As I thought about what I wanted to write about for a column this week, I was overwhelmed with the hours upon hours of TV that I have to watch in the coming weeks. When totaled, I had 40 hours of TV a week, including new shows, old shows, shows that I never watched, and shows I made a promise to my sister that I was going to try.But when it comes right down to it, there are not enough hours in the day to watch all of the shows, so a few of them have already started to fall off the pile (some new, some old – these are the 5 most shocking to me, because I expected to be hooked on them this season).

WORST WEEK
I love Red Forman from THAT 70s SHOW and really wanted to follow him to this CBS comedy in the hope that he would be enough to enjoy this one. But I can’t do it. It’s been removed from my list, freeing up time for SAMANTHA WHO? Am I the only one that thought it was terrible?

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
I’m not the biggest fan of reality TV, but I always tuned into this one. This year, I just can’t fit it in. Nothing really ever changes – Tyra is over the top, the Jays are over the top, the photo shoots are over the top. I’m beginning to sense a theme. I’m sure I’ll catch it in reruns on MTV, right?

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
I am not looking forward to the five year jump forward. Other shows have done this already, and have done this better than I think the team over at DH can do it. To be honest, I’m not even sure it’s the five year jump that’s turning me away this season. I’m over Teri Hatcher, I’m over the “mystery of the season” which was done well in the beginning, but hasn’t been so good over the years. I kind of got more interested in it last season when Dana Delaney was in the cast, but then I just stopped. I feel bad about it, but think this is getting pushed aside!

DIRTY SEXY MONEY
This was one show that I gave up on last season, but I caught up over the summer and was really excited about it. But when I stopped to think further about it, I’m not terribly excited about the show anymore, and don’t care so much to see what happens. I mean, the cast is awesome, but for some reason, I don’t feel invested in anything that they do, so I’m turning it off.

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
It kills me to have this be one of my “relegated to reruns and DVR Saturday marathon sessions” shows. I was a big fan of the series last year. I think Lena Headey and Summer Glau are brilliant, and I really enjoy the addition of Brian Austin Green. I was very excited for Shirley Manson and the big reveal at the end of the season premiere, but that was actually the only part I liked in the season premiere. I am one of few who disliked what I was watching in the premiere – by the second episode, I was over it. After last night’s third episode, and flipping to the Phillies game instead, I decided I’m done.

I’m sure as the season goes, more shows are going to fall by the wayside, but this is it for now. What about you? What shows are you guys giving up on already?

What’s the only thing more exciting than summer? How about the end of summer!

Now don’t me wrong, nothing says fun in the sun, umm… well, like sun. But as my fellow TV Addict’s can no doubt attest to, September does have its advantages. Namely season premieres and the return of some of our favorite stars.

So with that in mind, I present ten new faces [and some old faces in new characters] to swoon over watch come Fall 2008.

Simon Baker: I fell in love with Simon in old HOME AND AWAY episodes that my cousin had on VHS for some reason. My love grew more when he was on THE GUARDIAN, one of those CBS shows that doesn’t get enough credit. He showed up for a few episodes of the blink and you missed it robbery drama SMITH. But now he’s back on CBS in THE MENTALIST, my favorite pilot that I’ve seen so far. He’s witty, sharp, pained, smart, gorgeous, and troubled all in one fun ball. This is a great role in a great show, and I hope that he gets the chance to seriously prosper at CBS.

Paula Marshall: Who doesn’t love Paula Marshall? Notorious in the TV community as a “show-killer” having been on one too many shows that died before their time, she’s back this season with a role as Jay Mohr’s ex wife on GARY UNMARRIED. I liked what I saw of her in the pilot and I enjoy seeing her back on TV! I remember her most from CUPID (which is being re-introduced on ABC sometime this year, possibly); she also had memorable roles on VERONICA MARS and NIP/TUCK!

Josh Jackson: It’s like a Christmas gift that came early. Pacey Witter back on my TV set on a weekly basis? It’s the best Fall-TV gift a girl could ask for! Josh Jackson is on FOX this year in their fantastic new show FRINGE. He’s the same old Josh/Pacey (whether he’ll admit it or not) as the sarcastic guy who acts like he’s too removed from the situation to care very much, but who in the end proves to be exactly what everyone needs. I can’t say enough about him. He’s awesome.

Joanna Garcia: You know me – you know I watch REBA reruns all the time! And Joanna Garcia is one of the reasons. She does funny well. But she does the dramatic stuff well, too, so the opportunity for her to have a role in what I think could be The CW’s best new show (sorry 90210…no screener, no love) PRIVILEGED is great. The shining star in an otherwise lame show for CBS last year (WELCOME TO THE CAPTAIN), it’s good to see her have an opportunity for something better.

Tristan Wilds: If you haven’t seen THE WIRE, you can’t truly understand the awesomeness that is Tristan Wilds. He might be the single biggest reason I’m going to tune into 90210 this season. Sure, the big Jenny/Shannen hatchet-burying interaction is making all the news, but it should be the acting on this guy. It’ll be nice to see our Michael smiling as Dixon Mills.

Anna Torv: J.J. [Abrams] scores again. First Keri Russell, then Jennifer Garner, then Evangeline Lilly. Now, Anna Torv. She is fierce and beautiful as Olivia on FRINGE and I think she’s going to be a huge breakout star. The way she can switch between happy, sad, confused, in love, dreamy eyed, worried, sick, and scared in the span of like 10 minutes? I’m already smitten with her, and cannot wait to see what else she can do.

Jason O’Mara: Let me take a minute to swoon. Still swooning. Yep, still swooning. He is smoldering. But that’s not all that he has going for him. He is fantastic with even the smallest parts. With his quickly canceled IN JUSTICE, he was just the right amount of rough and sincere to make me happy. In his small time on MEN IN TREES, I wanted to choose him. With his two appearances on THE CLOSER, he played one of the best sociopathic villains on TV! So I look forward to ABC’s retread of the BBC hit LIFE ON MARS because Jason is just so good and he deserves a true breakout. Am I worried that David E Kelley is gone and the boys from OCTOBER ROAD have taken over? Yes, slightly, but with Jason attached, it can’t be bad, right?

Elizabeth Reaser: Say what you might, critics (you know who you are), about CBS’ new show THE EX LIST (which I didn’t hate), Elizabeth Reaser is quite charming. As an instant Ava/Rebecca hater on GREY’S, I expected to immediately dislike Elizabeth’s Bella on THE EX LIST, but I don’t. I understand her plight, and when she gets whiny here, it doesn’t bother me. While the show might not be a huge hit, I think that Elizabeth has a great career ahead of her, and I for one, will be tuning in.

John Michael Higgins: One of the stars of some of my favorite movies (BEST IN SHOW, A MIGHTY WIND [best character EVER], FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION) as well as some totally kick ass Direct TV commercials, he ranks as one of my favorite people to watch. His role on KATH AND KIM, as Molly Shannon’s boyfriend, is classic John Michael, and I think he’s going to knock it out of the park. Whether the show is a hit or miss, he’ll still remain one of my #1 folks!

Gretchen Mol: I’m a big fan of ROUNDERS (you have to be when your brother watches it on DVD, on cable, on his computer, etc.) and I was one of those people who believe Gretchen Mol was destined for a huge breakout. Sure, she’s had steady work, but she hasn’t had nearly the explosive career that I think she’s deserving of (see David E Kelley’s GIRLS CLUB, which no one actually saw). Hopefully LIFE ON MARS will take off, and she’ll be ABC’s new darling, and we’ll get to see her career take off on a whole other level. While I thought Rachelle Lefevre would have been good, I much prefer the idea of Gretchen Mol as Annie Norris.

I don’t think I’m overstating anything when I say that this summer has given us some of the best TV I’ve seen in a long time. I’m still not caught up on the few weeks I missed due to our trip to San Diego, but I still feel like I’ve seen some quality TV that I’m glad we have in the summer so these shows don’t have to compete with my regular fall viewing. Here are my favorite shows from the summer (if not listed, it’s because I’m just not caught up and I can’t say it’s my favorite if I haven’t seen it…I’m talking to you, THE CLOSER).

My five favorite summer shows this year:

BURN NOTICE – Ever since my visit to the set, I feel connected to this show. I’ve had the chance to spend time with the people that make the show possible, so to me, that makes season 2 even more spectacular than season 1. Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) is a great character – he’s sarcastic, which is perfect for me – I sometimes feel like sarcasm should be my middle name. I love Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar, who I can’t say enough good things about) and I think she’s even better this season than last. No one compares to Sam (Bruce Campbell) and, say what you will about Madeline (Sharon Gless), I think she’s a fantastic character. I have enjoyed every episode of Season 2 so far. It’s funny, whip smart, and just an easy way to pass the time. I understand the plight of viewers who think the Carla thing has dragged on a bit too far, but I personally am on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how the mid season “finale” goes (since we’ll get more BURN NOTICE in January this year) and what more we find out about the mysterious Carla (Tricia Helfer).

