Julianna Margulieshas no desire to direct, but shedefinitelyearns her producer credit onThe Good Wife.
By now, fans know his departure has been a year in the making.
“You don’t see that every day.
Credit: John Paul Filo/CBS
That’s not something that I take lightly.")
Margulies first learned Charles was thinking of not renewing his contract in March of 2013.
Josh is gonna be leaving the show.'
And I said, ‘Why?’
And they said, ‘Well, his contract is up, and he doesn’t want to renew.’
My head just started spinning.
I said, ‘Well, well, well, wait.
Did you see if he could do less episodes?
Maybe offer him more directing gigs,” she recalled to much laughter.
“I just became the Alicia lawyer trying to figure out how to negotiate this contract.
And [the Kings] were both incredibly open about it.
They said, ‘We’re open for anything.
Because we shoot so in advance, and they’ve written episodes and have a storyline planned.
And they said, ‘Good luck.'”
Once everyone finished laughing again, she continued.
“I called Josh, and I gave him terrible Jew guilt.
I knew he was about to get married.
I’m good friends with his wife, and they’re dear friends of ours.
I said, ‘Josh, how about this: 15.
Wait.Think about it.Money in the bank for 15 episodes.
Do you know how expensive it is to have a baby in New York City?’
I went right to the kid thing, and it was disgusting, honestly,” she said.
I went on this whole thing about kids and family, and he was like, ‘Well, 15?
Let me think about that.’
And I said, ‘And two directing slots!’
And so I said [to Josh], ‘They’re gonna write amazing stuff!’
And the next thing I knew, it happened."
(“She would’ve wanted him more,” Margulies cracked.)
They also knew his death would fuel a new chapter for Alicia.
Why am I representing these aholes?suddenly it’s black and white.
There’s no gray area.
The road ahead will be painful, Robert acknowledged.
I’ll watch it.’
Or there’sResurrectionon ABC, and he’ll come back to life," he joked.
Cue Charles pretending to walk like a zombie in his chair.
I get [an] email that’s just, ‘So sorry to hear this news.
I was so devastated by the episode.
Does this mean that you’re moving back to LA?
Because I’d love to sell your apartment.’
That was some chutzpah!
I wrote her back, like, ‘Maybenot the best time.'"
They also watch what happens after “Cut!”
They’ve been known to use those candid moments between actors in the show itself.
“I was like, we never laughed with the judge,” Charles said.
He’s in such a different state of mind."
- Charles isn’t the only one who likes the idea of doing less than 22 episodes a season.
“Fifteen gives you the freedom to tell independent stories,” he said.
(“Can me and the governor have a conscious uncoupling?”
So what’s great is that you’re able to do anything."
And at 15 episodes, you’re free to do “anything” bigger.
“you’re free to’t keep upping the stakes without it leaving reality.
But cable, if they’re doing fewer episodes, they can do those bigger moments.”
- The question from Rose that got the biggest laugh of the night: “What doesRidley Scottdo?”
Scott helped hook the show up with Archie Panjabi and Matthew Goode, having worked with them both before.
“Ridley stood up, and he said, ‘That happens, you call me.’
I remember feeling this sense of security,” she said.
