The Good Fight: All the times Christine Baranski was an absolute boss
The Good Fight has brought TV’s ultimate boss Diane Lockhart back to our screens, so we decided it was time to celebrate the woman behind the character: Christine Baranski. If you obsessed over Diane, her power suits, and proclivity for being the most powerful person in any given room at any damn time during The Good Wife, you likely squealed with joy when spinoff show The Good Fight was announced.
If you look back on Baranski’s quirky career in TV & film you can see how the actor has always been an absolute boss – one who has more often than not rocked a Diane-approved power suit in one form or another. Here are ten of her finest on-screen moments.
The Birdcage (1996): Katherine Archer
Proving she exudes sophistication and power by doing little more than smile behind a gigantic desk, Baranski was a lavish goddess as Katherine – a woman pulled into an extraordinary farce by a gay ex-lover (Robin Williams).
3rd Rock from the Sun, “Dick and the Single Girl” (1997): Sonja Umdahl
Baranski’s musical prowess was given a sublime spotlight in this episode of the cult sci-fi comedy in which she plays a supposedly shy librarian vying to seduce Dick (John Lithgow). Her comedy timing is impeccable but so are her aggressive, sultry moves – and the way she wears that black nightgown? Forget about it! She’s unreal.
Addams Family Values (1993): Becky Martin-Granger
Baranski’s performance as one of the over-zealous directors of Camp Chippewa “for privileged children” is a horrific masterstroke of genius. Maintaining a sinister permanent smile throughout, Baranski yells, sings, and jumps and down with wild abandon like a five-year-old on pixie sticks.
Frasier, “Dr. Nora” (1999): Dr. Nora Fairchild
Baranski guest starred in the beloved sitcom for one perfect episode in which she played a jitter-ridden doctor doling out some damning judgement calls against people live on air. Her satisfied grin as she labels a caller a “whore” for having an affair is sly & terrible – and absolutely priceless.
Cruel Intentions (1999): Bunny Caldwell
Playing the uptight mother of Selma Blair’s naive, experimental teen character Cecile, Baranski was a campy delight as an upper-class woman screeching her way through parenting.
The Big Bang Theory (2009 – 2018): Dr. Beverly Hofstadter
This neverending sitcom is improved immeasurably by the appearance of Baranski as the over-analytical, fussy mother of Leonard (Johnny Galecki). Seemingly unable to break a smile (yet more than capable of offering unsolicited and savage observations about her son’s life), Baranski’s guest appearance was onpoint.
Cybill (1995 – 1998): Maryann Thorpe
Glamorous, boozy, and sharp-witted, Maryann was a vision of decadence with many blurry, unrefined edges. Unsurprisingly, Baranski played the character with the perfect balance of refined poise and bitter vulgarity – especially when faced with any one of Maryann’s exes.
Into the Woods (2014): Stepmother
As a toe-chopping stepmother vying to help her daughters force their oversized feet into a very regal slipper, Baranski was as wicked as any fairytale villain should be – and twice as diabolical.
Bowfinger (1999): Carol
Baranski was given the rare opportunity to step out of her usual power suits and pearls to play a washed-up prima donna in Steve Martin’s uproarious Hollywood parody. It paid off: Baranski’s performance is one of the funniest in the entire movie.
Mamma Mia! (2008): Tanya
The Tony award-winning star is clearly having the time of her life in every single scene she appears in during Phyllida Lloyd’s guilty pleasure musical. Plus, despite starring opposite Meryl Streep (The Post) & Julie Walters (Billy Elliot), Baranski manages to be one hell of a scene stealer.