THE MIDDLEMAN – I cannot say enough good things about this show. Matt Keeslar is brilliant as the goody two shoes Middleman. He and Natalie Morales (Wendy Watson) have an absolutely fantastic chemistry between them, and Mary Pat Gleason as Ida is perfectly cast. Wendy’s roommate and neighbor Lacey and Noser are some of the best things about the show. I just find the whole cast to be intriguing, and different. Plus, the creator of the show, Javier Grillo-Marxuach is one of my favorite people on the planet. Please find 100,000 of your friends to watch this show (Kevin Sorbo was CLASSIC last night as the Middleman from 1969) and help a girl out. Also, send peanut M&Ms into ABC Family in an effort to get a second season.

SWINGTOWN – When this started, I thought it would be another cheeseball show that just sexed it up for 44 minutes, and then said “tune in next week for more sexing it up” but I could not have been more wrong. What started as a clichéd story about Swingers in Chicago suburbs has turned into one of the most intriguing character studies currently airing on TV. I love a good flawed character, and everyone on this show (except BJ, who is like the coolest kid ever) has some sort of huge flaw which plays to their advantage. I’m dying to see what happens to Bruce and Susan. And Roger and Janet. Will Roger and Susan act on whatever is brewing between them? Will Janet find a new man when she enters the workforce? What will become of Laurie and Doug (which, again, say what you will, I think this storyline is very real, and I enjoyed it)? Most importantly, does Grant Show’s appearance on PRIVATE PRACTICE later in the fall season (and the decline of ratings since episode 1) mean we should be savoring every last minute of his porn-stache?

MAD MEN – This show is so good it should be illegal. It’s like a drug addiction for me; I seriously cannot get enough! I love Betty Draper. She’s just perfect. And I hate-love Don Draper for so many reasons. I’m dying to see what happens with the Pete / Peggy love-child story. I want to see more Sal has trouble admitting who he really is storylines, and hopefully that means more Sarah Drew! What is going to become of everyone at Sterling Cooper and with Joan as Don’s fill in secretary for a bit, how awesome is that going to be? What started as a lazy Labor Day marathon last summer has quickly become a great obsession, and I am not looking forward to the season ending (I know we’re only a few episodes in, but I don’t want to go another year without it. See, I told you it was like a drug)!

PSYCH – Burton Guster and Shawn Spencer are two of my favorite characters on TV, period. I love them together. I think their friendship is dynamite and I want to hang out with them on a daily basis because they just crack me up! Add in time spent with Henry Spencer, plus Lassiter and Jules, and I’m in! Cybill Shepherd was great as Shawn’s mom – looking forward to seeing more of that. I kind of can’t wait for the Roller Derby episode that some friends got to see being filmed. Everything about this show screams “Great summer escapist fare” and I love escaping into Santa Barbara on a weekly basis!

What else is coming up in August?

Know what else I’m excited about? The season premiere of GREEK on August 26. I miss that show – it’s one of my top summer shows from last year, so I’m glad it’s coming back! And getting the timeslot right after megahit THE SECRET LIFE is such a sign of support from the bigwigs at ABC Family. Kudos to them!

“I’ll Catch it in Reruns”

That’s a big motto for me during the regular season when there’s a show I really want to watch but I just don’t have time to, and for me this summer, that show has been CSI: NY. I don’t know why; I’m not a fan of CSI. I really don’t love CSI: MIAMI though I watch it. I am absolutely hooked on CSI:NY thanks to the power of reruns and On Demand.

I’ve also gotten the chance to get completely caught up on DIRTY SEXY MONEY this summer (I have had them on my TiVo this long) and I’m even more excited for the new season now!

What about you guys? What are did you love this summer? What else are you looking forward to?

It’s only the middle of June and already I’ve got a wicked “What I did on my summer vacation” story to share with you all. A little over a week ago, I had the great pleasure of spending some time on the set of a little show we all know (and should absolutely love). USA was great enough to invite a few members of the online media word (read: bloggerati) to visit Miami and the set of BURN NOTICE!

I arrived on a Thursday afternoon, just a few hours before our scheduled dinner at The Chart House with the mastermind behind the whole show, the absolutely hilarious and incredibly personable Matt Nix. We had a great time at dinner, talking about the show. In the only conversation of the two days that we didn’t get a chance to record (I think we all had our recorders in our bags, but no one wanted to break that ice), Matt told us stories about how the show came to be, about why he ended up in Miami, and what might happen to various characters if he suddenly stops getting along with their portrayer! He offered great insight into the world of BURN NOTICE and why he likes filming in Miami. He wasn’t just putting us on, either. You can tell just by the way he tells a story, that he truly loves his job and couldn’t ask for anything better.

One of my favorite stories of the night was him telling us about shooting last year’s finale, when they blew up a car with a missile and created a giant mushroom cloud in the middle of downtown Miami. He recalled watching the dailies and thinking how cool it was that they had gotten all these extras to drive through Miami as they caused this damage on the bridge. When he realized that they weren’t extras, that it was actually Miami traffic, his thoughts immediately went to the crazy fact that no one stopped. Not a single person on the bridge stopped to check out the mushroom cloud. It’s a hilarious commentary on where our minds are. Mushroom cloud = normal, naturally.

We started the day rather early on Friday. We met for breakfast and headed over to the old Miami convention center, where the show shoots, to set up camp for a long day ahead of us. We got a small glimpse of the set and headed to our station for the day – a long table in front of the house where Michael Westen’s mother Madeline (played by the fabulous Sharon Gless) lives. It was astounding to see how they had turned this place into a giant sound stage that is starting to bring a film life back into Miami, the likes of which, we found out as the day went on, hasn’t been seen since the days of MIAMI VICE.

Here is how the amazing morning shook out (and you’ll be able to read all of these interviews in the coming weeks):

Up first, on her day off (turns out Jeffrey Donovan was the only one shooting), was one of my favorite people on the planet, Gabrielle Anwar (Fiona). As hilarious as she was the first time I met her, she kept us laughing as she told stories about her cast mates, and shared with us that she wishes she had been able to keep her Irish accent from the Pilot, because it was easier to fake Irish than fake American.

Set Designer Craig Siebels

Set Designer Craig Siebels was next – another really funny member of the crew, who told us how the sets come together, and told us tales of his harrowing 12-hour-a-day van escapades around Miami.

Stunt Coordinator Artie Malesci

The soft-spoken and to the point Artie Malesci, stunt coordinator was up next. He told us about his career and how he ended up with BURN NOTICE, plus he started the trend of selling Jeffrey Donovan as a man who can do nothing wrong!

Prop Master Charlie Guanci, Jr.

Charlie Guanci, Jr., the Prop Master was another funny guy with a family history of prop work, and he had so much great stuff to say about why they use the various props (guns included) that they use. Oh and you guessed it – Jeffrey Donovan is an ace with the gun.

One of the highlights of the day for me was meeting the incomparable Bruce Campbell (Sam), who rode in on his bicycle, sweating up a storm. He started talking as he walked in the room, and didn’t stop until he left. He was so charming and, I have to say, rather attractive in person!

It was at this point in the day where I started to realize that if you work on this show, a dark comedy about a burned CIA agent, you must be funny, or have a funny story to tell. We laughed all day long! After our first batch of interviews, we went up to the production offices and got a sneak peak at a great scene from Season 2’s premiere. It was classic BURN NOTICE and featured humor, prop work, stunt work, and I’m fairly certain I haven’t given anything away, so I should be safe (I hope).

Rae with the Charger

Our trip around the set led us to the cars that they use on the set. My dad was so happy to hear that I got to go near the Charger that Michael drives. Jeffrey Freilich (executive producer and my newest favorite person alive) tried to convince us that all the cars they use, like most cars Fiona drives in the show, are actually stolen off the streets of Miami. Our set visits took us around to Michael Westen’s loft. It’s everything you’d imagine. Bed in the middle of the floor – no bed frame, just a mattress. The skeeviest refrigerator you’ll ever see lends me to believe that he should head down to the local Lowe’s a pick up a new one. After some pictures there, we headed back to our station and waiting for our afternoon chats.

The afternoon went a little something like this:

Sharon Gless (Madeline) is a force to be reckoned with. So genuine, and unable to believe that she truly is an icon. When I asked her a question about that other big character from the past TV season that I loved (Colleen from NIP/TUCK), she made me feel so appreciated for asking the question, and just moved at the very thought that we would think she was amazing. She also talked about how much she loves her TV-son Jeffrey, and how proud of him she is.

Executive Producer Jeffrey Freilich

The aforementioned Jeffrey Freilich was the most fascinating man to listen to. He had great stories to tell about how he left TV 14 years ago (OJ Simpson was involved), what Barbra Streisand is really like, how funny it is that Jeffrey Donovan doesn’t sweat in Miami, and why he thinks DVDs will be obsolete. I could have listened to him speak for days – he was funny, and so wicked intelligent.

The (beautiful) man, the myth, the legend, Jeffrey Donovan (Michael) was awesome. Shooting was a bit delayed during the day, so we all got to eat lunch late in the afternoon with Jeffrey (I was fan-girl happy to know that he and I both chose artichokes off of the Craft Services line)! He spoke eloquently and with a twinkle in his eye. He’s the reluctant hero of the show, and he is self-deprecating and so fond of his fellow cast members and crew. And yes, his teeth are glorious in person.

Locations Manager Valerie Schields

Locations manager Valerie Schields was our last interview of the day, and she continued the trend of funny, well-spoken people that spent time with us. She had great stories of both working on BURN NOTICE and how it’s become Miami’s show, as well as what it was like back in the days of no shooting permits for anything on MIAMI VICE.

