Carrie Preston (born June 21, 1967) is an American actress known for her work on the television series ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy horror drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball. It is based on '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. A reboot is currently in development. The ser ...

'', '' Person of Interest'', '' Crowded'', ''

The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal and political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in l ...

'', ''

The Good Fight ''The Good Fight'' is an American legal drama produced for CBS's streaming service CBS All Access (later Paramount+). It is the platform's first original scripted series. The series, created by Robert King, Michelle King, and Phil Alden Robin ...

'', and ''

Claws A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...

''. Preston received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Elsbeth Tascioni on CBS's drama series ''

'' and ''

''. For her work on ''The Good Wife'', Preston received two nominations for

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a gues ...

, winning once.

Early life and education

Preston was born in Macon, Georgia, the daughter of Pam and Ray Preston. Her brother is actor John G. Preston. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the

University of Evansville The University of Evansville (UE) is a private university in Evansville, Indiana. It was founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College. The university operates a satellite center, Harlaxton College, in Grantham, England. UE offers more than 80 differ ...

(1990), followed by an acting diploma from the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

's Drama Division (Group 23: 1990–1994).

Career

Preston has worked on numerous projects with her husband, actor

Michael Emerson Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor who is best known for his roles as serial killer William Hinks on ''The Practice'', Benjamin Linus on ''Lost'', Zep Hindle in the first '' Saw'' film, Cayden James on ''Arrow'', and ...

, whom she married in 1998. Emerson played

Ben Linus Benjamin Linus is a fictional character portrayed by Michael Emerson on the ABC television series '' Lost''. Ben was the leader of a group of island natives called the Others and was initially known as Henry Gale to the survivors of Oceanic Flig ...

on television's '' Lost'', and Preston was a guest star in episode 20 of season 3, " The Man Behind the Curtain" as Ben's mother Emily in flashback scenes, though she and Emerson never shared scenes together. The couple were featured in the 2004 comedy film ''Straight-Jacket'' and the 2008 feature film, '' Ready? OK!''. She appeared in several episodes of '' Person of Interest'' as Grace Hendricks, the former fiancée of Emerson's character, Harold Finch. 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 ''

''. On July 31, 2010, Preston and Emerson read A. R. Gurney's play ''

Love Letters A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings. History One of the oldest references to a l ...

'' at th
Charleston Stage
. They performed it as a fundraiser for the South Carolina's theatre. Preston had a recurring role playing Elsbeth Tascioni, an eccentric but extremely effective trial lawyer on CBS's ''

''. First introduced in season one and recurring on seasons three through seven, the character was a fan favorite, and Preston won the 2013

for her work on the show. On September 6, 2013, it was announced that Preston signed on to play a recurring character in the second season of the

Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...

-led thriller, ''

The Following ''The Following'' is an American crime thriller television series created by Kevin Williamson, and jointly produced by Outerbanks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. The first season follows former FBI agent Ryan Hardy ( Kevin Bacon) ...

''. She portrayed Judy, a prostitute and ill-fated groupie of Joe Carroll. The show's second season premiered in January 2014. Preston has appeared in a number of films as a supporting character. Including several critically acclaimed films such as ''

Doubt Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, unable to be certain of any of them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and disbelief. It may involve uncertainty ...

'' and '' Duplicity'', where she starred alongside stars such as

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

Viola Davis Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...

, and Clive Owen. In 2015, she landed a leading role on the short-lived NBC comedy series '' Crowded'' where she starred opposite

Patrick Warburton Patrick Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American actor. On television, he has played David Puddy on '' Seinfeld'', the title character on ''The Tick'', Jeb Denton on ''Less Than Perfect'', Jeff Bingham on '' Rules of Engagement'' and L ...

, during which time she also appeared on the final season of ''The Good Wife'' for which she earned her second

nomination. Preston was originally slated for a four-episode arc, but due to commitments on her new show, she was only able to appear in one episode. In August 2016, TNT announced that Preston had been cast in the

Rashida Jones Rashida Leah Jones (; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress. Jones appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series '' Boston Public'' (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Office'' (2006–2009; 2011), and ...

drama-comedy ''

''. Preston plays Polly Marks (Polly-Pol), a mild-mannered preppy with an "ankle bracelet" who recently served time in prison for

identity theft Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The term ''identity theft'' was c ...

. The series was greenlit for a 10-episode first season. On December 16, 2016, CBS announced that Preston would reprise her role as Elsbeth Tascioni on ''The Good Wife'' spin-off ''

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Other works

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Preston, Carrie 1967 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Georgia (U.S. state) Actors from Macon, Georgia American film actresses American film producers American stage actresses American Shakespearean actresses American television actresses American women film directors Primetime Emmy Award winners Juilliard School alumni University of Evansville alumni Film directors from Georgia (U.S. state) American women film producers