Podcast Summary: Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Episode: Carrie Preston — on making ‘Elsbeth’ her own, and the joyful grind of a working actor
Release Date: October 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In this warm, candid conversation, Jesse Tyler Ferguson sits down with acclaimed actress Carrie Preston at San Sabino in NYC for an in-depth meal and discussion. Ferguson and Preston reflect on their enduring friendship, the unique quirks and career arc that brought Preston to headline the hit series Elsbeth, and the everyday realities—the joys and challenges—of a working actor. They cover everything from formative moments in theater, the inside story of career-making TV hits (True Blood, Lost, Elsbeth), work-life balance, and navigating Hollywood as a character actor-turned-lead. The episode is a celebration of making it on your own terms, gratitude, and the power of persistence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Serendipity, Theater Roots & Enduring Partnerships

[04:23]

• Jesse reminisces seeing Carrie in The Tempest at Shakespeare in the Park—her NYC stage debut as Miranda.
• Carrie recounts her early days: starting at Georgia Shakespeare Festival at 19, studying at Juilliard, then landing theater roles in NYC.
• Both actors share a love of the 'grind' and lasting friendships born in the theater world.

On meeting her husband, Michael Emerson:
[05:44 - 08:43]

• Carrie met Michael at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival—her brother invited her to audition for Ophelia, and Michael swept in as Guildenstern, impeccably dressed (causing Carrie to initially think, “He’s gay. Dammit!”).
• The chemistry was palpable:
  • “He was leaving flowers for me outside my door when I would wake up to go to work.” —Carrie Preston [08:02]
  • The ‘showmance’ became public after they arrived at a party together.
• Carrie knew quickly: “A month later, I was calling my mom, ‘You need to come meet the man I’m going to marry’… I’m not going to tell him that, but you need to come meet.” —Carrie Preston [08:40]

2. Navigating the Working Actor’s Life

[09:32 - 10:58]

• Jesse asks about relationship logistics when both are working.
• Carrie describes making long-distance work while Michael filmed Lost in Hawaii and she was in New York—complicated by natural disasters and scheduling:
  • “I don’t know how we’re gonna do this … It takes 13 hours to get there.” —Carrie Preston [10:08]
  • They kept apartments in both cities, coordinated “pockets of time” (True Blood filmed in LA, making things easier).
• Both reflect on balancing career ambitions with personal life.

3. Landing True Blood and TV Breakthroughs

[11:13 - 12:58]

• Jesse, a fan, recalls the show's ensemble and creator Alan Ball.
• Carrie’s route to True Blood: Met Ball through auditioning for the indie film Towelhead, bonded over their Georgia roots. Ball later pitched her the part of Arlene.
  • “You want me to play a buxom redhead? Sure. Gotcha. Yeah, you know, I can do that.” —Carrie Preston [12:49]
• True Blood became her first real taste of job security, after “8th or 9th” pilots: "Finally it hit. And it was such a relief… but we had no idea it was gonna be what it was.” —Carrie Preston [17:37, 17:46]
• Shooting occurred before anyone saw a finished episode; a writers’ strike almost derailed it.

On the show’s theme:

• “Alan described True Blood as being about the fear of intimacy, which I thought was a really cool way to look at it.” —Carrie Preston [19:01]

4. Career Crossroads & TV Guest-Star Roles

[19:08 - 21:01]

• Shared anecdotes about work on Lost, including Carrie pitching herself as a flashback mother to Michael’s character—"That was totally my pitch, too. And I didn’t even think...they were going to take it seriously.” —Carrie Preston [19:32]
• Jesse describes the surreal atmosphere of awards season, crossing paths with big names, and the dissonance of classically trained actors navigating Hollywood.

5. Becoming ‘Elsbeth’—From Supporting Role to Leading Lady

[21:05 - 28:54]

• How the character Elsbeth went from a recurring spot on The Good Wife to The Good Fight, then to her own self-titled CBS show. Carrie details the full-circle moment of working with Stephen Moyer (True Blood costar) as a guest star.
• The responsibility & anxiety of being #1 on the call sheet:
  • “I was terrified. Oh, my God. I really want to make sure I make this as great as I can do.” —Carrie Preston [22:43]
• Jesse describes Carrie’s “genius” physical comedy, e.g. searching for the invisible door—"This is the gold of the scene, actually." [23:30]
• Carrie on why Elsbeth works: "I love it that we’re kind of walking the line between comedy and drama… I think that’s what people want right now, cathartic fun.” [23:56]
• They riff on the “Columbo” structure: audience knows the murderer from the start, pleasure is in the how of catching them.
  • Notable moment: Jane Krakowski’s confusion about being revealed as the murderer in the first scene, and Jesse's reply: “No Jane, that’s the whole point!” [24:22]

6. Building Iconic Characters—Elsbeth’s Quirks

[25:37 - 27:25]

• The origins of Elsbeth’s many bags—“Brooke Kennedy… was like, I just feel like there’s so much going on in her life… she’d have a lot of things she was always juggling." —Carrie Preston [25:53]
• The “tote bags for guest stars” tradition: “I do still give out tote bags to the guest stars.” —Carrie Preston [27:26]

7. Breaking Through After Decades of Work

[27:34 - 30:31]

