SWEET CHUMLEY

I have spent virtually my entire life surrounded by famous actors and actresses. They are literally no different than you and me, despite their fame. And, yes, there are those that start to believe their own press agents and the “ego” that comes with it. But, if there is one thing I can say about award winning actress Carrie Preston, star of CBS’ hit show, Elsbeth, she is anything but ego-driven. I recently interviewed Carrie for the cover story of the April issue of our sister publication New York Lifestyles Magazine. Fun, talented, approachable, and beautiful are the adjectives I use to describe such a dynamic woman. But the word I chose for the cover story title was “charismatic,” because she is all of the above and more. However, when she started talking about her dog, Chumley, who she co-parents with fellow actor and husband Michael Emerson, all of a sudden my respect for this amazing couple hit a new height.

So, of course I had to inquire further given the glimmer in Carrie’s eyes as she spoke of Chumley. From what we discussed, it sounds like he is literally the center of both Carrie and Michael’s universe. And rightly so given how adorable this pawesome pup is!

Now bear in mind, I have been a fan of both Carrie and Michael for a long time. But hearing that they adopted sweet Chumley at nine months old cemented me as a lifetime fan.

Chumley came up in our conversation because I had asked Carrie how she and her husband stay so close after 30 years. We had talked about the fact that when my wife is in Australia visiting her family for three months at a time, we stay close by FaceTime and using SharePlay on our Apple devices to continue to watch shows together through the season they air. During those FaceTime moments, we try to have play sessions with our dog, Brioreo, who is also the spokesdog for Pet Lifestyles Magazine, so that she can stay connected to her.

Interestingly enough, that prompted Carrie to talk about Chumley. We also found out that she and Michael have a very specific rule for when they are traveling, “You know, Michael and I are pretty old school. We make sure we talk to each other every day. But, when we started travelling a lot in different places, we had this six-week rule. At least once out of every six weeks, we had to see each other. Even if it was just one day, and if somebody had to fly it didn’t matter. Then it was four weeks. And now it’s two and we really do make that work. So, you have Brioreo, and we have Chumley. He’s the thing Michael and I share most. There’s just not a moment that goes by that we aren’t talking about the dog.” 

I became curious about his name as Chumley is a pretty uncommon name. Carrie responded, “We picked the name way before we even picked the dog. We used to enjoy Chumley’s, a famous speakeasy that was in NYC’s West Village. 

It is gone now, but it was an incredibly popular home for some of the most famous writers, poets and playwrights in history. It held a special meaning for us, and we always thought it would make a great name for a dog!”

Chumley was adopted by the talented couple at the age of nine months from A Dog’s Life Rescue in Los Angeles. He is now 15 years old and spends his spare time in the Hudson Valley of New York State. Well, that is when Carrie isn’t shooting Elsbeth in New York.

Opened in 2005, A Dog’s Life Rescue (ADLR), is a non-profit, all volunteer organization dedicated to saving the lives of animals abandoned on the streets of Los Angeles as well as those most likely to be overlooked in the shelter system due to illness, injuries or fearfulness. According to their website, ADLR has always focused on rescuing the “underdog” because they feel those are the ones who need them the most. To learn more about ADLR,
please visit adogsliferescue.org.

The couple, both celebrated for their character-driven performances, have shared the screen on multiple occasions (including in Season 2 of Elsbeth), showcasing their undeniable chemistry and mutual admiration for each other’s work. And clearly their mutual love of such an adorable little boy is just one of the many bonds they share.  

Elsbeth airs on the CBS Television Network and streams on Paramount+. Season 3 will premiere in the 2025-2026 season, but no official air date has been released yet.