Father and Son Duo Matthew Broderick and James Wilkie Broderick Star Alongside Each Other in New ‘Elsbeth’ Episode
No, you’re not seeing two of Matthew Broderick in the new episode of Elsbeth, the lookalike is James Wilkie Broderick, his eldest son!
Each week, the CBS dramedy starring Carrie Preston welcomes a famous guest to play a murderer, one who is always foiled by the titular character (Preston). In the February 20 episode, “Foiled Again,” that guest is none other than the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star, who brings his unique zeal, as well as his own son with wife Sarah Jessica Parker.
“While investigating the mysterious death of a college admissions officer, Elsbeth finds herself fencing with Lawrence Grey (Matthew Broderick), an independent educational consultant who promises an Ivy League future to high-paying clients and their painfully average kids,” an episode description reads.
For his own part, the younger Broderick plays Carl, a top “success trainer” at Lawrence’s company. A clip released ahead of the episode sees the father-son duo acting opposite each other for the first time and equally playing suspect as Elsbeth investigates. This week’s murdered party is a cohort of Matthew’s character, a fellow educational consultant in the world of Manhattan’s upscale academia.
In an interview with PEOPLE for the episode, Matthew said, “I was so proud and happy to work with my son James […] Working with everyone on Elsbeth was a pleasure and I’m excited for the episode to come out.”
The younger Broderick added, “What a thrill it was to work side by side with my dad — who also happens to be my favorite actor! The whole experience of working on Elsbeth was beyond exciting and I am very grateful to the producers for giving me this opportunity!”
James is the eldest of Matthew and SJP’s three children and was born in 2002, five years into their now almost three-decades-long marriage. The pair also share twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha, who were born in 2009 and have yet to make their own on-screen debuts.
Matthew’s guest starring role comes just two episodes after his Ferris Bueller’s Day Off co-star Alan Ruck made his own appearance on The Good Wife spinoff. In “Finance Bros,” Ruck played a set of twin investors whose relationship hit a snafu as one decided to mellow out about making money and the other did not take it well. In that installment, Ruck had the unique opportunity to murder himself, playing both the killer and victim in the show.
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While the Brodericks appearing together in the new episode is certainly notable, it isn’t the first time family members have shared the screen this season. Preston’s own real-life husband, Michael Emerson, has also appeared in several episodes as Milton Crawford, a murderous judge who has it out for Elsbeth.
Earlier in the season, Decider sat down with the husband and wife of 26 years and they teased a season-long battle between their characters. The duo — who have shared the screen on numerous other occasions — also opened up about the fun of playing enemies with their significant other.
“Those scenes are more fun to play no matter who you’re playing with. Then to add that it’s someone that I know and trust and have a history with, you feel more creative freedom with that,” Preston said. “I don’t have to worry, ‘What is this guy going to think if I throw some curveball at him?’ We didn’t have that problem.”
“When there’s danger in the air, it’s like oxygen to an actor,” added Emerson. “That’s when you can kind of slow down and savor that. Danger and innuendo of the scene, all the signaling and subtext-ing that’s going on.”
The new episode of Elsbeth starring Matthew and James Wilkie Broderick premieres on CBS on Thursday, February 20 at 10 p.m. ET. Episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.
