Emmy Award-Winner Julianna Margulies Dishes On Playing 'The Good Wife'

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Five years since the start of "The Good Wife", Julianna Margulies remains the unstoppable Alicia Florrick.

"It's a joy to be able to be a part of something that actually makes you think … and makes you laugh," she said in a one-on-one interview with CBS2 Anchor Pat Harvey. "There's a tremendous amount of emotion in it and complex characters."

Margulies' character as an independent strong female lead has earned her an Emmy, Golden Globe, and two SAG awards.

This season, her character is involved in major plot-turning points with Alicia leaving the firm, Lockhart/Gardner, to start her own. The move has legions of fans glued to the television week-after-week.

"I've had so many different people come up to me on the street and ask me about that. 'Why is she leaving? It's cause of Will. She doesn't want to be near Will.' But I really do believe that she feels in order for her to get beyond her feelings for Will, she had to leave that firm," she explained.

The show, now in its fifth season, has never been afraid to tackle real-life events; creating smart, intelligent, and thought-provoking television.

And while Hollywood often shies away from women getting older, Margulies says, "women want to sit down and, at the end of the day, relate to someone they know. And that's women over 30."

An aspect both the show and Margulies embrace.

"It's really wonderful to see how television has embraced female characters and it's an important, I think, visual for the entire entertainment industry to see how well all these shows are doing with female leads," she said. "If you look at the film industry, they're so far and few between for women to do great work in a film these days. To have a great character."

As for Margulies, the show has become a passion, one she hopes to continue for years to come.

"I love bringing characters alive. I love stepping into someone else's shoes," she said. "It's rare that you get to love what you do. The challenge is keeping it fresh and finding, one little nuanced thing that you can do to give a different look or perception of who this character is."