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By Suzanne

Transcript of Interview with Kate Levering of "Drop Dead Diva" on Lifetime 6/4/10

I really enjoyed my phone interview Kate Levering, who plays Kim Kaswell on the show...she was very nice, and funny, not much like her bitchy character on the show, of course!

Suzanne Lanoue So how are you doing?

Kate Levering I'm all right. It's a nice day out, so I've been hanging out at my house and drinking my Starbucks, enjoying my day.

Suzanne Lanoue Well, that's good. That sounds nice and relaxing.

Kate Levering I was hoping to do this interview poolside, but the sun has not come out yet.

Suzanne Lanoue Oh, that's a shame. (Laughs)

Kate Levering Yeah, right. (Laughs)

Suzanne Lanoue What's your favorite part about playing Kim?

Kate Levering I love all aspects of playing her from makeup and hair and wardrboe to my acting partners, the court cases, her personal life, getting away with saying really horrible nasty things. (laughs) I just enjoy putting on her skin every day at work.

Suzanne Lanoue Well, I imagine it's a fun job.

Kate Levering It's great. Really fun.

Suzanne Lanoue What makes Kim so ambitious?

Kate Levering I think that, based on her past, she's obviously a really independent woman, and I think we all have a fear of failure on some level. I think that hers is probably a little bit more than most people's. I think she's terrified of failing. I think that whatever went down with her growing up, previously... Last season it was revealed that her mom cheated on her dad over and over and over again. I think that shejust has a lot of demons and is a bit of a workaholic, and avoids real intimate relationships, and it kind of comes out in her ambition to make partner and to be successful.

Suzanne Lanoue What do you look forward to most in the second season? Or what can viewers look forward to?

Kate Levering More quirky entertaining court cases, continuing along the lines of last season. I love our show because we have such diverse, interesting things happening. More incredible guest stars. We've been blessed with some really talented people who wanted to come and be a part of our show. I'm always really excited to see who the next big star is. My character in particular has a new look, which I hope the audience responds to. We're gonna see my character having a new relationship that creates some scandal throughout the office.

Suzanne Lanoue You mentioned a new look. What was the decision there to go lighter color? It looks great, by the way.

Kate Levering Thank you! It's how I normally am in life, so for me it's a lot nicer to be me again. In terms of character, I think Kim was ready for a change after her breakup with Grayson, and, you know, I also think she's not one that likes to blend in, and there's a lot of attention on Jane right now. You know, she might be disbarred, ever since she was shot she has this new spunky energy, and I think that Kim probably wanted to stand out, put some of the attention back on herself.

Suzanne Lanoue I can probably guess who the new relationship is with, based on the first episode and the flirtation there.

Kate Levering (Laughs) Yes, I'm sure you're right. And as you can imagine, it's scandalous, especially in terms of motivation behind it, which is all going to be revealed throughout season two, but it's been so much fun.

Suzanne Lanoue I'll bet. It seems like the show addresses quite a few issues having to do with weight and food, and I was wondering if this ever brings up any interesting discussions among the cast.

Kate Levering I think that you have to go a little bit broader than cast, especially being in the industry that we're in, as actors.  it's really important that we have a heroine that's not a size 2, that represents the average woman in America, and we're addressing the discrimination that goes along with that. So much of our country is weight-obsessed, and so much of our industry is weight-obsessed. I mean, every actress, and I'm sure every woman, has a universal issue of body image. What we're supposed to look like and what we're supposed to wear. So, for us to be addressing that, I think, is really important. I hope that it's creating a new dialogue and discussion of what true beauty is, where it comes from.

Suzanne Lanoue I have to agree because I don't think I know any woman who's happy with their weight, and maybe not any person.

Kate Levering Yeah, we all know size zeroes and twos that aren't happy with the way they look. We all know size 14's and 10's and 12's and 8's...at some point, we have to love who we are, and that is what this show is about, and I think it's a great message.

Suzanne Lanoue I think it's a great show. I think everyone should watch it, specially young women.

Kate Levering Yeah, you know, that's what's exciting. It's creating dialogues between mothers and daughters, and sisters, and girlfriends, and husbands and wives, which is why it's such an exciting show to be a part of.

Suzanne Lanoue You look great, by the way, what do you do to keep in shape?

