"The Good Wife" has hosted a stellar cast of guest actors over its first five seasons, and the show's latest catch hasn't appeared on series television in 10 years.
David Hyde Pierce will join the CBS drama this fall in his first TV series gig since "Frasier" ended in 2004, CBS announced on Aug. 28. He will play a highly respected cable news legal commentator who is so disgusted by the corruption and murder rate in Chicago that he decides to run for office in order to affect change.
"We couldn't be more thrilled and flattered that David's making 'The Good Wife' his first TV role since 'Frasier,'" said executive producers and showrunners Robert and Michelle King. "We're tremendous fans of his dramatic skills as well as his comedy."
At the end of last season, Alicia Florrick (Emmy-winner Julianna Margulies) also was considering a run for public office when Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) asked her point blank, "Would you want to run for State's Attorney?" in the finale's last scene. "What?" was her only response.
Pierce starred on all 11 seasons of the NBC comedy "Frasier" starring Kelsey Grammer, whose title character spun off from Cheers." The Broadway veteran Pierce received an Emmy nomination each season for his role as Dr. Niles Crane and won four times.
He won a 2007 Tony Award for his performance in Broadway's "Curtains" and a 2013 nomination for his role in "Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike." His other Broadway credits include "Monty Python's Spamalot" and "Le Bete."
He appeared in a short sketch for "Sesame Street" in 2012. He's also starred in movies like "Little Man Tate," "Sleepless in Seattle," "Nixon," "Full Frontal," "A Bug's Life" and "Wet, Hot, American Summer."
"The Good Wife" will also welcome Taye Diggs, Kyle MacLachlan, Steven Pasquale and Connie Nielsen.
"The Good Wife" premieres on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 9:30 p.m. (due to NFL delay) on CBS.
