Jeff Neumann/CBS/Jason LaVeris/FilmMagicThe Good Wife is adding another Emmy winner to its ranks: Margo Martindale has joined the cast in a recurring role for season seven.
The Justified veteran, who also steals the show in The Americans, will play Willa Eastman, a top campaign operative who in the past has had success helping underdog presidential candidates in Iowa. She's described as smart and cunning with a fake and folksy charm. Look for her character to have quite a bit of interaction with Peter Florrick (Chris Noth), Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and Eli Gold (Alan Cumming).
"Every year we look for a character and an actor who can go toe to toe with Eli Gold and make him blink," executive producers Robert and Michelle King said in a statement. "So we were thrilled when Margo Martindale agreed to play Willa Eastman. Her ability to mix comedy and drama is unparalleled. And we can't wait to see how Margo and Alan deal with each other."
Martindale's other credits include The Millers on CBS, Million Dollar Baby, August: Osage County and Masters of Sex.
Season seven of The Good Wife, which started production today, will also feature Jeffrey Dean Morgan as a series regular. The Extant star will play Alex, a seasoned investigator hired by Alicia. Cush Jumbo will also recur in a new role. The Good Wife lost two series regulars last year: Archie Panjabi as Kalinda and Matthew Goode as Finn.
The Good Wife returns on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. on CBS.