As a vital cog in the The Good Wife cast, Josh Charles plays Will Gardner. He's Alicia's friend, boss... and maybe something more.

When asked by Entertainment Weekly if he could have predicted the kind of success and critical acclaim this show has received in its first season, the actor replied: no way.

"I knew it had a great cast. But other than that, what else do you know? You’re sort of jumping into this ship," Charles said. "The things that I was able to tell you come out of talking to [co-creator Robert King] about the character and getting more a sense myself of the character."

And what does he now make of Will?

"He’s ruthless. He seems cutthroat, very competitive. He can make hard decisions. But I also think he’s incredibly loyal, pragmatic at times, and practical. And lonely. That’s the sense I get. He’s a character that has worked really hard to achieve what he’s achieved and now he’s sittin’ there a little lonely and wondering if this is all there is."

As for his character's relationship with Alicia, Charles sounds unsure - but excited - about where it's all going...

"Like everything with the show, it’s been just a wonderful surprise. I had a hint from the pilot and what was discussed with me when I joined... You read these scripts each week, and I’m just always blown away by the attention to subtlety and to nuance and at times, ambiguity. I feel like they write in a way that lends us, when we play the scenes, to bring a lot of subtextual interaction to it."

The Good Wife returns with new episodes on April 27.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.