduced in the acclaimed series THE GOOD WIFE on the network and appeared in THE GOOD FIGHT on Paramount+. ELSBETH premiered to rave reviews with New York Times stating Carrie"reigns as the queen of quirk.”
Preston spent four seasons starring as Polly in the TNT series, CLAWS. Prior to that, she played Arlene Fowler for seven seasons on HBO’s TRUE BLOOD, while also recurring for five seasons on the Network’s PERSON OF INTEREST, playing the love interest to her real-life husband, Michael Emerson. Other major TV series include the co-leading role in the NBC sitcom CROWDED, ABC’s LGBTQ rights-driven miniseries WHEN WE RISE, and arcs opposite Hank Azaria in BROCKMIRE and Joshua Jackson in DR. DEATH. Her extensive list of guest star appearances includes ABC’s LOST and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.
Carrie made her feature film debut in Julia Robert’s blockbuster “My Best Friends’ Wedding” and other notable film roles include scene-stealing roles in “Duplicity,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” the Oscar-nominated “Transamerica” (as Felicity Huffman’s sister), “That Evening Sun” with Hal Holbrook, with Joe Cole in “One of These Days" and “To The Bone” with Keanu Reeves and Lily Collins. She played Kevin Bacon’s wife in two films: the Kyra Sedgwick-helmed “Space Oddity” and “THEY/THEM.” She received praise for her role opposite Paul Giamatti in Alexander Payne’s Oscar-winning film, “The Holdovers”.
Trained at Juilliard, Carrie made her Broadway debut playing Miranda to Patrick Stewart’s Prospero in "The Tempest" and later played Honey with Stewart and Mercedes Ruehl in “Who’s Afraid of Virgnia Woolf?” at The Guthrie Theater. Other stage work includes “Festen” with Jeremy Sisto and Julianna Margulies, “The Rivals,” “Antony and Cleopatra” with Vanessa Redgrave, and playing Mia Farrow’s daughter in James Lapine’s “Fran’s Bed.”
Carrie is also a sought-after director. Television credits include two episodes of THE GOOD FIGHT, two episodes of Showtime’s YOUR HONOR, and two episodes of CLAWS, in which she also starred. She also directed the Sundance Film Festival feature “That’s What She Said” starring the late Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis, and Alia Shawkat.
Carrie lives in New York City with her husband Michael and their adopted dog, Chumley. In her free time, Carrie supports LGBTQIA+ rights and GLAAD, is an honorary board member for the new play development organization, The New Harmony Project, and is a supporter of Parkinson's Research while also working with the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
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