Our day came to an end with a quick view of the outside of Michael’s loft and a walk by the scene Jeffrey was working on, featuring Robin Givens as a guest star.

It was the most fantastic day, and thanks to a strategically planned transcription-work-delegation, you’ll get to read everything that these awesome people had to say over the weeks leading up to the Season 2 premiere of BURN NOTICE at 10PM on July 10! For those of you trying to catch up, get the first season on DVD this week and plug through all 11 episodes this weekend!

Taking a page from our friend HYPERLINK Rae’s book, I want to take a minute to thank everyone involved in making the day possible. My girls Chrissy and Moira at New Media Strategies who first sent word of the trip my way; Harriet and Brad from USA who were great hosts; Claudia for being a great mediator and knowing when it was finally time to get that last question in; The Chart House for an amazing dinner; the city of Miami for being a great place to visit.

I also want to thank our friends at Ramblings of a TV Whore, Fanbolt, IGN, Eclipse Magazine, TV Squad, and ACED Magazine for sharing the day, and the transcription, with me.

Hey gang, did you miss me? It’s been a long time since I’ve done the Tuesday column thing and for that I absolutely apologize and promise we’re all back on track! This week, I want to spend some time with you all, with the hopes that by the end of the next few paragraphs or so, you’re as pumped about Season 3 of 30 DAYS as I am.

First things first, I think Morgan Spurlock is a genius. He isn’t preachy. He doesn’t force you to care, but somehow, after spending an hour with him or one of his weekly participants, you start thinking about changing things in your life. What he tries to do is show another side of things, the part of life you wouldn’t normally get to see and it’s some of the best television I’ve ever watched.

I was lucky enough to view all 6 episodes of the new season, starting June 3 at 10PM on FX, and, to be honest, my only complaint is that I wish there was more. Everything we love about seasons past is there – the raw emotion, the intriguing stories. This season, I feel like Morgan and Co. stepped it up a notch.

The first episode of the season deals with Morgan living with a coal mining family in his home state of West Virginia. I learned so much more about the lifestyle than I ever thought I would be interested in learning. Did you know that you can make over $100K a year by running a coal mine? I didn’t, and now I want to move down to WV and see what I can help with! I found myself caring about the families, especially Dale and Sandy, who Morgan bunked with for 30 DAYS. I worried about Morgan’s wife, and what would happen if these 30 DAYS were going to be his last because of a mine collapse. I was intrigued by the financial aspect of coal mining that Morgan got from the suits involved in the trade. So much great stuff in one hour, by the end, I found myself moved to tears.

Episode 2 continues the trend, with a great story of former Broncos Cornerback Ray Crockett living his 30 DAYS in a wheelchair. It was really great to see how he was visibly affected by what he was going through. His family was incredibly supportive, and it looks like he made some great friends along the way. Cut to me, once again at the end, in tears. I just like when people learn a lesson or realize something without being force fed the way to do it.

I want you guys to tune in and pay attention to the show for yourself, but here is a sneak peek into the rest of the season:

Morgan himself has said that he thinks Episode 3 (“Animal Rights,” the episode where hunter George Snedeker finds himself living with a vegan campaign coordinator for PETA in LA) is “maybe the best hour of television [he has] ever seen in [his] life.” That’s a rather glowing review from the creator, but he’s not really exaggerating. The episode ranks extremely high on my list of favorite hours of TV, too.

Episode 4 deals with a hot issue right now, the argument for and the argument against “Same Sex Parenting.” Whereas Episode 3 is outwardly the “best hour of television” of the season, Episode 4 packs a punch. Kati lives with Dan and Thomas and their four adopted sons in Michigan. It’s a difficult story to tell, because there are people on both sides of this argument, but I think anyone with a thought on the matter could appreciate this episode.

“Gun Nation” features a woman steadfastly against guns learning to shoot after getting her gun license. It could have been just another episode detailing the gun/no gun argument, but, of course, it goes in a great direction that’s so much deeper than that.

Morgan is back in the season finale, living his 30 DAYS on an Indian Reservation – and it’s another hit. He’s a naturally funny guy, and it’s so intriguing to see him out of his element. I don’t know if could do what he does and be so gracious and understanding about it all.

It sounds like I’m just blowing smoke, but I honestly love this show and hope you’re all excited to watch Morgan and Co. help us see the other side of the coin. Let us know what you think after you’ve tuned in!

We all have Upfronts on the brain this week, as we sit and get ready to hear what’s happening on some of our favorite networks. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend USA Network’s Upfront presentation in Chicago. The number one cable network last year, USA has plans to build on that, and only get better as the years continue. They are wisely bringing back their two breakout hits from last season – the charming miniseries THE STARTER WIFE (now a weekly series, airing in early fall) and BURN NOTICE (which starts season 2 in July). Network anchors MONK and PSYCH were no-brainer pickups, both coming back with new episodes in July. MONK will air its 100th episode this summer! I also had the chance to see some clips and previews from USA’s latest offering, IN PLANE SIGHT, starring Mary McCormack about Witness Protection Marshalls in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It fits the USA mold and I think it’s going to be another addicting show (look for an interview with creator and executive producers as we draw nearer to the premiere).

While at the intimate cocktail party that they threw for their advertisers, I had the chance to meet and chat with Corbin Bernsen from PSYCH, Tony Shalhoub from MONK, Gabrielle Anwar from BURN NOTICE (and most importantly from WILD HEARTS CAN’T BE BROKEN, the amazing movie from the early 90s), as well as recent Wrestelmania competitor Maria, one of the WWE’s DIVAS. Not only were they some of the most upbeat and friendliest celebrities that I’ve had the chance to meet, they all genuinely seem thrilled to be a part of this continually-growing network.

I know we have fans of MONK that visit this site (me being one of the most hardcore of them all), so imagine my delight at getting time to chat with Tony Shalhoub. He’s soft spoken and gracious, and probably everything you think he would be, and more. We got the chance to talk about MONK, what the future holds, the 100th episode, and who he still hasn’t had the chance to work with.

My dad calls me Monk, so this is a dream realized. Ha!
Tony Shalhoub: Does he really? [laughs]

After doing the show for so long, how do you keep the role fresh and interesting?
I have to say that it’s the writers that keep it new and fresh. They just keep throwing us curve balls and things that we never would have imagined. In a way, though, I think, it sort of becomes an exercise in rule-breaking. All TV shows have sort of what they call a “show bible” – certain things that you do or never do – and what we’ve learned to do now over 6 seasons, is to see that it isn’t really a bad thing to break your own rules. Somehow, the audience goes along with it. It’s risky at times but when it works, it works beautifully.

Have you found yourself become more aware of obsessive compulsions that you have? Or like fears or phobias?
I don’t really have huge phobias. Being in the mind set of Monk, I do start to think about things in my everyday life that could really trouble me. I was recently at a restaurant and it struck me that the menu was probably really filthy. They probably don’t really wash them and many, many people handle them and they’re like touching their mouths. Now, what I do is I look at the menu, and then I order, and THEN I go wash my hands. [Editor’s Note: Can anyone guess what my newest obsessive compulsion is? Thanks Tony!]

Do you get a lot of fan response when you’re out in public??People seem to really love it. What’s really gratifying about it is that it crosses a lot of demographics. Young people like it. Middle-aged people like it. Older people are always saying to me “I love the show because I can watch it with my grandchildren. We all enjoy it on our own level and it doesn’t talk down to kids or us.” That’s the best part of it.

Do you envision an endpoint??I had six years on my original contract, which we just finished. I re-upped for seven and there could be an eight but that’s really up to the network. It depends on a lot. I could definitely do one more after this one. If the writers can do it, I can do it. We’re coming up on our 100th show. We’re going to shoot that in July.

Do you ever have ideas for your character??One of my favorite episodes, not just because of that. I pitched an idea, and what they did was amazing, they really fleshed it out. It was an episode we did in Season Two, called “Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine,” where his shrink prescribes medication for his OCD. It’s the wrong prescription and it has a personality altering affect, but Monk feels better. But he’s unable to do his job as well as he could. That was my idea. I think I’m doing for another one, don’t you think? [laughs]

You have such a varied career. What makes you go back to theatre??I was trained in the theatre. It’s kind of how I always imagined, I always imagined I would have a life in the theatre. I never really set out to do film and television. It wasn’t part of the original half-baked plan. Also, I think it’s really good for actors to perform in a live venue. I think it’s a whole different discipline. I’ve been lucky. I’ve been able to do television, film, and theatre, alternately. I’m blessed.

Is there anyone that you’re dying to work with that you haven’t worked with yet?
A million people. Martin Scorsese, I would love to work with. Meryl Streep, I would love to work with. Al Pacino, I would love to work with. I met him a few times and I’ve done table reads with him. Oh my God. There are so many great people that I probably will never get to all of them.

