Michael Emerson Says It Was 'Weird and Complicated' Being Wife Carrie Preston's Adversary onElsbeth(Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

On Thursday, Dec. 12, Michael Emerson kicks off a recurring arc onElsbeth, playing an unexpected adversary opposite his wife,Carrie Preston, who stars as the titular lawyer who continues to help the New York Police Department solve various murders on the latestGood Wifespinoff.Ahead of his debut as Judge Milton Crawford, the formerLoststar, 70, and Preston, 57, spoke to PEOPLE about what to expect from his character and what it’s like for the longtime married couple to go from loving spouses at home to sparring with each other on set.“It’s interesting, weird and complicated,” Emerson says of acting with Preston, particularly on the CBS procedural, which sees them at odds after Elsbeth meddles in a murder trial that Milton is presiding over. (See above for PEOPLE’s exclusive preview of Emerson’s debut episode, teasing the growing tension between Milton and Elsbeth.)He adds, “It’s like a two-layered acting day. You have to act like you don’t know this person that you woke up with in the morning and treat them as if they are a fictional character, and as your adversary, not your spouse. So it’s a lot going on. A lot is being tuned out while a lot is being opened up.“From Left: Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson on ‘Elsbeth’.Michael Parmelee/CBSUnlike the series' past guest stars, who make one-episode appearances as various suspects and criminals, Emerson will have multiple episodes to get under Elsbeth’s skin as Milton and “throw her off her game a little bit,” Preston teases, adding that “it’s really fun to have a Moriarty to my Sherlock, you know, that character that she can’t catch, the thorn in her side.“For his part, Emerson says that his character’s “an ongoing problem for Elsbeth,” joking that when they “butt heads again, probably fairly soon,” he’ll be curious to see “who’s going to win that collision.“Preston adds, “Playing those different dynamics is just fun.“The couple first met in 1994before getting married in 1998. Now,26 years into their marriage, Preston says, “We have a really good time together. We do the life thing very well together. We kind of balance each other out.“And although the two don’t act on-screen together that often —Elsbethmarks the second notable time they shared scenes on one another’s show after Preston had a recurring role onPerson of Interest, which starred Emerson as a billionaire computer programmer — she says “we kind of even carried that same balance on set as well.“From Left: Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson on ‘Elsbeth’.Michael Parmelee/CBSFilming Emerson’s arc also provided the two —who are usually both busyon their own shows, with Emerson most recently starring onEviland appearing on season 1 ofFallout— with an unexpected chance to spend precious time together.“We did a scene together the other day, when we were shooting in Harlem, and we had a little break,” Preston recalls of filmingElsbethin Manhattan where the series is set. “The trailers were far away, so we just took a little stroll together, holding hands.“She adds, “Normally that would be when I would call him or text him. But I didn’t have to. He was just right there and that was nice. It was a beautiful little moment where I thought, ‘Oh, this is so nice. I can actually just reach out and see you and hold your hand and we don’t have to communicate some other way.’ “Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Elsbethairs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.

On Thursday, Dec. 12, Michael Emerson kicks off a recurring arc onElsbeth, playing an unexpected adversary opposite his wife,Carrie Preston, who stars as the titular lawyer who continues to help the New York Police Department solve various murders on the latestGood Wifespinoff.

Ahead of his debut as Judge Milton Crawford, the formerLoststar, 70, and Preston, 57, spoke to PEOPLE about what to expect from his character and what it’s like for the longtime married couple to go from loving spouses at home to sparring with each other on set.

“It’s interesting, weird and complicated,” Emerson says of acting with Preston, particularly on the CBS procedural, which sees them at odds after Elsbeth meddles in a murder trial that Milton is presiding over. (See above for PEOPLE’s exclusive preview of Emerson’s debut episode, teasing the growing tension between Milton and Elsbeth.)

He adds, “It’s like a two-layered acting day. You have to act like you don’t know this person that you woke up with in the morning and treat them as if they are a fictional character, and as your adversary, not your spouse. So it’s a lot going on. A lot is being tuned out while a lot is being opened up.”

From Left: Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson on ‘Elsbeth’.Michael Parmelee/CBS

Michael Parmelee/CBS

Unlike the series' past guest stars, who make one-episode appearances as various suspects and criminals, Emerson will have multiple episodes to get under Elsbeth’s skin as Milton and “throw her off her game a little bit,” Preston teases, adding that “it’s really fun to have a Moriarty to my Sherlock, you know, that character that she can’t catch, the thorn in her side.”

For his part, Emerson says that his character’s “an ongoing problem for Elsbeth,” joking that when they “butt heads again, probably fairly soon,” he’ll be curious to see “who’s going to win that collision.”

Preston adds, “Playing those different dynamics is just fun.”

The couple first met in 1994before getting married in 1998. Now,26 years into their marriage, Preston says, “We have a really good time together. We do the life thing very well together. We kind of balance each other out.”

And although the two don’t act on-screen together that often —Elsbethmarks the second notable time they shared scenes on one another’s show after Preston had a recurring role onPerson of Interest, which starred Emerson as a billionaire computer programmer — she says “we kind of even carried that same balance on set as well.”

Filming Emerson’s arc also provided the two —who are usually both busyon their own shows, with Emerson most recently starring onEviland appearing on season 1 ofFallout— with an unexpected chance to spend precious time together.

“We did a scene together the other day, when we were shooting in Harlem, and we had a little break,” Preston recalls of filmingElsbethin Manhattan where the series is set. “The trailers were far away, so we just took a little stroll together, holding hands.”

She adds, “Normally that would be when I would call him or text him. But I didn’t have to. He was just right there and that was nice. It was a beautiful little moment where I thought, ‘Oh, this is so nice. I can actually just reach out and see you and hold your hand and we don’t have to communicate some other way.’ "

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Elsbethairs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.

source: people.com