Elsbeth Cast: All the Characters Returning to Season 4 Premiere, Including Guest Stars

Carrie Preston is obviously returning as Elsbeth Tascioni in the premiere episode of Elsbeth Season 4. The whole show is based on her character, so there was no way an episode could go by without her appearing in it. In the latest installment, CBS revealed that Elsbeth “balances the emotional arcs and relationships between the main cast with thrills of that week’s case.” The crime-solving hit “heads into the new season with fresh cases, family drama and new pressures on Elsbeth and the 11th Precinct, led by her boss, Captain C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce).”

Ben Levi Ross plays Teddy Tascioni, Elsbeth Tascioni’s son, on the CBS drama, and he’s confirmed to appear in the Season 4 premiere. In a June interview with PEOPLE, he shared how he managed filming Elsbeth while also starring in Ragtime, a Broadway revival. Ross explained, “It was like the actor's dream to be doing a Broadway show and filming a network TV show at the same time.” He called his schedule “crazy” but admitted, “The cool thing about Elsbeth is that they're all theater people. So everyone understood the importance of Ragtime as well.”

Fans can expect to see Wendell Pierce’s Captain Wagner in the premiere episode as well. He’s the commanding officer of the NYPD’s 11th Precinct. CBS notes that “when Wagner gives an order, Pierce knows how to make it resonate.” While speaking with Variety in May, Pierce shared his thoughts on Elsbeth, saying, “I just love all the guest stars that we have. I enjoy the formula of the round robin; it’s like a repertory theater company. The first thing I anticipate with every script is who our guest star is.”

Captain Wagner’s wife, Claudia Payne, is also featured in the debut episode, as confirmed by CBS. Gloria Reuben plays Payne and has returned in a recurring capacity. When her casting was announced in 2024, Reuben explained, “Having his (Captain Wagner’s) wife there will reveal more of the character’s sweet side.” She told TV Insider, “She’s cordial to Elsbeth. ‘Oh, nice to meet you.’ All of that. And then she kind of weaves in a little bit with what’s going on in the room. She’s beside her husband. And then she kind of knows when toleaveto leave, ‘Okay, I know you’re at work.’ There’s a great deal of respect for each other and a great deal of sweetness and love.”

Nicole Scherzinger is also part of the Season 4 opener. She guest-stars as Serena Collyer, a famous marriage counselor whose “cool demeanor hides a murderous and messy passion,” according to CBS. The singer and actress is known for hit songs like Don't Cha and Buttons. She rose to international fame as the lead singer of the R&B and pop girl group The Pussycat Dolls. Scherzinger is also an impressive dancer, having won Season 10 of Dancing With the Stars alongside her professional dance partner, Derek Hough.