Julianna Margulies Was Third Choice For 'Good Wife' Lead

Julianna Margulies wasn’t the producers’ first pick for the leading role of Alicia Florick in The Good Wife – she was third.

Julianna Margulies 3rd Pick For ‘Good Wife’

It’s hard to imagine anyone but Margulies playing the doting house wife and stay-at-home mother-turned-high power attorney after five successful seasons. However, the role could have landed in the hands of a pair of A-listers, who ultimately chose to pass up the opportunity – Ashley Judd and Helen Hunt.

“When The Good Wife came to me, it came in such a backhanded compliment. [They said] ‘So Ashley Judd was offered this script, but she’s turning it down,’” Marguiles revealed at a Hollywood Reporter Emmy roundtable of Best Actress from Drama contenders. “’Now, I’m going to give it to you, but first they’re going to give it to Helen Hunt. And if Helen Hunt passes, it’s all yours.’”

Sarah Paulson, who was also at the roundtable, wondered how Margulies went about reading the script after the slight by the show’s producers. Margulies admitted it was difficult.

“I was then reading [the script] sort of already defensive, and I wanted to hate it,” she said. “Because, you know, f–k you, you didn’t want me to begin with – and I’m like your sloppy thirds!”

In addition to Margulies and Paulson, who stars in Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, Clare Danes (Homeland), Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Kerri Russell (The Americans) and Jessica Paré (Mad Men) also talked about their leading TV roles.

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