‘The Good Wife’: Julianna Margulies Says Alicia On Tap For Nervous Breakdown; ‘Glee’ Star Matthew Morrison Set For Recurring Role
Tonight, fans of The Good Wife will see Alicia’s full reaction to Eli’s revelation that he deleted a voicemail message from Will many years ago. In the winter finale, Alicia seemed to react negatively to the information, and a preview clip of the new episode showed her taking things a step further, throwing plates at her husband’s former political adviser.
Good Wife star Julianna Margulies told AOL how her character is going to change throughout the second half of the season. For longtime viewers of the show, it should be dramatic—and the conversation with Eli is just the tipping point.
“They’re gearing towards Alicia kind of having a nervous breakdown. In order to do that, they had to get to that phone call that’s been haunting Eli all these years.
“For me this season has been the most challenging. She’s finding out about herself. The beauty that comes with age is this no-(expletive) meter. It’s much more fun to play someone who doesn’t care.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, show producers Robert and Michelle King revealed Eli’s indiscretion was always going to rear its ugly head. It was never forgotten, despite happening in the show’s early days and Will’s untimely death in the seasons since.
“Eli isn’t the only one who’s been carrying the burden of Will’s erased phone message. It’s been weighing on the writers for the last five years too. We’ve never forgotten it, and knew that such a malignant secret wouldn’t stay secret forever. It’s always been our hope to find just the right moment to play out that story.”
Eli’s conversation with Alicia was prompted by his own breakup with Vanessa Williams’ character, Courtney, and his role in putting distance between Peter’s wife and her law firm’s investigator, Jason. The Kings said Eli’s confession is not entirely in his own self-interest—it’s also motivated by affection for Alicia.
“He cares for Alicia now, and wants her to be happy. He confesses in order to relieve his guilt, but also to push Alicia to not give up her chance at happiness.”
Fans of Jason Crouse need not worry—the Kings revealed that Jeffrey Dean Morgan appears in every episode for the rest of this Good Wife season, except for one. Morgan’s future with the show had seemed in doubt because of his upcoming role on The Walking Dead, but the actor has expressed a desire to continue with the legal drama. The Good Wife‘s own future has been in doubt, as a new season has not yet been ordered.
There will be a new actor joining the cast of The Good Wife later this season. Deadline reported that former Glee star Matthew Morrison will have a recurring role as an assistant U.S. attorney. His character is described by Deadline as unwilling to take a bribe—meaning he could be in the thick of the Good Wife‘s political storylines, as Peter continues his run for the presidency.
Morrison’s character, Connor Fox, is responsible for the imprisonment of the last four Illinois governors. As Good Wife fans remember, that would include Peter Florrick, as the show began with his corruption scandal that sent him to jail and his wife back to practicing law after leaving the profession to raise her children.
While many television viewers know Morrison best from his Glee role, he has an extensive background in theater. Broadway reported he’s been in such well-known productions as South Pacific, Footloose and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Morrison got a Tony nomination for The Light at the Piazza. He is currently starring in Finding Neverland until January 24.
The Good Wife airs Sunday nights at 9 pm on CBS.
[Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Entertainment]
