In the Madam Secretary episode ‘Global Relief’, while Alison (Kathrine Herzer) and Stevie (Wallis Currie-Wood) await their college acceptances their mother Elizabeth (Tea Leoni) must deal with the kidnapping of an American in Somalia. Rebel groups have claimed the hostage and continue to threaten the U.S. food relief efforts. Madam Secretary asks veteran Senator Beau Carpenter for help with the Somali relief mission.
Senator Carpenter is portrayed by Tony Award-winning actor John Cullum. The 87-year-old actor is known for his roles on the TV shows The Middle (Big Mike Heck), Law & Order: SVU (Judge Barry Moredock), Mad Men (Lee Garner, Sr.), ER (David Greene), and Northern Exposure (Holling Vincoeur), among many others. He has won 2 “Best Actor” Tony Awards for “Shenandoah” (1975) and “On the Twentieth Century” (1978). Madam Secretary airs Sundays at 9pm on CBS.
