A Chat with Krista Allen: All about Eve in 'The Starter Wife'

By April MacIntyre Nov 2, 2008, 2:06 GMT

"Eve" on The Starter Wife. Actress Krista Allen has an eclectic acting CV, and was known as "Emannuelle" for awhile. Allen and George Clooney’s on-and-off long-running romance is also back in the news, the romance began in 2002 when George cast Krista in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind." © Lee Roth / RothStock / PR Photos

USA Network’s “The Starter Wife” series continues after the popular mini-series that also starred Debra Messing who shined in the role that brings her back to the small screen.

"The Starter Wife" is based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer. Thanks to EP’s Sara Parriott and Josie McGibbon, the smartly written series that is both heart and hilarity ropes viewers in with an entertaining, irreverent look at what happens when you lose a status that has defined you, while building a bridge to a new life.

Debra Messing portrays the starting over process in such a stylish, sexy and funny way, the audience has fallen in love with her and all the great secondary characters that surround our flame-haired heroine Molly.

Messing, Courtesy USA Network

Guest stars this season include Eddie Cibrian as a detective investigating some suspicious events in Molly's life, Reggie Austin as Devon Marsh, Liz's sports hero husband; Ronny Cox as Pappy, Joan's (Judy Davis) husband; a stand-out Daniel Gerroll as David Shea, a controversial movie star who Joan meets in rehab; James Black  as Felix, a successful action star in the closet; Krista Allen as Eve, Molly's nemesis at her daughter's school; and Alia Shawkat as Robin, a girl that Joan befriends in rehab.

Actress Krista Allen has an eclectic acting CV, and was known as "Emannuelle" for awhile.   Allen and George Clooney’s on-and-off long-running romance is also back in the news; the love affair began in 2002 when George cast Krista in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind."

USA’s series The Starter Wife airs Fridays at 10:00, 9:00 Central. 

Monsters and Critics jumped on a conference call with Krista Allen to hear all about Eve

Krista, what was it about this show for you?
 
K. Allen: Gosh, I love Debra Messing.  I’ve loved her forever.  I’ve always been a big fan of her work and loved The Starter Wife mini-series. 

When they approached me with this it was a done deal from the beginning.  I really wanted to do the role and I really wanted to work with Debra.  I like the whole concept of The Starter Wife.  I think it’s really great. 

Was there instant cast chemistry when you all first came together or did it take a bit of time to develop?

K. Allen It was such an easy set.  It was a really fun place to be, so I’d have to say the chemistry was pretty instant.  Debra is wonderful to work with and I had a really good time, so it was really warm and welcoming from the get-go. 

What’s been your most memorable moment you’ve had from filming The Starter Wife?

K. Allen There was a scene that I did the day that I was filming; there was a scene where I approach Molly, Debra’s character, because she’s written these awful things about everybody and her journal has been stolen and all of these deep secrets of everybody in the community and my deep secret, Eve’s deep secret, was that I had my two dogs, their ashes, implanted into my breasts to keep them close to my heart forever and ever. 

That scene and that day was one of the funniest days, because we could barely keep a straight face while we were shooting because it was really funny; trying to keep a straight face and really have that thing where I was talking about, “Have you ever lost a pet, Molly,” and holding my boobs.  It was really fun.  That was probably the most memorable scene for me because it was really fun to do. 

Krista, can you tell us, How many of the episodes are you actually going to be in?

K. Allen Well, I’m in four episodes this season.  I don’t know what’s going to happen for next season.  I know that we’ve gotten such great response from the character of Eve, so as an actor I can only hope that it’s just going to grow, but the relationship that I have with the cast and the producers over there is really strong and wonderful, so I’m hoping that next season Eve’s coming back strong, because she sure is a fun one to play. 

Kind of building on that, how would you place Eve? 

K. Allen She’s that character, the mom from the PTA club that really nobody really wants to get too close to because they don’t really trust her, but for whatever reason she’s the queen bee. 

As far as Eve the character, it’s a fun one to play.  There’s a vulnerable quality to Eve that you really don’t get to see, but I think she’s probably, at least the way that I was playing her, she’s pretty insecure about what she has going on in her life and she kind of uses all of her judgment and places it towards everybody else just to make herself feel better.
 
Krista, you have done so many genres of movies and television shows, horror, comedy, soaps.  Is there one that you prefer acting in the most or is there one that the characters come more naturally to you? 

K. Allen That’s such a great question actually, because I have had the opportunity to play so many different characters.  I really love Eve and I really love her character even though she’s not the most likeable character because you just want to strangle her, but it’s kind of like you love to hate her.  It’s such a fun thing to do. 

I’m a mother and I have an 11-year-old son.  I’ve had so many PTA experiences through the years and so I get to draw from all of these different experiences and kind of make that into this character of Eve.  I’d have to say Eve is one of my favorite characters that I’ve been able to play, plus I get to play off of Debra, which is amazing. 

If you could play any of the other characters on The Starter Wife who would that be?

K. Allen  Maybe I’d play Hart’s character.  No.  I don’t know.  I’d just mix it up all together.  No.  I have no idea. I haven’t really thought about that, but I think all of the characters are so great.

It’s one of those things when you asked me I thought everybody plays it so well.  I think everybody plays their character so well that there’s nobody that I would think that I would want to go in and play. 

Have you known any women like Eve?

K. Allen You know, I think all of us have known women like Eve.  I think there’s an Eve in all of our lives, which is really fun.  I have an 11-year-old son and I have been through years of PTA.  The women that I’ve met through the years, there are certain qualities that you can pull off of those different people and so yes, I definitely know and have known people with those qualities and it’s fun.  I mean the experience of PTA has definitely helped with the character of Eve. 

 
What would you be doing if not acting?

K. Allen I love writing and I write a lot, so I really like that.  I’d probably be writing something.  I don’t know, or I’d just be a stay-at-home mom and be independently wealthy.  That’s my choice; independently wealthy and taking care of my son.  That would be my job.