For the second-season cast, Marcia Gay Harden was, according to producer Josh Payne, a "no-brainer" for the role of Claire Maddox. They wanted an actress who could hold her own against Close. Harden's casting was also attributable, in part, to the fact that she lived in New York City where "Damages" shoots. William Hurt and Timothy Olyphant were cast late in the process. The producers debated whether they should go with one actor who created a love triangle involving Patty and Ellen, but they ultimately went with the two separate actors.