Carrie Preston

 ( 1967 Births ) 

She attended the College of Charleston where she appeared in a production of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Evansville (1990), followed by an acting diploma from the Juilliard School's Drama Division (Group 23: 1990–1994).

Preston is co-owner of the production company Daisy 3 Pictures with James Vasquez and Mark Holmes. For seven seasons she played Arlene Fowler on True Blood.Eramo, Steven. Actress Goes Through Transformation on "True Blood", Newsarama.com, November 7, 2008; retrieved June 25, 2011. On July 31, 2010, Preston and Emerson read A. R. Gurney's play Love Letters at the Charleston Stage; they performed it as a fundraiser for the venue.

Preston had a recurring role playing Elsbeth Tascioni, an eccentric but extremely effective trial lawyer on CBS's The Good Wife. First introduced in season one and recurring on seasons three through seven, the character was a fan favorite, and Preston won the 2013 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work on the show.

Preston later had a recurring character in the 2014 second season of the Kevin Bacon-led thriller, The Following. She portrayed Judy, a prostitute and ill-fated groupie of Joe Carroll. Preston has appeared in a number of films as a supporting character. Including several critically acclaimed films such as Doubt and Duplicity, where she starred alongside stars such as Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Clive Owen, and Julia Roberts.

In 2015, she landed a leading role on the short-lived NBC comedy series Crowded where she starred opposite Patrick Warburton. In the 2015 final season of The Good Wife, she earned her second Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series nomination. Preston was originally slated for a four-episode arc, but due to commitments on her new show, she was able to appear only in one episode.

Preston was then cast in the drama-comedy Claws playing Polly Marks (Polly-Pol), a mild-mannered preppy with an "ankle bracelet" who recently served time in prison for identity theft. The series was greenlit for a 10-episode first season.

In 2016, Preston reprised her role as Elsbeth Tascioni on The Good Wife spin-off The Good Fight.

In 2023, CBS announced a spin-off series, Elsbeth, in which Preston would reprise her role, though as the central character. It was ordered to series on May 9, 2023, and premiered on February 29, 2024. On April 18, 2024, CBS renewed the series for a second season.