I’m curious to hear what you think about how cable has changed since [your last long running series] WINGS?
It’s really all about cable and the onslaught started by networks like HBO and Showtime, original series giving people an alternative to what sort of became in a way predictable. Because they were allowed to do edgier and riskier things on cable, they really started to give the networks a run for their money. They became kind of an equalizer. At first, nobody took cable that seriously, and now networks are starting to fear the onslaught. But it’s good. It’s healthy. It’s also been good for a lot of people like writers, directors, and actors who worked exclusively in features because the feature market has started to dwindle a little in terms of the number of large films made. A lot of those people have gravitated towards TV and cable has absorbed a lot of those people. It’s been healthy. It’s created more of a competitive environment all around.

Do watch TV in your downtime?
Not much. Not because I don’t like it but because I’m busy. When I watch something, I have a hard time watching it and just enjoying it. I’m looking at is a producer. I’ve been a producer on Monk for six years and I’m always thinking to myself, why did they use that cut? What’s with this angle, or oh, I wish I thought of that. I’m not really following much. I’m kind of watching it with a different set of eyes.

Do you think there’s a bit more creative freedom with USA? Would MONK have been different on another network?
Yeah, I think it would have been different. You know, Monk was at ABC for years, in semi-development. I think if it had been on a network, it would have had a different gloss and the emphasis would have been somewhat different. At the time MONK started, USA was in the process of reinventing itself. A lot of executives were leaving and new people were coming in and they were trying to find their new identity. So, we were very fortunate that they decided to do Monk and promote it really well and market it really well and give it time to build.

In the coming season, are we going to see more of what happened to Trudy, or why it happened to Trudy? Or will it always be something that sort of comes up here and there?
I think we will try to start. Everyone has the sense that we’re approaching the end, whether it’s this season or season eight, we definitely, we gotta wind it down. And I think the writers, in their heads, are starting to move towards that.

Do you have any film projects coming up?
I have a film in the can that I co-produced and also acted in. It’s a story of Arab Americans, Muslim-Americans post 9-11. Arab-American community in LA. I play a Jewish American business man, partnering up in business with a Muslim man. It’s kind of like, for lack of a better parallel, sort of like a “Do the Right Thing” sort of movie. We’re very, very proud of it. It has distribution for cable.

What would you be doing if you weren’t acting?
I’d be homeless.

Did you have that moment, “I knew I wanted to be an actor?” type place?
Yeah, when I was very young, I was watching television. This is at a time when there weren’t VCRs and if a movie came up on TV, it came up once every two or three years. And I saw a film version of a play called A Thousand Clowns. The play was written by Herb Gardner and the actor who did it on stage, on Broadway, did the film, too. It was Jason Robards. I saw this movie and I knew that it was a play, it was shot like a play. It had such a tremendous impact on me. I was such a gigantic fan of Jason Robards. And I ended up actually…I did a movie, my first movie, called Quick Change and he was in that. A few years later I got a call from Herb Gardner, who I didn’t know, to do a play called Conversations With My Father. I got to work with my heroes.

What is your advice to young actors?
I would say that theatre is a great place to start. Do as much as you can. Try to vary your roles as much as you can. The best advice I ever got when I was a student was one word from an acting teacher – persevere. It’s really about showing up. You got to keep showing up. And you got to stay positive.

Recently I had the great opportunity to interview one of my personal favorites, Courteney Cox, star of DIRT [and that little show about six friends and a coffee shop]. In anticipation of DIRT’s second season, premiering this Sunday March 2 at 10PM on FX, Monica, umm… I mean Courteney was kind enough to spend a half an hour chatting it up with some of the sleazy and underhanded brilliant and good-looking reporters that DIRT so easily loves to dish about.

I was wondering, this season feels a little bit more ripped from the headlines, and we were just curious to know if that was something of a conscious choice, just following the past year of what’s gone on, or if it was just accidental?
Courtney Cox: No, it’s absolutely a choice. We thought that would be a good way to just start the season, and it is absolutely ripped from the headlines. We usually do a hybrid of celebrities and then add to the story like maybe what happened to cause this to happen to them or sum it up in a different way just for fun. But yes, it’s definitely relatable this year and I think it makes for just a more exciting television show.

Are there any other celebrities, because right now we have some story lines that are a little bit a la Nicole and Paris and David Hasselhoff, are there any other celebrities that we can expect to see something from? Any little tidbits you can give us on that?
Well, there is definitely going to be, in almost every episode you’ll see something that you will recognize, and that’s kind of hopefully the fun of it that you’ll be able to guess who this person we might be talking about, even though it’s not really about them. It could be about, like I said before, just a couple of people or a couple of situations. But yes, every episode there is that relatable kind of relatable story line.

Have any of the celebrities that have been touched upon contacted you guys?
No, I don’t think they’ve seen them yet. We air March 2 and we’ll see. I think there’s a fine line that the producers, even me as a producer, will take. We don’t ever intend to hurt anyone. And as a matter of fact sometimes we make the characters sympathetic just by showing our creative version of what their life must be like or how they got to the place where they did something outrageous. It’s all in fun. It’s much lighter this year and it’s funnier, and I don’t think anyone’s going to get upset. And if they do, that I guess, it wasn’t intentional.

I wanted to ask you, just kind of following up on that last question, how do you kind of keep the show grounded and not go too far and not make the characters too out there? It seems like a show where this must be something you have to think about of making it still relatable. Do you find that difficult as you go into season two?
Well you know you would think that that would be a problem, but really if you just look at any magazine or follow any celebrity that people are fascinated with, they seem to do the outrageous things on their own. We’ll come up with something that we think “okay, now what’s really shocking,” because we want to make good television. So obviously we want to shock people. But then, lo and behold, it ends up happening or something. Life is outrageous enough. I don’t think that we have to worry about making anything seem crazy, because through time if you look at all the tabloids from the last whatever many years it pretty much speaks for itself.

And do you find that true even for your character, that you don’t have to worry about keeping her grounded because just the world she’s in is out there?
Yes, I think that the world of magazines, and I think it’s so competitive that you do have to go to great lengths to get the exclusive story or the perfect picture. It’s just so competitive. So I think that that’s what great about this show and the subject matter, because there are no limits. You could go anywhere and it wouldn’t be—yes, last year we did some things, which I really loved, where Don Konkey, he cut off his finger to get a story, but that’s because he really was loyal to Lucy. He’s also a schizophrenic and wasn’t on medication. I want to be as kind of outrageous but within the realm of reality as possible, and so far it hasn’t proven to be something that’s hard to come up with.

And last year was great when you had Jennifer Aniston on, that was a lot of fun for people. I didn’t know if there are any other guest stars you’re planning on or you can tell us about or hopes you have to?
We have great guest stars this year. We don’t have any cast members of Friends, but we do have, Tom Arnold was on and Rosanna Arquette, my sister-in-law, and Vicki Lewis and Sharon Lawrence and Richard Karn, all just really great actors. And we have recurring role characters and new characters on the show that work in the office. I think it’s been a great season for just really good actors being on the show.

I want to go back on something you just said a few moments ago. You said this year’s going to be lighter and funnier. You seemed to have a great year last year, was there some feedback that made you say we do need to lighten it and funny it a little bit this year?
I think it’s just more making it relatable. Last year I thought was really interesting, and we had kind of the subject was about the Apocalypse and it was heavier. This year we just want it to be a little bit more of a broader appeal. I think the people who loved Dirt last year will hopefully love it this year, but there will be just more of an audience because the people who read US and In Touch and all those tabloid magazines I think will get a kick out of the show.

And can you just talk a little bit about doing the double duty of both starring and being exec producer. Can you wear both hats at the same time or do you have to at one point say okay, I’m now thinking as the star and now I’m thinking as the producer?
No, I would say I wear the hat all the time. But the only difference is because I’m an actor I probably have a lot more, I mean I have probably not more compassion, but I definitely am for the actor always. Just because I’ve been there and I understand, and trying to take care of their needs I think is really important to me. But no, this job was something that I love every hat that I wear and it’s been fantastic.

I love the character Ian Hart plays. I love your secondary characters that you’ve cast in the show. Don Konkey—
Yes, he’s wonderful.

I was wondering how you found him and the whole subject of schizophrenia your writers treat with humanity and humor, and it’s not pandered to. A lot of mental illnesses are treated in these extreme arcs. And I just wanted to know what was the story behind him and how you found him?
Well, how we found Ian was he came in to read, and Ian’s an amazing actor and he’s done tons of stuff, but he came into our office at Coquette, our production company, and read as well as all the rest of the cast that we hired, but he just was so unique and interesting. And what happened was, when we originally pitched the show to FX we had a very outrageous paparazzo, but he didn’t have schizophrenia. And when we hired Matthew Carnahan, who ended up writing and creating the show, he put that character trait to Don Konkey. It wasn’t there originally in the first pitch. And I just think it made it so great because you had sympathy for him, so he kind of got away and can get away with doing even more kind of strange things.

And Ian has such heart and walks such a fine line of making his character not seem—I mean just making him real. Actually, Ian knows a lot. He’s got a few—well, I don’t know if I can say this, but I guess he does—he’s got a couple family members that have schizophrenia or had schizophrenia and so he knows it really well. So he’s never overdoing it, and he’s just playing it as real as possible.

