Tea Leoni Returning To Television In 'Madam Secretary'

by Chelsea ReganJuly 18, 2014, 12:00 amNews >

Tea Leoni will make her return to television in the new CBS drama Madam Secretary.

Tea Leoni To Star In 'Madam Secretary'

In Madam Secretary, Leoni will play newly appointed secretary of state Elizabeth McCord. Elizabeth’s husband will be played by Tom Daly. Though Leoni’s character is starting off in the cabinet in the West Wing, the actress is optimistic that McCord will one day make her play for the presidency.

“Wait until year four,” Leoni said Thursday at the Television Critics Association.

Leoni also addressed why she’s deciding to return to television now, when she’s turned down a number of offers over the years. The mother of two revealed that now that her kids are older, she’s in a position where she can spend more time away from home to commit herself to a TV project.

"My kids at 15 and 12 are ready. I turned to my 12-year-old and said, 'Are you cool with it? I'm not going to be around as much' … And he said, 'Yeah. I was getting sick of you.' So I'm back," said Leoni.

Madam Secretary is produced by Judging Amy’s Barbara Hall and Morgan Freeman. At the TCA, Hall expressed her desire to show a woman who is both successful in her career and in her home life, while Freeman said he hopes the show’s diversity happens organically through open casing.