Elsbeth‘s casting director stays busy with a continuing rotation of visitor stars to play killers of the week on the Columbo-inspired CBS procedural. The sequence has collected a star-studded visitor listing throughout two seasons that features Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick (and his son!), Laurie Metcalf, Alyssa Milano, Mary-Louise Parker, David Alan Grier, Vanessa Williams, and extra. And naturally, Season 2 had a noteworthy recurring visitor star in Michael Emerson, Carrie Preston‘s husband who got here on as Elsbeth Tascioni’s arch nemesis. Casting director Findley Davidson already has her eye on her preferrred visitor star for Elsbeth Season 3.
Discussing the visitor star casting course of, Davidson stated it was more durable to get expertise booked in Season 1 when the present was nonetheless a relative unknown. Whereas Preston’s character is a fan-favorite from The Good Spouse and The Good Struggle, the Elsbeth title didn’t instantly click on for brokers. “I’d name up someplace like CAA, they usually’d say, ‘How do you say it? Elizabeth? What’s the title of the present?’” Davidson advised Selection. “That was actually arduous to start with.”
Now, Elsbeth is a sought-after gig. The quick time dedication, an opportunity to play a villain, and the prospect of appearing with Preston are the primary attracts for incoming stars, Davidson revealed. She’s hoping that one TV star who hasn’t appeared on the small display screen shortly will probably be fascinated with becoming a member of the fold in Elsbeth Season 3, set to premiere this fall.
“Phoebe Waller-Bridge is somebody who I believe can be attention-grabbing and just a little little bit of a departure from what we’ve seen,” Davidson stated. That will surely be true. Most of the Elsbeth visitor stars play characters who’re rich People, because the sequence likes to tug present the darkish underbelly of Manhattan’s elite society. If Preston already has a relationship with Waller-Bridge, she could possibly get the Fleabag star on the present.
“Carrie simply units the tone so superbly on set,” Davidson shared. “She’s been doing this for a very long time; she’s pals with many of those actors. She’s only a large, large draw as a result of folks love working with Carrie.”
The largest battle even with the present’s reputation is the schedule. The actors don’t should decide to many days on set (Davidson stated that her pitch, more often than not, is a quite simple, “Do they need to come play with us for 10 days?”), however the nature of broadcast TV procedurals is to nonetheless be engaged on scripts for upcoming episodes whereas others are filming. This forces Davidson to work in a good turnaround fairly usually.
“It’s just a little anxious, if I’m being trustworthy, as a result of the cadence is quick,” she defined. “The deadlines preserve coming. There’s no reprieve while you’re working in episodic tv. There’s a fantastically gifted writers’ room and 20 episodes, however they don’t know the place the complete season goes. So for some episodes, I’m fortunate if I get the script delivered three weeks earlier than filming. Different instances it may be nearer to 2, which is after I begin to sweat just a little bit.”
Elsbeth snagged its first Good Spouse alum as a visitor star in Season 2 when Christian Borle reprised his function as Chicago lawyer Carter Schmidt. Who else would you wish to see seem in Elsbeth Season 3? Tell us within the feedback beneath.
Elsbeth, Season 3 Premiere, Fall 2025, CBS