Married actors Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson have happily guested on each other’s TV shows over the years (Claws, Lost). This time it’s Emerson showing up on Elsbeth as Judge Milton Crawford, “a haughty and ambitious Ivy League blue blood,” says Emerson, “who thinks [he’s] smarter than everyone else.” That is until he meets Elsbeth Tascioni, the quirky and deceptively brilliant former Chicago lawyer turned NYPD consultant.
Below, the Emmy-winning couple talk about Emerson’s arc beginning with the December 12 episode and the joy of working together.
Michael, you haven’t worked with Carrie since her last appearance on your series Person of Interest in 2016. She told me that she’d love to have you appear on Elsbeth. Did it take a lot of convincing? How did this perfect Michael Emerson role come about?
Michael Emerson: No convincing was required! It happened fairly easily since we are both members of the “Robert and Michelle King Repertory Players.” She’d been saying for weeks that I was “going to get a call” and should “brace myself,” so it wasn’t a case of “if” but more “when.” I thought they would probably give me something that was both fun and challenging. When the script came, I was not disappointed. The idea of a head-to-head collision between two such distinct character types appealed to everyone, especially since the players in question are also a married couple.
Carrie Preston: I was not the only one who wanted Michael on Elsbeth, and because he was so familiar with working on a King Sized Production [Evil], he had many friends on our set.
Michael Parmelee / CBS
The why- and how-dunnit always begins with a killing that viewers see and it’s up to the title character to solve the crime. So we watch Michael as the judgy judge commit a brutal murder early on.
Emerson: My first scene was the murder, and it was a bit like being shot out of a cannon—executing a scene of frightful violence as a character you have only just begun to digest You focus on keeping things SAFE.
Preston: The writers gave him a great arc, and you’re going to love what he’s done with it, of course!
Unfortunately for Judge Crawford, Elsbeth Tascioni winds up being a juror in his courtroom, where she believes the defendant—who’s accused of killing her husband with a baseball bat—is innocent and she’s quickly suspicious of the judge!
Emerson: Like everyone, he underestimates Elsbeth. Thinking her a manipulatable female, he will be dismayed to find her a legal prodigy who is not awed by authority figures.
Preston: Elsbeth is hyper-attuned to something being off about Judge Crawford. Her genius is making connections between behavior and circumstance. She’s also a great lawyer, and even while he is using the law to his advantage, his reasons smell funny to her.
Both characters are brainy. What is Elsbeth’s advantage in this duel?
Preston: Judge Crawford definitely has Elsbeth flustered—but she has him flustered. He’s coming from a place of privilege, and she’s always made her own way. She also understands that the judge may get away with more than a regular person due to his place in society.
Does Crawford pose a threat to Elsbeth at some point?
Emerson: Elsbeth will both embarrass and endanger the judge. His ego will need revenge.
Preston: There’s a classic courthouse steps moment after the wrong person is convicted. She’s unprotected and caught unaware but in that moment, she figures out what could turn the case on its head. She’s going to need all the help she can get to nab the guy, but her colleagues Captain Wagner (the great Wendell Pierce) and Officer Black (the wonderful Carra Patterson) are going to help her! And of course, she’s befriended a motley crew from the jury. She’s building a good team.
Michael Parmelee / CBS
Can we expect any physical scenes between the two opponents?
Emerson: You mean like some Judo moves? Carrie might enjoy that!
What’s the most fun about playing opposite each other? Is there a favorite scene with the two of you in your time on the show?
Emerson: I’d say the best scenes are the same ones no matter who you are playing against—the quiet conversation that is fraught with dangerous subtext—and we had a couple of doozies in the episodes.
Preston: Michael and I enjoyed our time together, and I’m so proud that he had such a good experience. He agrees with me that we have the best cast and crew working! The writers gave him a great arc, and you’re going to love what he’s done with it, of course.
Michael, you’re great at playing smart, warped, scary characters—for instance, your highly entertaining devilish role on Evil. Is that your favorite kind of character to portray? Or are you really a comedy actor at heart?
Emerson: I often play a character with a sinister edge—I like mystery and gamesmanship—but I’m always looking for what is funny too.
Does Michael scare you on screen, Carrie?
Preston: Oh, he’s absolutely awful in Evil, isn’t he? A favorite family pastime was watching Evil with Michael and listen to him chuckle at the bad stuff he does. I’m just satisfied that at home, he’s a warm, sweet, funny guy!
Emerson: People on the street are fond of telling me that I have unnerved them. I usually respond, “But it was fun, right?!”
Is there a dream project—film, TV, or stage—that you have discussed doing?
Emerson: We don’t really think about “dream projects.” We do talk about dream actors, dream directors, dream writers.
Preston: Well, we’ve done all three together and have such a rich history of working together. I don’t want to not be grateful for that. It feels like the fans wanted him on Elsbeth as much as I did, and it’s gratifying to see that happen. I’m a big fan of audiobooks, so maybe we need to do one of those together next!
Elsbeth, Thursdays, 10/9c, CBS