Ethan Slater is guest-starring on Elsbeth!
PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that the actor, 32, is set to appear in the April 10 episode of the hit CBS drama. The first photos of the role show Slater working alongside the talented cast as a new member of the New York Police Department.
“Ethan Slater plays Officer Reese Chandler, a Type-A, chatty new hire at the precinct,” according to his official character description. “The team may find him annoying but he proves to be a good match when teamed up with Elsbeth.”
Elsbeth stars Carrie Preston as an eccentric lawyer who works with the NYPD to solve murders. A spinoff of The Good Wife, Preston first reprised her role for the show’s debut in February 2024, and it quickly rose to success.
Season 2 kicked off in October 2024, and the series was renewed for a third season this month.
A police officer differs from the roles fans are used to seeing Slater take on. He is best known for portraying SpongeBob SquarePants in the popular 2017 Broadway musical. He was later nominated for a Tony for his performance and won a Drama Desk Award.
More recently, Slater was in the film adaptation of Wicked as Boq, who has a crush on his now-girlfriend Ariana Grande’s Glinda before eventually striking up a relationship with Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode).
As for Elsbeth, some other exciting guest stars have made appearances on the show as of late. In the Feb. 20 episode, Matthew Broderick and his son James Wilkie made their onscreen debut.
While his father took on the role of Lawrence Grey, “an independent educational consultant who promises an Ivy League future to high-paying clients and their painfully average kids,” James played a top “success trainer” at his company, Outmatch Educational Consulting.
“I was so proud and happy to work with my son James,” Broderick, 62, told PEOPLE of the role. “Working with everyone on Elsbeth was a pleasure and I’m excited for the episode to come out.”
James 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!”
