In February, The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies revealed to Deadline that she almost reprised her role as Alicia Floreck on the current third season of the spinoff series The Good Fight on CBS All Access. She said she “really wanted to do it” but “the deal didn’t happen.”
The Emmy-winning actress is now opening up about the reasons the deal did not come together. “CBS wouldn’t pay me,” Margulies told Deadline on Sunday while attending The Contenders Emmys event to promote her new Nat Geo miniseries The Hot Zone. She had addressed the issue at the Series Mania festival in France last week where she was quoted as saying, “The showrunners had found a nice away to reintroduce my character, a story that was to span three episodes. I was really excited about the idea, but CBS refused to pay my (ask).”
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She elaborated to Deadline that she had not asked for more than her regular fee, which I hear was in line with what Margulies made on The Good Wife. I hear what she was offered was a Good Fight guest star rate.
“I’m not a guest star; I started the whole thing with The Good Wife,” Margulies told Deadline. “I wanted to be paid my worth and stand up for equal pay. if Jon Hamm came back for a Mad Men spinoff or Kiefer Sutherland wanted to do a 24 spinoff, they would be paid.”
She argued that her potential stint on The Good Fight would’ve pleased fans and attracted viewers to the spinoff.
Margulies, who won two Emmys for her role on The Good Wife, talked to Deadline about discussing a three-episode arc with The Good Fight co-creators/executive producers/showrunners Robert and Michelle King, who also created and executive produced/showran CBS’ The Good Wife. Both series are produced by CBS TV Studios.
Back in February, Robert King confirmed that bringing Alicia back was considered, and he shed some light on her potential storyline.
“We thought maybe about making a big episode where she would be at the resistance, Diane (Christine Baranski) and her face each other,” he told reporters. “But that would be the end of the story. It felt like an asterisk.”
Also back in February, Margulies talked to Deadline about keeping a very close personal connection to Alicia. “I think about her all the time,” she said. “I think about how she would answer a question. I could be in the middle of a conversation and I wonder, ‘How would Alicia answer this?’ She’s just so much smarter than me. I do think about her. I miss her and I love her.”
After the deal fell through, Margulies rules out a possible stint on future seasons of The Good Fight, which she said she loves. She praised the quality of the storytelling and the cast, sharing her regret she would not be able to work again with Baranski and Cush Jumbo, her co-stars on The Good Wife who are also her friends (“my buds,” as she called them).
Margulies also said that she regrets not being able to bring back Alicia for the fans who had been asking for the character’s return to The Good Fight ever since the spinoff was announced.
The Good Wife star today echoed some comments she made last week in France. “To be perfectly honest, I was shocked. I was more surprised than hurt. I thought, what are you worth? If you are worthless, if you are not valued for your work, than what’s the point?”
Sounds like the writers underestimated her value to The Good Wife and fans. Took her for granted, without recognizing her major star role and major draw for the whole complexity of other issues brought up. A series/movie does best with an attractive star, to simplify complexity of sub plots. The y missed the boat. Could also be that Juliana could benefit by effective coaching on negotiation – in a men’s work world, men expect to reject first offers and make demands to get what they feel they need or deserve. Read negotiaton chapter in book, “Why Women Earn Less” by Mikelann R. Valterra. First offer is not necessarily the last, and gaining skills in negotiating can add grace and confidence and results.
I do not agree, I think Julianna thought she was more important to The Good Fight for a guest appearance than the show thought she was, to be getting the same pay she made on The Good Wife. I am sure there are some fans who do not watch The Good Fight because Julianna is not on the show but it is not many because the show has just been picked up for a season 4. I for one, am glad Julianna is not on The Good Fight because I stopped watching The Good Wife when Julianna got jealous of Archie Panjabi (Kalinda) and forced her off the show.
I agree wholeheartedly! I don’t watch the show because she isn’t on there. I would have watched all three episodes and might have become a regular viewer as I miss the Good Wife SO much. I was not ready for it to end. I love Alicia. Hopefully, some day, CBS will see the error of their ways and give her her just due.
^ ridiculous
I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to see Elisabeth the wacky attorney added to the series – she was EXCELLENT!!! My friends and I have been talking about her for a LONG time
Yes, I think so many of us would love to see Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston) be added to the show as a regular. We have grown to love her
I loved her. But didn’t she appear last season.
Stinks like Moonves or his legacy. CBS once was the network that was female friendly-like the Carol Burnett Show. I guess all the calendars at CBS read 1959 not 2019. Morons.