In talking with the cast of DROP DEAD DIVA over the past few weeks, I was aware of one thing above all else – these are some of the coolest people currently on TV, and I want to be their friends!  Today’s interviewee is no different – she may play the bad girl Kim Kaswell that we all love to hate, but in a conversation with Kate Levering, you realize that what you see every week on the show is definitely an act!

Read on to hear more about why Kim is such a great character to play, and what she think you’ll like about Season 2, starting tonight on Lifetime with an incredibly strong season premiere!

Tell me where Kim is at the beginning of this season – what do we have to look forward to in the premiere and little bit beyond that.
Kim right off the bat has a new look, which I think is exciting.  It’s exciting for me and I hope that the audience responds to it.  I think it’s just a little more character refinement, makes a little bit more sense, in terms of her not blending in.  She’s not a blender inner.  She wants to stand out and so right off the bat you’ll see Kim with a new look.  She also is going to be very involved with Jane’s disbarment hearing, and then from there, we’ll see the aftermath a little bit of she and Grayson’s breakup which turns to a little bit more of an emotional side of Kim, which is nice that we get to see a little bit more of that, which is a carryover from last season, and her really liking him, and falling for him.  And then of course, she’s going to have a new scandalous love interest, that is going to be I think, exciting for the audience and create a big stir within the office.

We did get to see the emotional side of Kim last season, and every show can have a villain, but if they don’t give the villain any emotional weight, it’s so one dimensional!  What I love about this show, how you play it and what is written, you totally feel for her, even though she says some horrible things and does some horrible things to Jane.
I’m glad that you recognize that.  Almost everybody that I speak to, really sees that and really appreciates the layering of this character, which for me, is really exciting to hear because I have to be really careful that I”m not playing a stereotype and that there are reasons behind her behavior and the things that she says, and for other fans of the show to come up and say that, we kind of understand you!  We hate you but we have to love you because we know that it comes from a real place.  That’s the biggest compliment that I could get.

When I start explaining the show to people, at the heart of it, the show is about Jane, and Deb in Jane’s body, learning and growing, but every character is given the chance to do the same.  It sounds like we’re going to continue seeing more of that emotional growth from Kim this season.
There are a lot of mouths to feed on this show because it’s such an ensemble piece.  I think that the writers have done a really great job in season 2 of diving into the personal lives of these characters a little bit more.  Obviously, throughout the life of a series, that’s what so beautiful about television.  If you’re on a successful show, there’s so much time to reveal who the characters are.  So yes, you’re going to see more layers and levels to every character, but Kim as well.  We’ve just done a great job of balancing her work life, her personal life, her court cases, and they’ve just done a great job, the writers.

Is it a lot of fun to play a character that just doesn’t care sometimes what comes out of her mouth?
It’s so fun!  I would be lying if I said it wasn’t fun.  It’s really fun.

Some of the things she says, I think, oh I wish I could have really said that, so maybe that’s why I identify with why I like Kim so much?
I was just saying to somebody else that I never have the right retort.  I never say what I actually want to say in life.  You’re always so emotionally wrapped up with what you’re talking about that it never comes out quite the way you want it to, and that’s the great thing about the character is that she just has these zingers, it’s really fun to be able to get away with saying certain things.

What’s one of the questions that you get a lot when you’re approached by fans?
I think the main thing they always are surprised at is that, well, the beautiful thing about cast is that everybody is really friendly, and approachable, and we get recognized a lot when we’re together, which is fun.  They’ll recognize one person, and then they’ll realize that they’re looking at 4 of the cast members, and they’ll have this delayed response.  Like, hey, are you on that, oh my gosh, it’s you, and you, and you!  And it’s like, yeah, that’s right!

It’s so nice to hear that everyone seems to enjoy each other’s company as much as viewers enjoy the cast chemistry!
I’m glad that it translates, because we spend a lot of time together while we’re on location, and I’m really glad that it shows on screen.  I don’t know that it happens very happen.

Exactly.  Actors, actresses, they won’t freely offer up that the cast hangs out together if it’s not true, and every person in your cast has said it without provocation.
Yeah, it’s really nice to be a part of.  I can’t imagine being in Atlanta, far away from everything I know and love, and not liking the people I work with.  That would be pretty awful! [laughs]

Why do you think people should tune in for season 2?
I think a lot of questions are going to be answered.  Obviously, there was a big cliffhanger at the end of season 1 with Jane having a husband. I think that this is such a show that creates dialogue.  It creates dialogue between mothers and daughters, and husband and wives, and girlfriends.  I know a lot of men who are closet DROP DEAD DIVA fans.  I know Lifetime’s the women’s network, but men really enjoy this show too.  I think that there’s just a really good message, and we’re addressing issues that haven’t been addressed before!