What The Cast Of The Good Wife Is Doing Today

"The Good Wife” debuted in 2009 and showcased a stay-at-home mom Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) who's forced into a life transformation. The new corporate lawyer turned a very public scandal involving her politician husband, Peter (Chris Noth), into positive personal and professional growth. Multi-layered, nuanced characters make "The Good Wife" far more than just another legal procedural, and fans root for Alicia's triumph. However, by the end of Season 7, "The Good Wife" thematically showcased the corruption and greed behind the pursuit of power. Systemic corruption seeped through storylines and Alicia Florrick became more of an antihero than a straightforward heroine.

The show also spawned a solid spin-off series, "The Good Fight," which centered on Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), and ran for six seasons. The show's creators, Michelle and Robert King (who also created the critically-acclaimed supernatural drama, "Evil"), spoke to NPR about the ways in which the show imitated real life. "Every other week or every other month there was this poor woman standing by her disgraced husband and it was just this kind of nightmarish scene where the wife did nothing wrong, but was kind of dragged up there as a prop," Robert King said. "The Good Wife" explores the dimensions behind the scandalized headline spouses.

The series showcased many talented A-list actors, including Michael J. Fox and Kristen Chenoweth, and received a staggering 43 Emmy nominations while taking home five awards. Let's look at what some cast members are up to now.

In "The Good Wife," Will Gardner (Josh Charles) represents a way out of Alicia Florrick's stifled life. Although the two begin as close friends who have known each other since law school, when Will offers Alicia a job at his law firm, sparks fly. An on-again off-again romance between the two never materializes into permanency, and unfortunately, Will meets his demise. The genuine chemistry between Julianna Margulies and Josh Charles oozed through their characters and made their relationship a focal point of the show. Charles plays his character as a flawed but truthful and loyal man. The actor portrayed Will Gardner for five seasons and was nominated for two Emmys for his role.

Before his work on "The Good Wife," Charles was well-known for his film roles (including Knox Overstreet in "Dead Poets Society") and for playing Dan Rydell on Aaron Sorkin's acclaimed series, "Sports Night." The actor has continued to work steadily and portrays Bill Collins in the feature docu-drama "Framing John DeLorean," which has earned critical acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes.

Charles can also be seen in the HBO miniseries "We Own This City," based on the true crime book by The Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton. Charles spoke to Forbes about the miniseries and said, "I think it has a built-in audience for the people globally who admire and worship 'The Wire' with this cult-like status, but this lives on its own."

As a senior partner at Stern, Lockhart, and Gardner, Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) stands for social justice and women's rights. A progressive liberal, Diane surprises herself (and her fans) when she falls for Republican ballistics expert Kurt McVeigh (Gary Cole) and eventually marries him. Her tough-as-nails exterior proves adversarial for Alicia in the early seasons of "The Good Wife." However, the two form a friendship and Diane becomes Alicia's mentor, which makes Alicia's final season betrayal of Diane harder to swallow. The talented Christine Baranski communicates the layers of pain Alicia causes Diane through powerful nonverbal acting — via a vicious slap.

Throughout the series, we grew to love Diane, and luckily, the character's journey didn't end with the series finale. Baranski continues to play the character in "The Good Fight," which sees Diane Lockhart lose everything but continue to battle against the insane oppression of the modern world. Christine Baranski has proved her acting chops in Broadway performances, television shows, and feature films. 

In 2022, the actress appeared as socialite Agnes van Rhijn on "The Gilded Age," an HBO period drama from "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes, to positive reviews. Variety said the series "has made a strong argument for the efficacy of series creator Julian Fellowes' method as a deliverer of narrative delight."

On "The Good Wife," British actress Archie Panjabi played the prickly firm investigator, Kalinda Sharma. Kalinda was brutally honest, which often meant she wasn't fantastic around people. The character was ground-breaking for network television, as well. An empowered bisexual woman of color, Kalinda didn't feel like a stereotypical token but like an empathetic, genuine character, and Panjabi fleshed her out and made her endearing.

Kalinda quickly became a fan favorite, but as noted by Vanity Fair, her character slowly became less three-dimensional, and Panjabi chose to leave the show in Season 6. Rumors about friction between the actress and Julianna Margulies swirled after they separately filmed their last scene.

Panjabi stayed professional when asked about the rumors and her departure by The Daily Beast and stated, "In terms of anything that happened on 'The Good Wife,' I think it's only respectful for it to stay on 'The Good Wife.' It was time for me, for many reasons, to unzip the boots and step into another show." The actress starred in the NBC action-thriller "Blindspot" as FBI agent Nas Kamal and has a starring role in Season 3 of the dystopian thriller "Snowpiercer." Panjabi has also made numerous guest appearances on other television shows, including "Run."

According to The Washington Post, when Scottish actor Alan Cumming first appeared on "The Good Wife," he was only meant to star in a few episodes. As Eli Gold, Peter Florrick's campaign manager and chief of staff, Cumming brought much-needed levity to the show. The actor's portrayal of Gold's devious nature and over-the-top passion for politics makes the character compelling to watch. Reportedly, Eli Gold was based on Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama's former chief of staff. Cumming told NPR that he researched Emanuel and studied his characteristics to inform his portrayal.

