Laurie Metcalf and Eric McCormack have been tapped as guest stars in Season 2 of CBS’ “Elsbeth,” the mystery spinoff of “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” starring Carrie Preston as the de facto detective Elsbeth Tascioni.
Metcalf will appear in the eighth episode of the season as Regina Coburn, “the star of a police procedural who yearns for artistic fulfillment after playing a no-nonsense, hardened detective for two decades,” per CBS.
After the showrunner of Regina’s long-running series is “brutally murdered in his office in what appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan,” Regina goes toe-to-toe with Elsbeth as she becomes a prime suspect.
In the ninth episode of Season 2, McCormack will play Tom Murphy, “the charismatic and charming founder of Heiwa Zen Center, an upscale holistic wellness retreat that caters to the one-percent.”
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Tom “takes matters into his own hands” after his wellness empire is threatened by a young man seeking revenge.
“Elsbeth” is a police procedural dramedy that typically functions as a “howcatchem” mystery show rather than a “whodunit,” meaning the audience usually knows who the murderer is at the beginning of the episode. The series premiered in February 2024 and kicked off its second season just months after the first season finished airing.
“We are incredibly lucky to continue our string of brilliant guest stars on ‘Elsbeth,’” said showrunner and executive producer Jon Tolins in a statement. “Everyone on the show works hard to make our set a welcoming place where great actors come to play. Apparently, word has gotten out and we couldn’t be happier.”
Metcalf is a four-time Emmy winner for her work on “Roseanne” and “Hacks,” and she currently stars on ABC’s “The Connors” alongside John Goodman. She recently joined the third season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series “Monster,” in which she will star opposite Charlie Hunnam in the role of Ed Gein’s mother Augusta.
Metcalf earned an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird,” and her film credits also include the “Toy Story” movies, “Somewhere in Queens,” “Scream 2,” “JFK” and “Uncle Bucks.” She is also a two-time Tony winner and a founding member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre.
Best known as Will Truman from NBC’s “Will & Grace,” Emmy winner McCormack is also a stage actor who recently wrapped on Broadway’s “The Cottage.” He made his Broadway debut in the 2001 production of “The Music Man” and starred in the Tony-nominated production of Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man.”
On the television side, McCormack will next star in the MGM+ limited series “Nine Dead Bodies in a Mexican Morgue.” His credits also include “The Other Black Girl,” “Travelers,” “Trust Me” and “Perception.”