Created by Barbara Hall,Madam Secretaryis a political thriller that aired on CBS from 2014 to 2019. The series follows Bess Adams McCord (Téa Leoni), the Secretary of State for the United States who does her best to balance her political responsibilities and her personal life as a wife and mother of three. By the sixth and final season, McCord became thefirst elected female President in the United States.
Although Leoni is best known for her comedic movie performances, her presence inMadam Secretaryproves what a superb dramatic TV actor she is as well. Much of that concerns the supporting cast of characters and the talented performers who portray them in the gripping political thriller. As such, it’s time to meet the cast ofMadam Secretary.
Téa Leoni as Elizabeth “Bess” Adams McCord
As mentioned,Téa Leoniplays Elizabeth “Bess” Adams McCord. Bess is a career public servant who spent 20 years in the CIA as an intelligence analyst before becoming a professor of political science in Virginia. When the Secretary of State dies in a plane crash, Bess is appointed to be his replacement. Bess accepts the role and quickly learns that she must navigate her new political role while continuing to take care of her three children.
Leoni is a supremely versatile actor who has played action, comedy, and drama with equally convincing results. Her first big breakout role came inA League of Their Ownin 1992 before going on to star in the smash buddy cop action movieBad Boysand the TV showThe Naked Truthin 1995.
Leoni’s most notable movie credits includeFlirting with Disaster,Jurassic Park III, andFun with Dick and Jane. Now that her most-lasting role as Bess Adams has wrapped, Leoni is set to voice a role in the upcoming animated filmEndangered.
Tim Daly as Henry McCord
Tim Dalyportrays Henry McCord inthe underrated political thriller. Henry is Bess' husband of 25 years and the father of their three children. Henry served in the Marines as a flight captain in Operation Desert Storm before becoming a theology professor. In addition to being the First Gentleman of the United States, Henry is appointed as the leader of the CIA’s Special Activities Division as the series progresses.
Daly brings a wealth of experience to the tole of Henry McCord. He is best known for portraying the lead character Joe Hackett in the popular NBC sitcom,Wings, in which he starred for eight seasons and 172 episodes. In 2004, Daly joined the cast ofThe Sopranos, playing the drug-addled screenwriter J.T. Dolan. When his arc as Dolan wrapped in 2007, Daly went on to star as Dr. Pete Wilder in the hit medical dramaPrivate Practice.
Wallis Curry-Wood as Stephanie “Stevie” McCord
Wallis Curry-Woodadds domestic drama to the show as Stephanie “Stevie” McCord. Stevie is the daughter and eldest child of Bess and Henry who aspires to become a professional lawyer. As such, she applied to Harvard Law after graduating from Georgetown University. When her mother becomes POTUS, Stevie begins interning with Chief of Staff, Russell Jackson. Meanwhile, her illicit affair with undercover agent Dmitri Petrov puts her in danger later in the series.
Curry-Wood is a relative newcomer with two additional credits. In 2015, she played an interviewer inThe Internopposite Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway. In 2016, Curry-Wood appeared in an episode of the Prime Video original reality TV seriesThe Fashion Fund. Considering her lack of experience prior toMadam Secretary, Curry-Wood’s presence in 118 episodes of the show is bound to pay dividends in the next project she is cast in.
Evan Roe as Jason McCord
Evan Roeportrays Jason McCord inthe heart-racing political thriller. Jason is the teenage son of Bess and Henry and the youngest of their three children. Despite his parents' high-ranking government positions, Jason is an overt anarchist who wants to dismantle the corrupt political system in America. Jason is also a troublemaker who gets expelled from school after punching a student who made fun of his mother.
Roe began his career in 2012 and has amassed a handful of credits in the past decade. He can be seen in the Disney Channel TV seriesJessieand the Nickelodeon showSam & Cat.Roe has also appeared in such movies asTime ToysandSelah and the Spades. WhileMadam Secretaryhas provided Roe with his most visible role to date, he can be seen next in the star-studded 2023 miniseriesA Man in Full.
Željko Ivanek as Russell Jackson
Željko Ivanekplays Russell Jackson. Russell is the White House Chief of Staff appointed by President Adams three months into her tenure. Russell’s role is to ensure that the President remains safe and secure and organizes the daily operations within the White House. Russell also takes Stevie under his wing and uses his connections as a Harvard Law alum to recommend Stevie for admission.