It’s very well done. I’ve noticed that your show that I’ve watched it, it sort of exposes the dividing line in the celebrity world from serious celebrities who are in it as a career versus the people who are in it for the party and the photo events. Do you feel that your show is paparazzi sort of like their say or their side exposing celebrities that kind of manipulate them for these photo opportunities and these outrageous situations or for a quick buck versus the serious actors who just want to work? I want to know your opinion if your show illuminates paparazzi in a kinder light?
Oh illuminates, okay in a kinder light. Well no, I don’t think we’re trying to show them in a more positive light. The only thing that you can say is how many there are and how competitive it is, but no, I don’t think anyone in our show really comes off smelling like a rose. And I think that we’re showing the humanity of everyone, but no one’s looking great, whether it’s Lucy who’s out to, you know she’s having more fun this year at getting the stories and she’s loving her job more. She may be a little lighter on her staff than she was last year, but she almost died and I think she just has a different outlook on life. But she still will go pretty far to get what she needs.

I guess I missed making my point. I think that to me just as an observer—no, it’s my fault. It seems like there are celebrities out there in the real world that are in it just for the celebrity … photo op and manipulate the paparazzi, and then there’s real serious actors, the majority of actors, who lead quiet lives and just want to work. I don’t know. It feels like your show, to me, when I watch it illuminates that reality, and I didn’t know if you felt strongly about that.
We are illuminating those people because that’s the stories that you read about. So in making a fun television show you want people to be able to relate and go “Oh my God, is that so and so? Oh wait a minute, but didn’t that happen to that girl?” And then we kind of are combining them and making just really for fun television. But yes, we are highlighting those people because they’re the ones that are in the headlines of these magazines. Did that answer it?

I’m just curious, what has been your favorite story line so far that you’ve filmed?
Okay, let me think about that, my favorite story line. We have this character on the show this year that will definitely resemble someone that’s in the press all the time, but she’s a recurring character. And I won’t say who she’s portraying, because you’ll be able to figure it out relatively early on, but what I like about it is it kind of shows a side to this person’s character like what could have happened or maybe there’s a different side to the story that we don’t know about. And we give another version and I think it’s been really interesting. Her name is Sharlee Cates [played by Ashley Johnson]. An amazing actor.

My question for you is, has your role as Lucy affected your views or your feelings at all towards the paparazzi or towards tabloids?
I would say that playing this character and working on this show has definitely shown me how hard it is and how competitive it is. It’s just really hard to run a successful magazine. I get that. And I’ve gotten just how many paparazzi there are out there and how hard it is to get the exclusive picture. So yes, I guess I’ve learned, it doesn’t mean that I agree with it all, and I definitely don’t agree with the obsession on certain celebrities. I understand the fascination, but when it gets obsessive I think it gets dangerous. So I haven’t changed my view, but definitely I’ve learned all sides of it, for sure.

I wanted to go back to something someone asked earlier about the sort of ripped from the headlines aspect. Do you ever worry that real life is almost stranger than fiction at this point?
Well, I think that there’s a fine line in deciding what is appropriate, what’s just good entertaining television, and what is exploitive and hurtful. But I feel like what’s been really interesting is that we come up with these story lines, and sometimes we think wow, no way this could happen, but man would it make for a good episode, and then you find out after you filmed it, you’ve written it, that something even more outrageous has happened, or they’ve done exactly what you thought they were going to do. When you sit in a writer’s review you go okay, what is the wildest thing that you could imagine this character doing? Sometimes it actually happens, because people are just really unpredictable. So it doesn’t scare me, but I definitely feel sometimes that people will see things on our show and say oh my God, they just took that right from what happened, and we actually may have filmed it before it even happened. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.

One of my favorite things about Dirt is the relationship between Lucy and Don, and I was wondering if we are going to get more of that this season and how it’s going to evolve?
Well there definitely is more of it this season, and I think they’re kind of the core of the show, and that relationship is really important. And Don this year has taken, he’s on medication now so his schizophrenia has been toned way back and he’s much more in control, which makes him have to look at what he’s do for a living and how far he goes for Lucy. So they’ve kind of reversed roles a little bit. As opposed to her taking care of him, he’s taking care, did I say that right, yes, he’s taking care of her more. And so it’s an interesting change this year.

I just wanted to know, I’m also a big fan of your character Gail Weathers in the Scream series. And I wanted to know if there was any inspiration, because you were kind of a ruthless editor in that, or ruthless reporter, and now you’re a ruthless editor.
Well it’s an interesting parallel because Monica was a ruthless competitive, competitor or whatever, girl, but I guess I have that streak in my personality. Gail Weathers though, was really campy. I think we’re making a fun show, but I don’t think it’s campy, so that would be the big difference. In Scream 3 I did have the worst hairdo in the world, so other than that. I can’t believe it’s forever on film, brutal.

You touched on this a little bit earlier, but I just wanted to ask if you can talk a little bit more about how and if Lucy has changed this season after being stabbed, after almost dying. Does she come back with a different outlook or is she the same ruthless person we saw in season one?
She is ruthless, but she definitely has a different outlook on life. She doesn’t take it quite so seriously. I think she’s a little more appreciative of what she has and how great—I think she just likes her job more as opposed to needing to tell the truth for some personal reason. It’s more like hey, I’ve got a great job. This is fun. I want to be the best I can be at it. And I think that she’s a little more daring in certain ways, but for a better reason, just for a more fun outlook as opposed to for, like I said before, some personal vendetta against people.

What about playing the editor-in-chief of a tabloid magazine appealed to you?
Well, just playing a character that is strong, that is very ruthless, but with a heart. When I originally pitched this show to FX it didn’t even have a woman character in it. It was really about a Hollywood young actor who was willing to kind of sell his soul to a paparazzo to kind of keep up in the world of Hollywood; FX came up with the idea of making it centered around a female at a tabloid magazine. And it sounded so good the way John Landgraff pitched it back to us that I was like, wow, maybe I should be playing this character, and that’s how it kind of happened. I know this world, so I thought it would be a fun character to play, and it turned out it is.

Now I’m curious, you guys ended season one with that great cliffhanger, and I heard that you guys were only able to complete seven episodes this year because of the strike. And I’m wondering about the through line over the course of the season, does it just sort of drop off at the end or is there going to be another great cliffhanger? What’s going to be happening?
Well, we didn’t know that we were going to not finish, but the strike kind of changed all of that. So luckily, what works in our favor this year, which would have not have worked last year at all, is that each episode is self-contained, even though there may be a character that goes over a few episodes you can watch each one and feel like you’ve wrapped up a story. So luckily, episode seven, which is the one that we finished on, if you didn’t know it wasn’t, no one’s getting stabbed, but it’s still an exciting episode. I mean, do we have bigger plans? Sure, but does it work? Yes.

I wanted to see if you could touch on the new hires in the office and how they’re going to be changing the dynamic in the workplace?
Well, I think the whole show this year takes place, not solely, but much more, well maybe solely, in the offices of Dirt now and what it takes to run this magazine. So we have new cast members that are enriching that world. And I think that it’s great. It just kind of keeps it all within the office, and you’ll see love triangles and personal issues and stuff. We have a new character named Farber, and his name is Ryan Eggold, and he’s just a great actor and a great asset to the show. He’s got a little love thing going on with another character. I think it just makes for a much more enriched world within the walls of Dirt.

My question touches on relationships, and I like that you mentioned the Lucy and Don relationship and how great it is, and I’m a fan of Lucy and Holt as a romantic relationship. Do you think that they ever will have some kind of healthy relationship, and is Lucy able to have a healthy relationship?
That’s definitely something that we were going to explore, and we did. I like Holt and Lucy too. I think it’s really interesting. Two kind of lost souls trying to make it, and the way they come together. I think that’s kind of what we were going to explore and we started to. And we’ve continued to explore it in season three, if we get picked up. So she definitely has her fears and intimacy issues, as many of us do, but I don’t know, I like that you like that and I think we’re going to explore it more.

I was actually wondering if you were personally really affected by the paparazzi in your past life, and if this show’s a really good and fun retaliation like producing all the scripts, getting back at the paparazzi a little bit?
Well, you know it’s funny because I definitely have a lot of experience with the paparazzi, but I don’t feel like it’s really a retaliation. I feel like we’re just kind of—I’ve said this before, but I really mean it, I think that no one’s really a good guy in this. I think it really shows the dark side of magazines, it shows the dark side of paparazzi and it also shows, I think we humanize everyone too. So it kind of is, I think, a little bit of an accurate portrayal of these kinds of characters.

I’m near the tail end here so a lot of the stuff I was kind of thinking of asking has obviously been asked. But one thing I did want to pick your brain about was Kenny, and the kind of running gag of your assistants being kind of insecure, and obviously we know what happened to Kenny last season. I had the opportunity to watch the first episode for this season a little earlier today, and you have a new Kenny.
Yes. He’s great.

And you kind of have fun with him at the expense of his problems, and I‘m just kind of curious if we’re going to see some more humorous moments between you and him as the season progresses?
Absolutely. He is such a great character, and there is a condition like that where people get really nervous and need to self-soothe. But yes, I think he adds for a lot of comic relief and he continues to be throughout the whole season. He’s great, just a really great actor [Kevin Wheatley]

I read that in the season premiere that Holt’s fame is rising and Willa wants to take on a bigger role at the magazine. Can you elaborate on that a little bit?
This is for season two. What happens at the end is that I get stabbed, we open it up with me in the hospital, and at this point Holt is extremely famous. He’s kind of gotten all of his wishes come true except for he has a lot of baggage that came with it. And Willa, who was wanting to take over my job, she kind of has a revelation that maybe it’s harder than she thought. But she’s now not the young, new reporter, she’s much more savvy this year and she’s just become really smart. And Don Konkey is on medication, so there’s been a bunch of changes this year.