• Jesse reflects on the significance of staring as #1 later in a career, the layers of experience that come with the grind.
  • "I feel like only someone who has had this underbelly of your career would even think to" do things like gifting tote bags. [28:41]
• Carrie expresses gratitude for the opportunity:
  • “It’s not lost on me… it doesn’t get to happen very often for anybody. There are only so many television shows... I never thought it would happen.” [28:41]
• She notes the changing expectations for women over her career—once relegated to “the wife of the week,” now the quirky lead: “It was this supporting little character… now we’re following her. I’m amazed.” [29:31]

8. Stories from Rom-Com and Film Sets

[35:23 - 39:47]

• My Best Friend’s Wedding: Carrie’s first movie, shooting in Chicago, working with Julia Roberts (“movie star!"), living the “glamorous” Hollywood life.
  • Costume trivia: “In the script they were called the Vengeful Sluts.” —Carrie Preston [37:33]
• On a possible sequel: “The twins need to be in it." [37:24]
• Duplicity: Julia Roberts (again)—gave Carrie a heads up: “She gave me a big hug and then… said, ‘I’m gonna be mean to you for the rest of the day…’ And it was exactly what I needed for the scene.” [39:02]
  • Filming an emotionally demanding scene with little rehearsal: “It was like the most high pressure acting experience I think I had at that point.” [39:58]
  • Julia led the crew in applause for Carrie: “She had the whole crew clap.” [41:06]
• The camaraderie among actors: at the Duplicity premiere, Julia called out, “We love you, Carrie” from the audience. [41:06]

9. Recent Success with The Holdovers

[41:19 - 43:09]

• Jesse praises Carrie’s performance in The Holdovers: “Heartbreaking. It’s one of my favorite movies… that relationship you have with Giamatti is so alive and nuanced and heartbreaking.” [41:22]
• Carrie shares Alexander Payne’s meticulous process, her admiration for Paul Giamatti’s total presence, and the humbling privilege of watching fellow actors (like Da'vine Joy Randolph, eventual Oscar-winner) create artistry “from the ground up.” [43:09]

10. Full Circle & Closing Sentiments

[43:44 - End]

• Jesse expresses his admiration for Carrie crafting Elsbeth: “I was watching you create something really special...I felt very fortunate, very blessed being on that set.” [44:07]
• Carrie is effusive in her appreciation of the rare and hard-won moment of leading a show, and the importance of making cast and guest stars feel welcome.
• Both reflect on starting out together at the O’Neill Center, the humbling arc of the actor’s journey.
  • “We were these little kids together… stars in our eyes at the O’Neill center… It’s humbling.” —Carrie Preston [45:05]
• Closing words: “I adore you… Dinner is on me.” —Jesse Tyler Ferguson [45:26]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On knowing she’d met “the one”:

  • “I was calling my mom, ‘You need to come meet the man I’m going to marry…’” —Carrie Preston [08:40]

• On True Blood finally hitting:

  • “Finally it hit. And it was such a relief… but we had no idea it was gonna be what it was.” —Carrie Preston [17:46]
  • “Alan described True Blood as being about the fear of intimacy, which I thought was a really cool way to look at it.” [19:01]

• On being #1 on the call sheet:

  • “I was terrified. Oh, my God. You know, I really want to make sure I make this as great as I can do.” —Carrie Preston [22:43]
  • “It’s not lost on me, you know, this gift…there aren’t that many TV shows in the world, and I never thought it would happen.” [28:41]

• Elsbeth character-building:

  • “Let me tell you—a choice that is made 15 years ago when you appear once a year…becomes quite a different thing when you have to carry three tote bags, 14 hours every day.” —Carrie Preston [26:43]

• On gratitude and creative community:

  • “I know what it’s like to walk onto a set and feel like you do not belong there. And it is really hard to do your work when you feel that way.” —Carrie Preston [30:31]

• On film set atmosphere:

  • “She gave me a big hug and then… said, ‘I’m gonna be mean to you for the rest of the day…' And it was exactly what I needed for the scene.” —Carrie Preston (on Julia Roberts in Duplicity) [39:02]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:23 – Jesse’s first Shakespeare in the Park: Carrie as Miranda
• 05:44 – Carrie and Michael Emerson’s meet-cute, early romance
• 09:32 – Making a relationship work long distance
• 11:13 – Landing True Blood and meeting Alan Ball
• 17:37 – Achieving job security—True Blood's cultural impact
• 21:05 – Origins of ‘Elsbeth’ and surreal “full-circle” experiences
• 23:30 – Elsbeth’s physical comedy—searching for the “door”
• 25:37 – The “bags”/character quirks of Elsbeth
• 28:41 – Jesse on what Carrie brings as the lead
• 35:23 – “My Best Friend’s Wedding” set memories
• 39:02 – Julia Roberts’ “method meanness” and emotional scenes in Duplicity
• 41:19 – Carrie’s experience making The Holdovers
• 44:07 – Jesse on Carrie’s artistic creation of Elsbeth
• 45:05 – Full circle reflections, O’Neill Center memories

Tone & Style

• Conversation is intimate, effusive, humorous, and occasionally deeply vulnerable.
• Both delight in sharing “inside baseball” industry details, but with warmth and appreciation for each other’s craft.
• Carrie is humble, grateful, and generous in her reflections; Jesse is thoughtful, often in awe of his guest.
• An undercurrent of genuine friendship, hard-earned career wisdom, and joy in the “long game” of artistic life and success.

For new listeners, this episode exemplifies Dinner’s on Me’s blend of personal storytelling, industry insight, and warm camaraderie—especially meaningful for anyone interested in the realities of a creative career, the craft of acting, and the joys of lasting artistic relationships.