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Ivanek is a chameleonic character actor with an outstanding filmography. He’s worked with some of the best all-time directors, including Ridley Scott inHannibalandThe Last Duel, Martin McDonagh inSeven PsychopathsandThree Billboards, Lars von Trier inDogvilleandManderlay, and more. Ivanek can currently be seen inThe Walking Dead: Dead City, which recently concluded its first season.
Patina Miller as Daisy Grant
Patina Millerplays Daisy Grant. Daisy is President Adam’s press secretary responsible for speaking on behalf of the office in public. While Daisy is good at her job, she often dates co-workers in the White House, which complicates her personal and professional life. Whether dating speechwriter Matt or undercover CIA operative Kevin, Daisy adds a lot of romantic drama to the proceedings.
Miller began her career on the TV soapAll My Childrenin 2007. After appearing in bothThe Hunger Games: Mockingjaymovies, Miller went on to star in the TV seriesMercy StreetandWord Party. Most recently, Miller gave a standout turn inthe acclaimed Starz original TV show,Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and is poised to play a Witch in the upcoming fairytale horror movieInto the Woods.
Erich Bergen as Blake Moran
Erich Bergendepicts Blake Moran. Blake is Bess' personal assistant and close confidant. Unlike the other staffers that she inherited from the former President, Bess personally chose Blake to be her helper based on their days attending college together. After trying his hand at Wall Street financing, Blake hated his job and vowed to make a difference in the political sector.
AlthoughMadam Secretarymarks Bergen’s most famous role of his young career, he’s appeared in many memorable projects as well. His TV credits include single appearances inGossip Girl,Desperate Housewives, andThe Good Fight, Bergen also notably starred as Bob Gaudio in Clint Eastwood’s musical dramaJersey Boys.
Geoffrey Arend as Matt Mahoney
Geoffrey Arendstars as Matt Mahoney. Matt is Bess’s speechwriter who is responsible for carefully wording the President’s messages to the public. Matt’s main storylines involve dating his co-worker Daisy and being forced to spy on the former President by Russell Jackson. The latter subplot puts Matt in direct peril that has severe consequences as the series advances.
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Arend began his career by starring in such popular movies asSuper TroopersandGarden Statebefore going on to appear in500 Days of Summer. By 2010, Arend began working more on television after landing a recurring role inBody of Proof.WhileMadam Secretarymarks his biggest TV role, Arend can also be seen in such recent shows asGoliathandPhysical.
Keith Carradineplays Conrad Dalton, the 45th President of the United States. Before leading the highest office in the land, Conrad served as the Director of the CIA and was a gubernatorial candidate in California. Due to their time as friends and classmates at Harvard Law, Conrad appointed Bess to the role of Secretary of State and even considered for the Vice Presidency during his reelection campaign.
A veteran movie actor who began his career working with Robert Altman, Carradine is best known for his iconic performance inNashville, for which he won an Oscar for writing and performing the Best Original Song, “I’m Easy.” Yet, despite appearing in roughly 100 movies in his career, Carradine has given standout turns in the most popular TV shows of the past 20 years. For instance, Carradine has participated inthe great 21st-century crime shows,Deadwood,Dexter,Fargo, and most recently,Fear the Walking Dead.
Bebe Neuwirth as Nadine Tolliver
Bebe Neuwirthportrays Nadine Tolliver. Nadine serves as Bess' personal Chief of Staff who harbors deep resentments stemming from her time under the previous Secretary of State, Vincent Marsh. Nadine had a six-year affair with Marsh before his tragic death, and Nadine is deeply suspicious of Bess when she assumes the office. Over time, Bess and Nadine earn each other’s mutual trust and begin to cooperate.
Neuwirth has built an impressive resume since her career commenced in the mid-80s. While perhaps best known for herrole as Dr. Lilith Sternin in the hit sitcomCheers, for which she won two Primetime Emmys as a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Neuwirth has made her mark in everything fromJumanjiandSummer of SamtoLaw & Orderand the recent Max original seriesJulia.