I watched the first two episodes, thankfully for the screeners and I think you guys fixed everything about the show that didn’t work for me last year in like the first 20 minutes. You made a lot of great changes. Absolutely. And some of them I won’t say, because I don’t want to ruin it for … The most important one is the kind of relocation, refocusing at the Dirt offices, which you’ve already mentioned. As the executive producer, what else is important for you to change when coming back for the second season?
I would say to make it more relatable so it wasn’t alienating. I think the fans that liked it last year, hopefully they will be like you and hopefully they will enjoy the changes that we’ve made. But I felt like last year it was dark and it was serious, and it was really interesting and I loved it. But I think this year it’ll be more of a fun show to watch, where you’re kind of guessing who are we talking about. And it’s stuff that people know about, and then we can give you a different perspective on it. We have new characters that I think add humor. It’s just an all over more fun, lighter tone, but hopefully still outrageous.

Lifetime is good to me. They recently sent over a preview copy of their latest inspirational movie called RACING FOR TIME. It’s inspired by the true story of a male prison guard who pulls together a track program for tough and violent female offenders at a juvenile facility. Charles S. Dutton (Emmy award winning actor and director) is fabulous, both as an actor and a director, in the main role. He is joined on screen by Elizabeth Pena and an up and coming young actress named Yaya Da Costa (some of you might recognize her from America’s Next Top Model). I had an opportunity to chat with her for a bit about working with “Roc” (Charles S. Dutton), why she wanted to be an actress, and who she admires.

Great film, I think it’s really in the vein of what Lifetime tries to do. It’s inspirational.
YaYa: I’m glad you watched it! It was controversial at first, but it is inspirational.

You’re right, it is controversial, but I think people will understand it, and you’re great in this.
Thank you!

Brings me to the first question – what made you interested in this role?
I just thought it was a great role. Any role, honestly for a young actor, is work, so that’s always good. It’s great to be excited when you’re going into an audition about the prospect of playing someone. Different from yourself. It makes it more. I just the different code of behavior and the different thought process that you use. My first instinct as a person in conflict resolution is to find the right words. But Vanessa’s is physical confrontation, so that was fun to explore.

For people that are going to watch, just give a little background on the character and the story of the “bad girl” you play, named Vanessa.
Vanessa is 17. She’s still young, she’s still growing. I don’t know that she’s necessarily destined to be a bad girl, but she’s gotten herself into a lot of trouble. This is not her first time in [the detention center]. This time is different. It’s the longest time she’s been in there. It’s also not her fault. She’s taking, stupidly, heat for her boyfriend. Her time there this time is even harder to accept because it’s compounded with that. Because she thought she was being faithful in the sense of protecting each other. Actually Celeste, the counselor, asks her a really great question at one point in the movie, ya know, would he do this for you? And I think she realizes what the answer is, which also gives her the fuel to grow and make something of her life. Instead of being stuck with a silly boy who maybe buys her stuff but doesn’t really care about her.

How was it working with Charles Dutton?
Excellent. He is so much fun; he is so great to learn from. Watch, act, and direct at the same time. Also, this is my first time being directed by an actor and there’s a different kind of language and intensity and excitement and he knows what he wants. It was great. I learned a lot.

He seems like the kind of actor that by just watching, you could get so much from him.
Oh my goodness, yes. Definitely. He has so much experience in theatre also. It’s great to see someone carry that over to film. Not everyone can, by the way. Some actors can’t do both. He’s an example of someone who does both well. It’s just great to watch that.

Did you always want to be an actress, or is it something that came up because of America’s Next Top Model (I don’t mean to make it sound like you had more opportunity because of the show)?
That’s a perfectly normal question. It’s so ironic actually. I’ve been acting on and off since I was 11, doing educational films. My very first acting coach I did plays with back in junior high school would send me out on these auditions. I came from a very educational background.

Oh I know, I could tell by reading your bio – it’s like, oh wow, you’re so smart!
I mean please, I still only have an undergrad. I don’t mean only because obviously, school is not for everyone. I just always loved school, and I did plays at the same time. And just growing up, I knew that I was going to be studying academics and doing art on the side. It was just something to do after school, and during the summer. I actually auditioned and got into La Guardia Professional Performing Arts School, which is like THE school to go to if you’re from NY and you want to do anything, any performing arts. All my friends who didn’t get in were so furious of me when I didn’t go. I just thought, others schools have acting programs, it was always on the side. Finally, when I finished school, I was so excited to be able focus, and spend as much time and energy as possible on this craft that I’ve always loved so much. I was 11 and I played a 104 year old woman, I was like, oh this is great, you get to play a completely different person, I love it. Things have changed since then, every opportunity for different reasons. It’s hard to really know what’s related and what’s not. I believe everything in the world is connected so you can’t knock one experience.

[About America’s Next Top Model] At the same time, it was always crazy for me. It’s happened a couple of times. On the set of Take the Lead, on the set of Honeydripper, after everything is said and done, afterwards, the director would come up to me and say “someone over there just said you were on a television show.” At first it was shocking to me that they didn’t know. You kind of feel it’s a big sign on your forehead, like I was on TV, but I realized it’s not. It’s surprising. Reality TV is just this massive monster that’s taking over television. On one hand, it’s fun to watch, but really for people in the business writers, directors, producers. It makes their job more difficult because there’s less air time for their shows and movies and art. When I realized, oh of course they didn’t know about it. People in the business don’t take that seriously. I don’t bring it up unless someone asks. And then it’s like, oh that was 4 years ago, that was fun. When someone who has hired you to a job reminds you, I mean, granted, not to knock anything, it was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot and things I didn’t think I was going to learn. At the same time, it doesn’t have anything to do with the path I’m on now. I mean, when I’m modeling, yeah, it’s fun to talk about, but acting-world, it’s just not necessarily related. I feel really lucky to get opportunities where people hire me and say “oh she can act,” like they really didn’t know.

It’s probably nice to feel that you were hired for your talent. I’m sure it’s validating.
It’s validating. It’s like, “I know I had a good audition, but I mean, I really had a good audition and it doesn’t have to do with anything else.” And that just feels really good because I’m taking classes all the time and working hard. Honestly, no matter what you’ve done, even though people on the street might want to talk about it, people in the business don’t want to talk about it. It’s nice to have your hard work pay off, and know that it’s the work it’s like, everyone, singers, are all getting in movies so it’s kind of like, makes our job even harder.

Where do you see your career going in the next five or ten years?
It’s hard to say. Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve just been focusing on the craft. It’s really interesting, because when I see things that I’ve done, I always have self criticism, and I’m never satisfied with anything. Occasionally in class, I’ll have a cold reading of a monologue and I’m like, yeah that felt good! Generally, I’m constantly trying to make it better. I feel that I’m growing; my goal is just to be in 5 years, 5 years more mature as an actor and just have the hard work pay off. I can be prepared for any opportunities that come up. I can’t really say I’ll do this, and this. You never know what the universe has in store for you. I can definitely put it out there. I’m also a little superstitious in terms of like saying things out loud. I’ll just kind of pray on them, and keep doing my work. You’ll see if it materializes, and we’ll be talking again next year!

Who are some of your favorite actors or actresses?
Oh my goodness…So many. Right now, I’ll just pick one male and one female to keep it short ha. I just revisited a project of Jeffrey Wright’s. I’d seen him off Broadway, too, and like he was in a bunch of movies. He’s not someone that you see all the time on camera. But when you see him, he makes such an impact and I love his process. I would have to say Meryl Streep. It’s so interesting. I’m at the stage in my career where I’m like, how do you chose your roles? It’s like, you don’t chose anything, you audition and hopefully you get stuff haha. There are only a select few that can answer that question – for me on one hand I want to work and do everything. At the same time you look at someone with a career like Meryl Streep whose longevity is just so strong and apparent. And she’s going to be working for her ever. She’s chosen her roles carefully. She’s always done everything that I’ve seen with integrity. Obviously, she’s trained. I have a lot of respect for the trained actor, even though my training is so sporadic, sometimes I take classes here and there. That is an example of a woman for me who has beaten the odds, who has surpassed certain constraints on society of what beauty is or who should play certain roles. She just does everything and she does it well. I’m sure she’s at the point where she’s turned down roles. She seems to stand by something or for something. I just love that. Right now, I’m still young, and I need to work, but it’s nice to look up to someone like that because she shows that it’s possible. Aim to be successful but hold on to values. There are people out there working, making money, who have great houses, and they’re not living in a little hole like me in Manhattan in a crazy neighborhood, but at the same time, it’s like, are those roles taking you to a good place, are you going to let your kids see that movie? Not only is she an amazing actress, just watching her as a career woman.

What are some TV shows that you watch when you get some downtime?
I am really the worst person to ask this question. I don’t watch TV a lot ha. It’s bad because I need to. There are a lot of shows that I do like but I don’t get to see a lot. There’s one, this started up again. It’s kind of taking the place of Friends in a way, but maybe it’s not as popular because it’s about lesbians…do you know that show The L Word?

