The Good Wife fans are still reeling from the show’s shocking March 23 episode, in which Will Gardner (Josh Charles) was gunned down in court. And while Charles, Julianna Margulies, and showrunners Robert and Michelle King have given several interviews about the devastating twist, I’d yet to hear from Christine Baranski, who has been equally stellar in the aftermath of Will’s death. I talked to her for this Daily Beast profile about her “breathtaking” year, hoping against hope that Charles would change his mind about leaving the show and the trauma of shooting those emotional episodes as her character, Diane Lockhart, coped with Will’s loss:

Even a seasoned pro like Baranski wasn’t been prepared for what was required of her in those episodes. “I’ve done so much comedy and I’ve done drama now, but I’ve got to be honest, never in my career have I been called upon to do that kind of work in front of the camera,” she says. “It was hard, but what a privilege to be able to go to that place of deep, deep sorrow and pain and trauma.”

There’s lots more from Baranski, on juggling The Good Wife last fall while also shooting the movie adaptation of Into the Woods and how she’ll decompress after such an emotional roller coaster this season. Robert and Michelle King also spoke about how deftly Baranski pulled off her character’s darkest, and lightest, moments this spring.

‘The Good Wife’s’ Christine Baranski on Life After Will Gardner’s Death