PC EXCLUSIVE: Suburgatory Scene Stealer Deena Dill Talks Sitcoms, Game Shows and NOH8

Ignorance may be Bliss, but TPTB behind ABC's funny, new sitcom Suburgatory were anything but dumb to cast Deena Dill as scene-stealing sexpot Bliss. I caught up with the actress and budding producer (She just sold a game show pilot!) to talk about how her fun gig came about, what it's like working with hunk Jeremy Sisto and her recent  photo shoot for Adam Bouska's NOH8 Campaign.

Pop Confidential: Bliss is a hoot on Suburgatory. Is there any chance the role could become permanent?

Deena Dill: Well, I sure hope so!  And, my mom and dad say to tell the producers that they're crazy if they don't make Bliss a regular character [Laughs]! At this point, there hasn't been any talk about Bliss becoming permanent. I've appeared in three episodes so far, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  And more proactively, I'm buying the casting directors a lot of lunches.  I'm not above trying to bribe them! [Laughs]

PC: How did the role come about for you?

DD: Lisa Ystrom and Tim Payne do the casting for the show. They had auditioned me for another show, which I didn't book.  Then they called me in for Bliss and said they thought the character might suit me, because Bliss is sexy, but not too smart.  I said, "Thanks... wait... thanks, I think?"  And they said, "That was perfect!" 

PC: Single dad George Altman has many of the Stepford-esque wives in town salivating. What is it like working with Jeremy Sisto?

DD: Well, it's true that Jeremy is not hard on the eyes, but that can be said for lots of men in Hollywood.  What I like about working with Jeremy is that he's a smart guy and a smart actor. Jeremy makes interesting and insightful conversation on set.  But, I really get caught up watching his approach to acting on this show because it's a comedy and his acting pedigree is mostly dramatic work like Law & Order and Six Feet Under.  With comedians and comedic actors, we often get caught up in looking for the joke and punching the funny, whereas Jeremy is a bit more understated and committed to exploring the reality of what is happening in a scene.
 

PC: In real-life you don't have to compete for a hunky love interest, since you're dating Mortal Kombat: Legacy star Matt Mullins. Don't you think it's a little unfair to the rest of us mere mortals that two hot, talented peeps like you two got together? I mean, come on. Share the wealth!

DD: [Laughs] Well thank you for the compliment and I'll pass it on to Matt too!  I do feel exceptionally grateful for everything that's going on in my life right now. And to add insult to injury, I'll go on the record and tell you that Matt is not just a hunk, he's one of the kindest, smartest and funniest people I know!  It's sooo ridiculous!

PC: Back to comedies featuring the tween and teen set, iCarly fans know you as Gibby's mom, Charlotte. Who was your favorite sitcom mom growing up?

DD: Mrs. Cosby, no doubt!  She did it all!  She had it all!  She was such a great role model for what I wanted and what I wanted to be.  She was a successful lawyer, a great mom, a wonderful wife;  she had a great family,  an interesting career and a loving husband.  People say you can't have it all.  I say why the heck not if I'm willing to work hard, love hard, and go without sleep?

PC: It seems like every five years or so someone declares the sitcom dead, but thanks to the success of shows like Modern Family, the genre is once again on an upswing. Do you think we'll be seeing more shows like Suburgatory in the coming TV seasons?

DD: Absolutely. Right now, with so many people going through tough economic times, I think comedies really resonate by lifting people's spirits and helping us not take things too seriously. I think people especially relate to the idiosyncrasies of TV families because we all have odd family dynamics to deal with. Except my family of course! [Laughs] In case any of them read this interview, I want them to know, and emphasis this please, I am not talking about us, so relax! [Laughs]

PC: In addition to acting, you're also an up and coming producer, having recently sold a game show pilot to the CW, reportedly based on the kid's game Musical Chairs. What made you decide to go the game show route?

DD: When I came to LA to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, I did so hoping to both act in and create fun, family-friendly content.  What could be more fun and family-friendly than game shows?  Whenever I was at my Memaw and Bopa's house when I was growing up, we always watched Wheel of Fortune.  It was so much fun to see who could guess the puzzles first and then, if I won, to smack talk my grandparents!

PC: You posed for the NOH8 Campaign. Do you think shows like Suburgatory, which are gay-inclusive, will help people who may be less-than-tolerant come to see that LGBT people are just like everyone else?

DD: Yes, I really do, because I think the more people are exposed to something, the more comfortable they become with it and the more they learn about it.  But, I'll take it one step further and say its also good for the gay community in another way...   Lots of people feel like they're all alone in the world if they don't "fit in"  in some way. So, to watch TV and to see people similar to you being depicted on a show or in a film is encouraging and enlightening. You realize that there are other people like you out there, even if they're not in your own home or local community.  And I think that holds true for anybody and any group.  Don't you?