Elsbethhas several core actors in its season 2 cast. The cozy mystery stars Carrie Preston as the title character, an eccentric attorney first seen inThe Good Wifebut who has now moved to New York City.Elsbethseason 2again has the title character consulting with the NYPD about officer behavior while also solving murder mysteries in aColumbo-like manner, as the audience already knows the identity of each week’s killer.
There are manystars fromThe Good WifeandThe Good Fightwho could visitElsbeth. However, for the most part, the series is not engaging in this type of casting for season 2. Instead,Elsbethhas a small core cast, consisting only of the title character and the police officers she works with. Villains and suspects are played by a rotating guest star cast, and some guest stars might be more well-known than others.
Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni
Date of Birth: June 01, 2025
Actor:Carrie Preston was born in Macon, Georgia, andachieved mainstream recognition in 2008’sTrue Bloodafter years of small roleson many established shows, includingArrested DevelopmentandLaw & Order: SVU.Preston is best known for playing Elsbeth on three separate series, having originated the character inThe Good Wifeand also appeared inThe Good Fightprior toElsbeth’s premiere in April 2024. She also played Debbie inHappyishand Nartina inCrowded.
2008-2014
2015
2010-2016, 2017-2022, 2024
Crowded
2016
Character:Elsbeth is an attorney who is known both for her eccentricity and her phenomenal case closure rate. Originally from Chicago, she now lives and works in New York City, where she was initially hired to oversee the practices at the NYPD while secretly being tasked with investigating Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce).Elsbeth’s trademark is carrying many bags,which usually contain random items she needs to solve a given case. She also often zeroes in on the correct suspect while the cops are focused on someone else.
Wendell Pierce as Captain Charles Wallace Wagner
Date of Birth: August 18, 2025
Actor:Wendell Pierce was born in New Orleans, Louisiana andbroke big inThe Wire.He is a versatile actor who has both comedic and dramatic skills; although he is best known for more serious roles such as Zane inSuitsand Alderman Price inChicago PD, he also played goofy neighbor Teddy in the version ofThe Odd Couplestarring Matthew Perry and Harris Green inThe Michael J. Fox Show.He also sometimes has comedic scenes inElsbeth.
2002-2008
2013-2014
2015-2017
2013-2019
2017-2020
Elsbeth
2024
Character:Captain Wagner is the head of the precinct where Elsbeth is consulting. He and Elsbeth initially had an adversarial relationship, as he didn’t think solving murders was part of her job and didn’t appreciate her constantly besting him by solving the case correctly while he was focused on the wrong suspect. Additionally, he was upset when he found out Elsbeth had been tasked with spying on him and finding out if he did anything unethical. However, after Wagner’s name was cleared, he calmed down about Elsbeth and asked her to stay in New York.
Carra Patterson as Officer Kaya Blanke
Date of Birth: January 31 [No Year Given]
Actor:Carra Patterson was born in St. Petersberg, Florida, andburst onto the scene withThe Arrangement,a 2017 TV series about a TV actress who is paid $10 million to marry Hollywood’s biggest star. Although she has only had a few major roles to date, she has had several guest appearances on popular shows such asBlue Bloods,Elementary, andThe Good Wife,and also starred as Jessica Baxter in Disney+‘sTurner & Hooch, a TV series based on the Tom Hanks movie.
Notable TV Shows And Movies:
2017-2018
2021
Character:Kaya is a sweet, smart uniformed police officer who works for Captain Wagner. She and Elsbeth developed a friendship during season 1; however, their relationship was threatened when she learned Elsbeth was spying on Captain Wagner and he wanted Kaya to be a counter-spy who told him what Elsbeth was up to and what she knew. In season 2, Kaya is considering becoming a detective but needs to finish some coursework before she can be considered. She trusts Elsbeth’s judgment and usually agrees with her about who committed each murder.
Elsbeth Supporting Cast And Characters
Christian Borle as Carter Schmidt:Borle is reprising his role fromThe Good Wifeas an attorney who is acquainted with Elsbeth. He is also known as Caddy inThe Bounty Hunterand Emmett inLegally Blonde: The Musical
Daniel Oreskes as Buzz Fleming:a detective Kaya has to work with inElsbeth,who thinks he knows better than she does who to focus on. Oreskes appeared inOnly Murders in the Buildingseason 3 as Marv, a fan of the podcast who hung around the Arcadia hoping to catch a glimpse of them. Coincidentally, his character inLaw & Order: Organized Crimewas also named Marv and was a lieutenant during the first season who kept telling Stabler to drop Kathy’s case and follow protocols.
Cast
Elsbeth follows Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute attorney with a unique perspective, as she collaborates with the NYPD to tackle elusive criminals after a successful career in Chicago. Released in 2024, this series explores her unconventional methods in solving intricate cases.
