Today’s TV Addict Top 5: Questions with CASTLE Guest Star Lisa Edelstein

While many CASTLE fans have anxiously spent all summer counting down to tonight’s much-anticipated sixth season premiere to find out Beckett’s answer to Castle’s unexpected proposal during last May’s finale, we here at theTVaddict.com are excited for another reason entirely. Former HOUSE star and current go-to-guest star (see stints on SCANDAL, THE GOOD WIFE, ELEMENTARY etc.), Lisa Edelstein is kicking off a fantastic three episode arc. And while we’re not about to spoil the suspenseful circumstances surrounding her character’s arrival, we are only to happy to share a few answers from our recent one-on-one. See for yourself, after the jump.

Since leaving HOUSE one imagines that your phone has been ringing non-stop with offers. What attracted you to an arc on CASTLE?
Lisa Edelstein: You know that’s a good question. [Since exiting HOUSE] I’ve been very picky and mostly my decisions have to do with either working with people that I like or writing and a character that is interesting. In this particular case, my mother is huge fan and she would have been really angry with me and sometimes you have to make your mother happy! That said, I was really happy to do it. CASTLE has such an incredibly loyal following and I was really amazed at the response when it was announced that I was doing it.  [Fun Fact: Lisa’s mom did requesta that her daughter kindly not spoil the premiere!]

Guest stars on a procedural such as CASTLE usually serve to shine a mirror to the show’s leading players. What does your character shine a light on for either Beckett or Castle?
Agent Rachel McCord [Edelstein’s character], really functions to show what Beckett is capable of doing and where her boundaries are. My character really pushes her, not in an adversarial way, but rather as more of a mentor and in doing so I challenger her in ways that are unexpected.

Actors often like to talk about what they personally bring to each role. What in particular did you inject into this character to make it your own?
I was lucky because this arc began at the beginning of the season, so when we started shooting it was everybody’s first day back. Because of that, I got the feeling that I was just a part of this company which was a really nice thing. Unfortunately, I can’t answer what specifically I brought to the character until after the episode [Editor’s Note: Tune in tomorrow for Lisa’s fantastic answer!]

While you probably don’t spend too much time lingering on your previous projects, I’m curious if you have ever pressed pause to wonder what Cuddy’s life is like now that HOUSE is over. Do you think she’s happy?
I don’t know because I didn’t watch the last season so I don’t know what they said happened to Cuddy. I just know she wasn’t there!

And finally, last week Bravo announced that you were headlining a new series for them, THE GIRLFRIEND’S GUIDE TO DIVORCE. What was it about this project that brought you back to series television on a permanent basis?
I’m so thrilled, but it’s just a pilot right now. Marti Noxon is a wonderful writer and Bravo has got some very exiting ideas going forward about what they’re going to do with their original programming. This show is very funny, smart, a little dark and very sassy. For me, I get to do the drama and comedy all rolled up in one with a great writer so I’m just incredibly exciting and thrilled.

CASTLE airs Mondays at 10PM on ABC (Sundays at 7PM on CTV in Canada)