I love that show!
Yeah, I feel like it’s so well written, so well shot. Hopefully we’re at a place where you can say that and people don’t get all homophobic. It’s actually a really good show. I’m glad that we’ve come to a place in this country that a show like that can be popular and can be so good. I know plenty of people, men, women, homosexuals, married couples that all say oh yeah, that’s a great show. What else? I don’t want to sound like I’m boring. Some old shows are interesting to watch. But usually on a Saturday when I get up in the morning, I watch CNN. Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now haha. I really love the news [laughing]. I love being informed, especially because I can’t travel these days. I like watching world news.

What do you do for fun when you’re not shooting?
I think my acting classes are fun. Even though it’s work. I’m so lucky that I can say work is fun. I take dance classes. I crochet, I write a lot. I love creating things. I alter my clothes in my closet a lot, change them up into different things. Making cheap thinks look expensive. I’m not gonna tell you how haha! I hang out with friends, at each others’ houses. I don’t really go out at night. New York is kind of crazy. I have so many older friends and they’re all married with kids. It makes sense. It’s like, maybe we’ll have brunch one day.

Just to get back to the movie to sum up the call – what’s a reason someone should tune into see the movie?
People should tune in because I feel like it’s a story that hasn’t been told before. I feel like it’s uplifting like you said, but in a way that is kind of surprising. It’s not your typical Lifetime movie at all. I think it pulls you in, it also gives an opportunity to see the humanity in people. Even if you don’t know anybody in real life like these girls, I mean there are prisons all over the country. Too many if you ask me. You can see a little bit of their stories and why they’re there. Stuff happens and their lives. When given the right the tools or attention, some people just need a pat on the back and we take for granted that some of us had parents who told us that we were great. It gives us hope that things can change and get better. There are people have spent in prison and gone on to be the most amazing lawyers, or even actors, that we know. There are amazing actors that we know who are just like wow (editor’s note: Charles S. Dutton is an ex-convict who doesn’t shy away from talking about his past). Learning not to judge each other. It’s a good discussion on race, just get people talking. The country is not necessarily as advanced as we think. Everyone says there are no racists, everything’s great, but pay a little bit more attention and you’re like, ooh okay, we have a long way to go. Especially in an institution like prison because it’s all people have to hang on to and have to like stick together, center their lives around whatever they have in common. It’s good to explore a conversation about those things. It’s also fun to watch! You want the girls to get together and win. I think it pulls you in, and you get to rooting and you get inspired and start to run! Go for a jog after wards haha! It’s a good lesson. Lifetime is the women’s channel, typically, but I think everyone can enjoy it. The boys get to see a bunch of cute girls run around. The older women get to agree with the lessons in there.

The half hour flew by – Yaya was great to talk to and I really think her career is poised to take off! Tune into RACING FOR TIME, which premieres Saturday February 16 at 9PM!

Tune in tonight to JERICHO’s second season premiere on CBS. It’s easy to understand, it’s a fun watch, and even if you’ve never seen the show, there’s plenty of exposition that will get you caught up in no time.

I will be the first person to admit (and I’ve done this on many occasions) that I didn’t watch JERICHO when it premiered last year. In fact, I only really started watching it as a New Year’s Resolution for the theTVaddict.com. But something happened in my marathon viewing of the show – I got hooked on these people and their town. It went from being a show about what happens when a bomb lands right near our town and Jake is our hero and golden boy, to being a show about how can Jericho survive, how can the people in the town make a better life, a new life, a different life for themselves?

I love the relationship between Stanley and Mimi. I love the ill-advised relationship that Bonnie has started with Sean. I don’t love the relationship between Jake and Emily because I don’t love Emily, but that’s just nit-picky on my part. I love the fact that Heather is still alive and kicking, and that Robert Hawkins is still possibly the coolest guy in the world. Also, Esai Morales is on the job now, and I just love him! Yes, I’ll miss Gerald McRaney, but the show will go on, and for that I’m super pumped.

Now is the time for all of us JERICHO fans to band together and make sure this show stays on the air. CBS was kind enough to give us a shortened seven episode season. So let’s make the most of it.

Don’t forget to tune in, have friends tune in, catch it on CBS Innertube, etc. It’s our chance to show CBS that it wasn’t a fluke and that the ridiculous amount of nuts sent to them wasn’t a sign of the end of JERICHO, rather the beginning.

I say this all the time, but seriously, one of the greatest things about being a part of thetvaddict.com, besides the ability to have an excuse to watch hours upon hours of TV during any given week, is the really wonderful interviews I get to do. Last week, I had the chance to talk to Maite Schwartz, who plays Lisa on Quarterlife. From the creators of My So Called Life, the internet-based show follows 20-some-things interacting, loving, hating, learning, growing, etc., in 8-10 minute increments on a bi-weekly basis. As the show readies itself for a February premiere on NBC, Maite (who I’m sure is poised to become a serious household name) and I chatted for a bit about why she wanted to play Lisa, why acting has had such an amazing impact on her life, and why guys who play with food for a living are pretty awesome.

I’m completely addicted to Quarterlife. Seriously, when I know there’s going to be a new episode, I jump on the computer to make sure I catch it. I think it’s really gotten that way for a lot of viewers.
Maite Schwartz: My sisters are in college and a bunch of my friends who were like yeah I’m not going to get into it, a bunch of them are like, yeah, I’m addicted to it. It’s also cool, because you get the snippets that make you want more.

You only have 8-9 minutes of these people you get invested in; it’s a lot easier to say “I need to see more.”
Exactly. As much as I love watching a full hour episode, sometimes it’s like all at once, and then you’re like damn, I have to wait for the rest of the week and it’s just nice that you can get two shots a week. And I like that they have all the message boards and people can talk amongst themselves about that, so it’s pretty cool.

What about Quarterlife made you interested in being a part of it?
I auditioned for it a long time ago. I actually auditioned for the original pilot, then 3 years later I heard about it again, and they said, do you want to go in, it’s an internet pilot but it’s Bedford Falls and Marshall Herskovitz. Obviously, you’re going to jump on the chance to work with Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick. For me, My So Called Life was super formative in my high school, when I was in high school. My parents didn’t allow me to watch much television but that was the one show I was allowed to watch. So to even go in an audition for people who had done something that to me was one of the few shows that I found really had a voice that I associated with when I was in high school, I was really excited. After reading the script, what was really cool about it, it was one of the few scripts I’d seen in a long time that had really interesting characters instead of caricatures. The second or third time I met with Marshall and he started working with me during the call backs, it was really exciting to see that he really was exploring real people, and the humanity in people instead of the stereotypical ideas of what these caricatures should be to make a story go. It was just really nice to work with somebody, to think about being part of a project where you get to play around and work. The second call back, I worked with Marshall, and it was literally, I walked out and I’m like, wow, I haven’t worked with a director for 25 minutes on an audition just to fool around and see what happens in a really long time, so it was really exciting to think that I could be a part of a project that was really kind of theatrical in a the way that they dealt with the characters and the actors. It was also exciting to think about being a part of something on the internet…back then, everybody thought cable was like “whatever, there’s nothing on cable” and now everyone is dying to be on shows that are HBO and Showtime, so I thought, you can never lose something from a good script, but you can always gain something.

That’s a very good point – I was talking with thetvaddict today, and he brought up, ya know, is this where we’re headed, is internet TV the new wave?
I think it really is because people are getting so used to it. We’re such an instant gratification society now with cell phones and email and TiVo and like everything we want, we want it on demand when we want it. I was thinking about this with my [three] sisters and their schedules are so off that they only way they watch television is by watching it online. I was talking about it with my sister and was like, would you consider doing this? And she said that’s how she watches Grey’s Anatomy, that’s how she watches the other shows that she watches. She said “I always watch them online, I always watch movies online because I can do it when I want it.” To me it was like yeah, let’s jump on the bandwagon now, and at least be there at the inception of a new way of getting media.

What does somebody need to know about your character, Lisa, before watching the show?
That’s been really interesting. When I first looked at the script, I didn’t identify with Lisa that much. Even Marshall said it. She was the character that had the least structure. When we first started talking about her, it was written that she was kind of the stereotypical ditzy blonde or bombshell or playboy bunny and I didn’t really see myself in that and I started talking to Marshall about it and I said, I don’t really know what you want from that, and he said, what’s more interesting – a stereotype of a dumb slut or really examining why this girl is self destructive. It’s because she’s the one character in the show, her entire self worth has been built on her looks. She kind of comes off at first seeming maybe conceited or seeming like totally enraptured with her looks and she is this self destructive girl because she has not sense of worth except for the attention she gets from men and women. And I think that she’s afraid of life, or afraid of the fact that she hasn’t really done anything or made any stamp on life yet. Because she only feels that people appreciate her because of the way she looks and she feels like she’s getting older, she’s really terrified that she’s going to be a fading beauty and no know where to go in her life, so she drinks to have fun and party and forget about it, and then she sleeps around. She feels terribly guilty because she’s not doing actions that are fulfilling to your soul. Also the one thing that’s interesting about her in contrast to the other characters – as much as she destroys herself, she’s also very joyful. She lives life to both extremes. She can be totally self destructive, but also she just loves life and sees the beauty in life and enjoying herself. She has the highs and lows a lot more at first than some of the other characters. Basically trying to find a character instead of a caricature. I keep saying that…

It makes perfect sense.
It’s finding the character and the soul of the girl instead of a caricature of a struggling bimbo actress blonde.

