How J. Smith-Cameron Used Anna Wintour as Inspiration for ‘Elsbeth’: ‘Her Reputation Precedes Her’
J. Smith-Cameron‘s killer character on Elsbeth may look just a little acquainted — not less than to viewers who’re followers of former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
“It was my idea,” Smith-Cameron solely instructed Us Weekly. “I was like, ‘What if I’m not trying to be Anna Wintour but this woman is trying to be like Anna Wintour?’ That’s her hero and she’s going to try to emulate her.”
Smith-Cameron broke down the vision for the character, including, “She is hiding behind a mask. I thought that might be fun. I just went online and bought an inexpensive wig that was pageboy bob–style, and it looked OK in my head. So I used that. And I didn’t try to be English exactly. I wanted to sound like someone who’s trying to sound a bit English.”
Before utilizing Wintour as inspiration, Smith-Cameron had a real-life run-in with the style icon.
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“I met Anna Wintour once as I went to a fashion show, and she ended up being seated right next to me. She had her sunglasses on, and her reputation precedes her,” she recalled. “But she was very personable. She was lovely. This isn’t my impression of her. It is just someone who’s obsessed with her, which I could relate to. Everyone I know is somewhat fascinated by Anna Wintour because she’s a very, very fascinating person.”
Elsbethwhich premiered in 2024, follows Carrie Preston‘s Elsbeth Tascioni, who turns into a de facto detective aiding the NYPD of their investigations. The titular character’s unconventional strategies lead her to make distinctive observations that assist resolve crimes.
In addition to Preston, the show stars Wendell Pierce and has allowed for cameo appearances from Nathan Lane, Laurie Metcalf, Pamela Adlon, Vanessa Williams, Matthew Broderick, Michael Emerson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Retta, Blair Underwood, Linda Lavin and extra.
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In the Thursday, April 3, episode of the hit CBS sequence, Smith-Cameron is introduced as a case follows a robust patriarch who “is stabbed with a sword at New York’s most exclusive debutante ball,” in keeping with the synopsis. The description teases how Elsbeth “must engage in hand-in-glove combat with the imperious ball director (Smith-Cameron).”
“This is the kind of show where you do get some backstory. It’s a funny show because it’s a murder mystery show in a way. But it’s a fun and lighthearted take on it,” she continued. “I just had fun with that. The characters on Elsbeth are going through very extreme times. You can relate to them and the way it’s written and handled.”
Elsbeth airs on CBS Thursdays at 10 pm ET. New episodes stream the subsequent day on Paramount+.
