Elsbeth is officially back in production — and star Carrie Preston is already talking about who she wants to bring in next.
Preston announced the start of Season 4 filming via a behind-the-scenes video shared on her Instagram, capturing the cast and crew reuniting on set for their first day back together. The caption made her excitement impossible to miss. Elsbeth Season 4 is set to return to CBS on October 8, according to Bleeding Cool.
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The Dianne Wiest Story
Speaking on the Los Angeles Times’ podcast The Envelope, Preston reflected on one of the guest appearances that meant the most to her personally throughout the show’s run — Dianne Wiest’s turn in the Season 3 episode “And Then There Were Nuns,” where the two-time Oscar winner played a murderous nun named Mother Constance.
Preston described Wiest as a lifelong favourite and placed her firmly in her personal top five performers of all time. When she learned Wiest had agreed to appear on the show, she did what she always does with incoming guest stars — reached out ahead of filming to express her gratitude. By her own admission, the email she sent landed somewhere between heartfelt and what she cheerfully described as “stalker-level” devotion.
Wiest wrote back warmly, and when she arrived on set in full nun’s habit, Preston found herself entirely unable to stop staring at her. Wiest caught her doing it multiple times — and responded each time with a smile rather than concern, which Preston found both mortifying and completely wonderful.
She noted that her genuine, uncontainable enthusiasm for the people who come onto the show mirrors exactly the quality that defines her character — Elsbeth’s wide-eyed wonder and deep appreciation for the people around her. The more Preston plays the character, she said, the more that spirit seems to seep into her own daily life.
Steve Buscemi Asked to Be on the Show
Preston also shared a detail that still hasn’t stopped surprising her — Steve Buscemi didn’t just agree to appear on Elsbeth, he actively asked to be on it. The idea that a performer of his caliber sought out the show rather than needing to be pursued left the entire production stunned, and Preston said it continues to do so.
The Season 4 Wish List
Looking ahead to Season 4, Preston was open about where she hopes the show goes creatively. She has long wanted Meryl Streep to appear on the series and has made her feelings on that front widely known. Beyond the guest star wishlist, she expressed interest in exploring Elsbeth’s origin story in greater depth — pointing out that while audiences have seen her as a mother and as a friend, they have never really seen her as a daughter or gotten a proper look into where she came from. A parent character — possibly her mother — is something the writing team has reportedly been considering.
Preston was careful to add that she places enormous trust in showrunner Jonathan Tolins and the writing team to make the right creative decisions, whatever direction they ultimately take.
Elsbeth Season 4 premieres October 8 on CBS.
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