Before starring in "The Good Wife," Cumming had already built an impressive resume. Per IMDb, the actor has amassed over 130 onscreen credits. Cumming reprised his role as Gold on "The Good Fight" and in an interview with Vulture, he said, "I love Eli, and it's [playing the role] been such an amazing thing to do." Among other roles, Cummings also starred in the Apple TV+ romantic musical spoof "Schmigadoon!" (with fellow "The Good Wife" alum Kristin Chenoweth) and has lent his voice to several scripted podcast series, including "Solar."

Amanda Peet didn't join the cast of "The Good Wife" until Season 4, but her character was well worth the wait. As Captain Laura Hellinger, Peet portrays an Army judge advocate general (JAG) attorney who retains Alicia Florrick to represent her. Although Hellinger departs at the end of the season, Peet makes her memorable as her character is hired as an assistant state's attorney by Peter Florrick, and she dates Will until she sadly realizes he still loves Alicia.

Peet co-starred in a multitude of feature film hits in the early 2000s, including "The Whole Nine Yards" and "Something's Gotta Give." However, she hasn't appeared on the big screen since her role as Paula in "Sleeping with Other People" in 2015. After leaving "The Good Wife," the actress starred in shows like the short-lived HBO drama "Togetherness," a show The Hollywood Reporter said "manages to mine hard truths and generate wince-inducing humor about marriage and relationships." Peet also starred as Betty Broderick in Season 2 of "Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story." 

In 2018, the actress penned the play "Our Very Own Carlin McCullough," which tells the story of a 10-year-old tennis star and her relationship with her single mother.

Matt Czuchry was two years out of his memorable role as trust fund kid Logan Huntzberger on "Gilmore Girls" when he landed the role of Cary Agos on "The Good Wife." At the beginning of the series, the cocky young Agos is a first-year associate at Stern, Gardner, and Lockhart. He stands in direct competition with Alicia Florrick, and the two often butt heads. Yet by Season 5, Cary and Alicia join forces to form their own law firm.

Throughout the show, Cary endures personal struggles and the audience watches him grow up while settling into his identity. Per IMDb, over seven seasons Czuchry appeared in 156 episodes of "The Good Wife," although his character's arc wraps before the series finale. The actor told The Hollywood Reporter that he hasn't ever watched the final episode of the show and that he has "no plans to watch it." 

After the show ended, Czuchry landed the lead in another procedural series and has played Conrad Hawkins on the medical drama "The Resident" since 2018. The actor also reprised his role as Rory Gilmore's complicated love interest in the miniseries "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life."

On network television shows, kids who aren't integral to central storylines often fall by the wayside or, as observed by MTV News, even disappear completely. However, the Florrick kids on "The Good Wife" showed up often –- even when they weren't propelling the story forward. Graham Phillips played Zach Florrick, the eldest of Alicia and Peter's kids, throughout the show. We watch Zach grapple with the fallout from his parents' bad decisions, and as a teenager, he deals with real-life issues like drugs and teen pregnancy. Phillips doesn't play Zach as a one-dimensional character, and he brings authenticity to the role.

In the years since the series wrapped, the actor continues to shine on television. Phillips starred in three episodes of the only season of the anthology "Secrets and Lies" before notably portraying Nick St. Clair on the genre-bending teen hit "Riverdale." Phillips also played Brian in the Netflix comedy "Yes Day" and Ethan Shaw in the drama "XOXO." In 2019, the actor and his brother Parker co-wrote and co-directed the independent mystery film "The Bygone," which he also starred in alongside Shawn Hatosy.

Mackenzie Vega debuted as Grace Florrick on "The Good Wife" when she was just 15 years old — and the actress already had an impressive resume. Vega had appeared in films like "Sin City" and "X-Men: The Last Stand" before entering her teenage years, and her experience lent to a fleshed-out performance as the youngest Florrick. Grace is a typical whiny teenager, but her struggles to navigate her relationships with her parents and peers are genuine. Vega starred as a series regular throughout the show's first six seasons before becoming a recurring character in Season 7.

The actress isn't the first of her siblings to pursue a professional acting career either. Vega's older sister, Alexa, starred in the "Spy Kids" franchise, among many other television and feature film roles. Vega has continued to act since her departure from "The Good Wife." She played Sarah Carlin in "13 Reasons Why" and starred in the slasher movie "Fender Bender." The actress spoke to the horror website Daily Dead about her role in the slasher film and her love of the horror genre. "I would absolutely love to do more horror films. They're fun," she said.

For over two decades, British actor Matthew Goode has experienced success through both feature films and television shows. Before his turn as assistant state's attorney Finn Polmar on "The Good Wife," Goode donned a superhero persona as Adrian "Ozymandias" Veidt in Zack Snyder's "Watchmen." The actor also portrayed cryptographer Hugh Alexander in the Academy Award-nominated "The Imitation Game."