It could have very easily been a simple one note part, but the way it’s written, and the way it’s acted, it’s not.
Yeah, and on paper, it could seem simple, but it’s discovering the little quirks in Lisa and discovering quirks in the writing that allow you to grow and create these characters. As the show progressed, we realized she’s kind of funny. Like she has a really weird sense of humor, and as much as she counts her sense of worth by feeling attractive, she glorifies by being kind of tomboyish at times. It’s been really interesting.

What’s coming up for Lisa? Either in the area of John and the band, or as the show progresses?
She’s going to continue exploring singing. And she’s going continue exploring understanding herself. In the beginning of the show and as my relationship is growing with the rest of the members of the cast, especially with John coming up, she’s really starting to discover that the real part of her is more powerful and more beautiful and more sexy than the images that she was being told to perpetuate. She’s really starting to feel more comfortable in her skin. After Jed showed her that video, and really spoke with her about understanding her own power, she’s really discovering that, and becoming stronger in her own self, and her own self worth. We’ll see more about singing, why she left, why it scares her. She’s starting to rebuild herself as a human being instead of just a pinup girl. Trying to find herself as a woman instead of a girl….There are 36 mini episodes. That will make for six 1hour long episodes.

Are there plans to go beyond that at any point?
We’re all hoping to go beyond that. That’s Marshall and Ed. That’s up to them. We ask them and they give us a Cheshire Cat smile. We’re all hoping that we go along further, but I don’t know.

Is everybody excited about being on NBC?
We’re so excited. I’m over the moon. They told us right before Christmas. I auditioned for the show last year before Christmas, and went home over Christmas like “I don’t know if I got it”, and was like well, whatever, and then this year, right before Thanksgiving, we were told that we were going to be moving to NBC. It was so neat to see the cyclical thing that has happened in a year. When my manager first told me, I tried calling my mom and I couldn’t catch my breath. She thought I was in the hospital. It hasn’t hit the reality yet. It hasn’t been until I’ve seen things on NBC.com and I saw something on us in US Weekly. It’s just started to hit me. It’s every actresses dream to get a show on a primetime television network. It’s also really cool that it’s going to be such a huge platform for something that I think is so good. As much as I remember My So Called Life being so formative for me, I’m standing here going, “Oh my god, this could be so formative for other young actresses or teenagers or something.” You just realize that it’s so much bigger than you at that point.

It’s a show people I identify with. I’m right there with what everyone’s going through, I’m in my mid twenties, unsure of what I’m doing.
What’s really cool about the show that I’ve noticed – when I was 16 or 17, I kind of thought that in your mid twenties you had it figured out. It was like, oh I’ll be totally engaged, and I’ll have the best job and my life will be perfect. As your mid twenties start hitting you and you realize that you don’t have it all figured out, and you’re still struggling, it can be really lonely. What’s so nice about this show is that it’s given a break to that sense of loneliness and fear of I’m not living up to expectations that I had when I was 16. You see that there are a lot of other people in the same boat. Especially having the quarterlife.com because I go on there, and read other people blogs and stuff like that, you really see that you’re not totally alone in that sense of trying to figure out what it’s like to be an adult, because we’re just now trying to figure out what being an adult means. When [I was] a teenager, I just assumed that I would magically know how to be an adult when I turned 25. That day came and I still didn’t know.

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?
I have been doing theater since I was a kid. My mom said that when I was like 8 or 9, I told her that I wanted to take acting classes. I grew up in Dallas and they have a great theatre program for kids. I was talking to my mom one day and I was like, I want to be an actress. She said why do you want to be an actress, thinking I would say that I wanted to be famous. I just look at her, and go “when you’re an actor or an actress, when you’re on stage, you can do things that you can’t do in real life, and it’s safe to play people and things that you might be scared to do in real life and you can be angry and you can be mean, and it’s safe because it’s just pretend.” I was like, you can be as many different people as you want to be in the world. She just kind of looked at me and was like, okay, we’ll stick her in an acting class. And I was always in class and I was in touring companies. I saw so many great plays as a kid. I remember seeing films, seeing What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? There were a couple others that I saw and said I need to do this. I wanted to be able to entertain people. There is such a neat feeling, at least when I go out in theatre, where you know that people are walking in and they’re going to suspend their belief and watch a play, and I’m entertaining them. There’s something so amazing that I get paid to play pretend. Once it’s done at the end of the day, I’m taking somebody away for an hour or an hour and a half or 2 hours and I’m entertaining them. For that moment in their life, if they’re enjoying it, it takes away stress. The entertainment in the end can start changing people’s ideas and it can give a voice to people. People can see you playing out fantasies or your demons, anything that you have, that some people are scared to admit to in yourselves. As an actor, you get to play that out, and let them go away with that for a while. It’s amazing that so many people can have such a visceral reaction and it can affect them on a deeper level.

A good role can change someone’s life.
It can change somebody’s life. I remember doing a play in high school about an anorexic ballerina. This girl had written the play about an anorexic. I just remember, one day I was leaving school late, and a couple of the dancers were leaving school late. This one girl that I’d never spoken with before came up and just burst into tears. She was like, “I was finally admitted to myself that I was destroying my body, after seeing the play. I wouldn’t admit to myself that it’s what I was doing.” There was a scene where I was convincing myself that saltines and something else was a proper diet. She was like, “I was basically doing the same thing.” My character talked about eating cotton balls to feel full, and she was like, “I’m doing the same thing and I wouldn’t even admit to myself that I had a problem. To see it on stage, I finally admitted that I had a problem.” It was just kind of shocking that I was able to affect somebody and help somebody.

That’s a great story. It really makes you think.
Yeah, it’s unbelievable. And I know people who have seen films who have gone and done a lot of charity work afterwards. I have a friend who after she saw Hotel Rwanda was so paralyzed with emotion that she started doing a lot of work with refugee groups. It’s amazing that something that’s on screen, something that’s not living, can actually help people and live their lives more fully.

Who are you dying to work with? What actors and actresses are your favorites?
I know he doesn’t do movies that much anymore, but I’ve always wanted to work with Paul Newman. Michael Caine. Emma Thompson.

She’s a running theme in my interviews.
Oh I love her! I saw Stranger Than Fiction again and I was just like “God she’s a genius.” And so was Will Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Meryl Streep. Bill Murray, Jeff Daniels, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet. I just watched The Last King of Scotland. Forrest Whitaker and James McAvoy.

That is a mind blowing film.
Mind boggling! And you watch those people, and those are people I want to work with because I just want to sit and watch them work. It’s like free acting class. There are two people that I really respect who balance what they do acting wise with being very prominent in the public eye and that’s Don Cheadle and Angelina Jolie. I know some people have issues with Angelina Jolie but I’m really in awe of people who are such talented actors and do such good work. And directors, like Wes Anderson, Christopher Guest, Michel Gondry. Lots of people who have crazy ideas.

Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
I’ve always looked up to Kate Winslet, Rachel Weisz, Julianne Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Connelly. All of those women, they do such a broad base of work. I really admire the fact that it seems as if they have worked so much, they’ve gained so much respect that they can pick and choose what they want to do. And a lot of them have families, too. In 5 years, I hope we’ve done a couple more seasons, obviously, of Quarterlife. I would love to do that, and do some films. In 10 years, I have a dream that I will be like one of those moms like Kate Winslet and Angelina Jolie and Julianne Moore, actresses who have kids and a family but are able to do films and even bring their kids on set, travel the world, and give their kids a view of the world that is more than just going to school. It’s my dream that I’ll be able to do film and family.

What shows do you watch when you get time to sit and watch TV?
I actually have not watched a lot of television in the past. Along with the show, I was finishing culinary school at night for the past year and a half. I love Top Chef, I’m obsessed with the Food Network. I want to be a guest judge on Iron Chef. That’s a goal in life. Project Runway. My new biggest favorite is the Biggest Loser. Every time I watch it, I’m like, “oh I have to go to the gym tomorrow.” If these people are doing it, then I can do it. I’m a Discovery Channel junkie.

Is there anything else that you want readers to know about you, or you want to say to viewers of the show?
Just to really enjoy it. There’s nothing else out there like that, like our show right now. Just enjoy that the show is about the real struggle of people. I just try to make it work. I love what I do. I’m blessed to be able to work with a great group of people. I feel really, really lucky right now. Oh and I’m a darn good cook!

What’s your favorite thing to make?
My mom is French, so I love making traditional delicious French food. I’ve also started getting obsessed with the whole group of people called the molecular gastronomists. They’re the guys who figured out how to make foams or how to make an essence of something and suspend it in its own skin so it looks like caviar. Things like that where they basically play with food. It’s really fun. You just kind of do wild and crazy experiments. For the most soul satisfying, I just love traditional French. I made my boyfriend a roast chicken and salad and steamed potatoes and I forgot how good the truly simple dishes are.

Do yourself a favor and head over to quarterlife.com to check out the parts that have been shown so far. Catch up in time to watch the new one (Part 24 goes live Sunday).