Where To Catch Her: On ALMOST FAMILY, premiering Wednesday, October 2, on FOX. Having started out on soaps, what do you recall from your GUIDING LIGHT days? “Oh, my gosh! That was so long ago! I was a child when I was on that show. I think what I learned from doing a soap opera is to go on instinct. You don’t have time to really get in your head about things. I was 12, and that was some of the best acting when you’re a child actor because you’re not in your head about anything. You’re not about bills or responsibilities. You just do the lines and be sure it comes from the truth, and that’s something that I take with me. You can go to all these acting classes and learn all these techniques but at the end of the day, you just trust your truth.”
Who do you still keep in touch with from your Springfield days? “Oh, my Paul Wesley. He’s still one of my best friends. Very cool!”
Tell us about your new character: “I’m a lot more like Julia than anything I’ve ever played before, so I guess I’m clumsy and goofy and that’s a compliment. I really like that Julia leads with her heart and she speaks before she thinks, and mostly because she’s such a people- pleaser and she wants to make sure that everyone feels a part of that. She doesn’t really think about herself. Within that, there are quirks that come with that and [the] nuance of it being kind of silly. She gets into a lot of trouble when it comes to running her mouth, but I love that because I get to play a character that completely leads with open arms and is so welcoming, and that also gets her into trouble.”
Do you feel a big responsibility as the lead character? “The last time I was on TV where a story was told from my point of view was AMERICAN DREAMS [2002-05] and ever since then, I’ve been looking for a show featuring interesting relationships and subject matter, but also dealt with issues that I could sink my teeth into. It was hard to find that for a long time, and I chose a different path, and now I’ve found a show that is a lot like AMERICAN DREAMS in terms of family and a specific time frame. I think that’s why it really grabbed me, and I feel a responsibility to make sure it’s told right.”