Goode joined the cast of "The Good Wife" in Season 5 and hit the ground running. Ethical and straightforward Finn Polmar immediately plays professional nemesis to Alicia and Cary before ultimately becoming Alicia's close friend and confidant. Palpable chemistry oozes between Alicia and Finn, but a romance never materializes. The New York Times reflected on Goode's career and noted that "The Good Wife" is what truly cemented the actor in the American entertainment industry.

Although the actor left Finn Polmar behind after one season, he's continued to work extensively in both television and film. Goode plays the second husband of Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) on "Downton Abbey" and is Matthew de Clairmont, the protagonist of the fantasy series "A Discovery of Witches." Since he exited "The Good Wife," Goode has also starred in over a dozen films, including "Allied" and "The Colour Room."

Over the first three seasons of "The Good Wife," firm partner Julius Cain (Michael Boatman) is the cocky head of litigation and a recurring character who always makes his presence known. Cain is the lone conservative in the office and often finds himself at odds with Diane Lockhart. Cain fades from the show's central storylines after his attempt to replace Will Gardner's partnership fails in the Season 3 episode, "Blue Ribbon Panel." However, Boatman reprised the character in Season 5 and 6 guest appearances.

Boatman's time on the series reunited him with his former "Spin City" co-star, Michael J. Fox, who played extremely intelligent yet slimy attorney Louis Canning from Season 2 to Season 7. Boatman wasn't done with Julius Cain after "The Good Wife," however, as he returned to reprise his role as a main character on "The Good Fight" and appeared on the spin-off show from Season 1 to Season 6.

Boatman spoke to The Quintessential Gentleman about Julius Cain and the chance to add depth to the character in "The Good Fight." He said, "Julius, my character, is somebody who definitely believes in the hierarchy of the law firm. You're an associate; I'm a partner, and that's it ... They did in The Good Fight what every actor wants, which is to flesh out the character."

In Season 7 of "The Good Wife," Alicia Florrick and Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) hire private investigator Jason Crouse (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for their new law firm. The obvious question of a potential romance between Jason and Alicia immediately forms. Lucca tries to play matchmaker between the attorney and investigator (who's also a former attorney), and ultimately a relationship develops. The couple falls in love and seems destined to begin a new chapter together.

However, in the series finale, their relationship is left up in the air. Morgan didn't love the way his character's arc ended, and the actor told Vanity Fair, "My feeling was we raised so many questions about Jason and this relationship that he had with Alicia that I felt like nothing was ever answered, you know? So I walked away frustrated for my character and Alicia's character in not having any kind of closure with that." 

Morgan, who cut his acting teeth in roles like the Comedian in "Watchmen," Denny on "Grey's Anatomy," and John Winchester in "Supernatural," has famously played the villain-turned-hero Negan on "The Walking Dead" since Season 6 and stars opposite Lauren Cohan in "The Walking Dead" spin-off set in New York City and focused on Negan and Cohan's character, Maggie. According to Entertainment Weekly, the new zombie apocalypse show will be titled "The Walking Dead: Dead City."

If not for the character of Peter Florrick (Chris Noth), "The Good Wife" wouldn't exist. Alicia's adulterous, power-hungry husband was the motivation she needed to start a new life, as Peter symbolized all Alicia despised about her identity. Yet over the course of the show, we discover that Alicia can never truly escape her scandalized spouse –- their lives are forever intertwined. Chris Noth plays Peter as a larger-than-life figure — much like his "Sex and the City" character, John James Preston, aka Mr. Big. However, where Mr. Big shows empathy and love, Peter does whatever it takes to get ahead.

In an interview with Metro, Noth defended his villainous characters. "There's a misconception about all my characters. They're imperfect people, and they're conflicted, and they're complicated like everybody ... I find the generalization that they're bad to be a little ridiculous," he stated.

However, it seems life somewhat imitated art for Noth. In 2021, the actor found himself accused of sexual assault. Variety reported that the allegations came from five different women, including supermodel Beverly Johnson. The actor was subsequently written out of the "Sex and the City" follow-up series, "And Just Like That..." and dropped from his talent representation. According to The Berkshire Eagle, almost a year after the initial allegations against him, Noth returned to acting via a one-night stage-reading of Eugene Ionesco's "Rhinoceros." The actor produced, directed, and starred in the performance, which was presented by Saint James Place in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

Before she starred in "The Good Wife" as central character Alicia Florrick, Julianna Margulies was most well-known for playing Carol Hathaway, the dedicated, compassionate nurse and love interest of Dr. Doug Ross (George Clooney) on "ER." Margulies earned four Emmy nominations and one win for her role in the medical drama. The actress would go on to earn another two Emmy nominations and two wins for her portrayal of Alicia Florrick.

When Alicia's journey begins, she's an easy character to root for. Her desire to carve out a new life and stand apart from her husband puts Alicia on a stalwart and just path. However, as her journey progresses, she makes some cringe-worthy decisions. Vox proclaimed Alicia's downward spiral began when she entered into politics, and we tend to agree.

After the head-scratching series finale, series creator Robert King shared a statement with Variety defending Alicia's character arc. "It's about a woman who becomes what she hates," he said. Since the show's wrap, Margulies has starred in several short-lived series, including creator Marti Noxon's dark comedy "Dietland." The actress has also appeared in several indie feature films, including "The Upside."