Carolyn Hennesy is currently in two series, General Hospital and Cougar Town. Windy City Times wanted to find out how this actress clawed her way to the top.
Windy City Times: Hello, Carolyn. Let's cut right to the chase and talk about your life on Cougar Town.
Carolyn Hennesy: Well, my life is a big topic right now and part of that bigness is Cougar Town! What a gift that job is. I get to go in, drop comedy A-bombs in and scurry back into the darkness.
WCT: You play Barb Coman, one of Courtney Cox's real-estate workers.
Carolyn Hennesy: Yeah, they write for Barb on that show so brilliantly.
WCT: How did you get involved with the show?
Carolyn Hennesy: I auditioned only one audition. It is one of those stories that you almost never hear. For any sitcom, especially one that is that high profile with Courtney Cox and Bill Lawrence involved, you would expect call backs and jumping through hoops. Barb was set to be a recurrent character from the outset. I went in for an audition and got a phone call, that was it.
WCT: Wow! You must have been a perfect fit.
Carolyn Hennesy: Oh, yeah; believe me, you never hear stories like that. It is usually much more rigorous and grueling. I think I was meant to have this.
WCT: How's it working with Courtney?
Carolyn Hennesy: She's a dream. She is just as gorgeous on the inside and she is on the outside. Talk about a busy woman, she has a husband and kids and then is the executive producer on the show. She still finds the time to be a jovial, generous person to work with.
WCT: The show definitely has a gay following.
Carolyn Hennesy: Let's face it. The men on the show ain't too shabby. That's number one…
WCT: Why do gay men hone in on Barb?
Carolyn Hennesy: Barb lives fearlessly and is her own person. She's bucking the norms of society. Unfortunately homosexuals still have to do that. They shouldn't, gay men shouldn't have to buck anything. In many places and with many individuals it still is that way. Barb is not politically correct and makes no bones about it. There is a freedom to her and I think that resonates with gay men.
WCT: You are in General Hospital at the same time.
Carolyn Hennesy: Indeed. I am doing it with a vengeance because Sonny Corinthos is on trail. I am defending him. The trail just started last Monday and we are still in it. We have yet to wrap it up.
WCT: Do you get the scripts at the last minute?
Carolyn Hennesy: No, anywhere from three to five days ahead of time.
WCT: What other projects do you have coming down the pike this year?
Carolyn Hennesy: I just finished my fourth book, Pandora Gets Heart. It came out in January and is doing very well. I just finished the first draft of book five. Looks like I am going to be doing a book for General Hospital about Spinelli.
WCT: Is there going to be a book tour?
Carolyn Hennesy: This year there will be a West Coast book tour: Seattle, Portland, San Diego. We will see about the Spinelli book. Hopefully they send me out on tour with that, too.
WCT: Then you can come to Chicago and visit us.
Carolyn Hennesy: I would love to come to Chicago. Derk Cheetwood, Steve Burton and I just finished a four-city tour last weekend, and we all said how much we would love to go to Chicago!
View full episodes of Cougar Town and General Hospital at abc.com . Follow Carolyn Hennesy and Jerry Nunn on Twitter.com .