Kate Levering Oh, my gosh. I am not going to lie. I work so hard, and my weight fluctuates. I'm probably 8 pounds thinner than I was last season, and I worked so hard to get there. (Laughs) There's no secret instant anything. Right after I get off the phone with you, I'm meeting with my personal trainer. I just work really hard, and I wish I didn't have to...some women dont have to - I do.

Suzanne Lanoue Well, it did pay off because you do look good. (Laughs)

Kate Levering (Laughs) Thanks.

Suzanne Lanoue No lying by the pool, I guess, or maybe laps in the pool.

Kate Levering Yeah, it's more like, go work out for two hours and then go to the pool.

Suzanne Lanoue So are you working on any other projects besides this one, or does this show keep you busy enough?

Kate Levering This show keeps me busy about five months out of the year. I do have a movie coming out September 24th, so once I finish season two I'll be promoting that, and hopefully it will be well received. Other than that, just looking for to the next gig to keep me busy until we go to season three...if we get a season three.

Suzanne Lanoue Can you tell us the name of the movie?

Kate Levering Sure, it's "Like Dandelion Dust". It's got an amazing cast, Mira Sorvino, Barry Pepper, Cole Hauser, myself and a young boy whose name is Maxwell Perry Cotton. He's actually on the tv show Brothers and Sisters. He's a great actor.

Suzanne Lanoue I see that you were in 42nd street on Broadway and nominated for a Tony, and a lot of your cast members were also on Broadway. I really enjoyed the singing and dancing number in the season two premiere.

Kate Levering Oh, good!

Suzanne Lanoue Was that a lot of fun to do?

Kate Levering It was a blast. It was a grueling, long 15 hour day, but we had so much fun. I live for days like that, when we just are working really hard, and laughing, and jumping around. It creates so much cameraderie. We were really lucky to have Tyce Diorio and The So You Think You Can Dance dancers, It was just exciting for me, being a dancer, to have them there and rehearse with them all the week before. It was just a really awesome day.

Suzanne Lanoue Do you think they might have some more scenes like that?

Kate Levering There definitely are a couple more, and I'm hearing rumors that the season two finale may have a dance number in store. I haven't seen the script yet, but I hope that rumor's true.

Suzanne Lanoue Do you take lessons or anything to keep up on your singing and dancing skills.

Kate Levering No, I don't, not any more. I did for so long. Now, probably, if I had to jump into a musical, it would take me a little longer to get me into my fighting shape, but for the most part it's all still there.

Suzanne Lanoue I liked the show Kevin Hill a lot (that you starred in previously). I was annoyed that it got canceled.

Kate Levering Oh, thank you.

Suzanne Lanoue Do you still keep in touch with anyone from that show?

Kate Levering I do, Christina Hendricks is a dear friend, and look at her career. She's really taken off. She just got married...well, almost a year ago now, so I was at the wedding. We were roommates for a year after Kevin Hill, so she is still a very good friend of mine.

Suzanne Lanoue Well, that's great. You're both doing well.

Kate Levering Yeah! Patrick Breen, someone else from Kevin Hill is starring in a Broadway show. Obviously, Taye Diggs is on Private Practice, so, we're all doing good. Jon Seda, the other person from Kevin Hill, was just in The Pacific. A good group of people all going on to do exciting things.

Suzanne Lanoue You like to work out, and you like to lay out by the pool.

Kate Levering I don't like to work out.

(both laugh)

Suzanne Lanoue Okay, well, you have to work out. What else do you do for fun?

Kate Levering I'm a huge animal lover, so I have dogs and I hang out with them. I am very close with my family and friends, so I spend a lot of time with them. I love to go to New York and see theater, and I love cooking, I love photography. My favorite way to spend the weekend is to have a huge group of people over and make dinner, and play music, and go boating.

Suzanne Lanoue Sounds like you have much more of a life than your character.

Kate Levering I do. I have much more of a life, I'm very blessed. I love my life.

Suzanne Lanoue On a final note, what would you like to tell your fans?

Kate Levering Thank you for all the love and support, and I hope that they continue to invite us into their living rooms every Sunday night, for as long as the series lasts, which is hopefully years and years. Our success depends on them, and we're just very grateful.

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