Anyway, thanks to the awesome Kelly for letting me know of this interview Sally did with 411mania.com!

Sally Pressman is a Yale graduate who stars as Roxy on Army Wives, the top rated series in Lifetime network history.

Al Norton: The first time we talked was at the end of Army Wives’ first season, which was a huge smash. Season two seemed to set new ratings records just about every week, and now season three is doing well…How does your life change with each new level of success?

Sally Pressman: That first season, and right after that first season, was the big change; that was the zero to 100 change. Each year we do seem to keep the high ratings. We dropped a little bit at the beginning of this season but now we’re up again. It is an interesting thing about Hollywood and the entertainment industry where if your show does really well in the first year it’s a huge big thing but if it keeps doing well, it’s loses that shock value so it’s not as life changing. It’s great to have a big viewership, to have that consistent feedback, and the support of the network but it does kind of stagnate out a little bit. That can be a great thing, like knowing you have a third season before the second season is finished filming.

Al Norton: Are there things that you do to make sure you don’t get too comfortable playing Roxy three years in?

Sally Pressman: That’s a good question because once you get to know the character, and the writers get to know you and bring in a lot of things about you into the character, it is tempting to want to just ride it out and keep doing the same thing. That’s not what I’m about and it’s not what any of the actors I work with are about. I think what keeps it fresh is being on set with everyone and how great our cast is. One day I’ll work with Drew (Fuller), another day I’ll work with Brigid (Brannagh), and another day we’ll have a group scene. The people get changed up all the time and we all have such a great time together. Particularly Drew and I have a very fun relationship and we make sure and always explore and try new things in our scenes together and I think that that really helps.

Al Norton: Roxy just got a dog and she is clearly not happy about it. Are you a dog person and if so, was it hard to pretend not to be?

Sally Pressman: It was so hard. I am the biggest dog and animal person. My whole sensitive side is dedicated to animals, and dogs in particular. My dog is my child; I couldn’t live without her. The dog that plays Lucky is the sweetest dog in the whole world and she looks at you with these eyes and you just melt. I had to do all these scenes where I’m yelling at her and I went to her trainers and said, “what do I do? I can’t yell at this dog, I can’t have her think that I’m mad at her.” They told me if I look above her eyes – over her head – when I am yelling than she won’t associate me with the yelling, she won’t be afraid. So every time I yelled I looked above her head and then every time they said “cut”, I’d run over and tell her how sorry I was and how much I loved her. I’d snuggle her. I made sure the trainers gave me treats for her. Yes, those were very difficult scenes to do.

Al Norton: One of things that I’ve noticed about the show is despite all the success, there really haven’t been stories about contract holdouts or storyline disputes, which frequently go hand-in-hand with a hit series. Are you all really that happy?

Sally Pressman: Yes (laughing). I think we all know what we are doing, that it’s a cable show and not a network show, that it’s AFTRA and not SAG, and that puts restrictions on how much we can make. We’re doing fine. Obviously we have jobs, which a lot of people can’t say. We live in a very peaceful, serene town when we’re working. There is a great energy here and we all really like each other and we all get along. There are hard days. It’s a show that is fundamentally about five main women so there are times when four or five of us are in the trailer with the four or five guys and it can get a little overwhelming, in particular for the makeup and hair departments. The spirits are really good and we all enjoy having a job and working together. The main thing is being out of LA, away from our representatives and from other TV shows.

Al Norton: If the show wasn’t set on an Army base you’d need even more time for the men to get their hair right, too.

Sally Pressman: They do need time (laughing). It’s clean shaven and buzz cuts and they get their hair cuts all the time. There was one day recently where we were shooting all day and Terry Serpico was clean shaven in the morning and by early evening he was back lit and you could see a little bit of stubble – a five o’clock shadow – and they had to go shave him again.

Al Norton: The show is in different creative hands than when it premiered; were there issues with that and with storylines or did everyone treat it like it’s just part of the business and you roll with it?

Sally Pressman: It’s definitely “that’s what happens, you roll with it.” We’ve still got Lifetime, and Touchstone, and Mark Gordon for the fundamentals of how our show is the way it is but it went into new showrunner hands during last season and I think we veered a little bit off of the voices that we had had in season one and early season two. We got back a showrunner that we had used in season one and the opening of season two and now a lot of those voices and storylines are back to what the fans were used to.

We had a lot of meetings with the writers and producers between seasons two and three and the big focus was,” lets get back to season one.” As an example, we got rid of Betty’s and got back to the old, gritty Hump Bar. I feel personally that Roxy got her voice back. She’s funny, she’s got the wisecrack one liners, there’s a lot of humor and a lot of love and a lot of positive attitude. Her relationship with her friends and her husband is so much more fun, so much real and loving. I think we’re back on track season three.

Al Norton: What’s the continued feedback been from the real life Army Wives you encounter?

Sally Pressman: Oh my gosh, it always continues. Every time I go out or check the blogs, the support from all the military is always there. Doesn’t matter if it’s Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines….People will write and say, “I’m a Navy wife, I’m a Marine wife, and I love the show”…Anytime I go out and meet a new military spouse they’re so appreciate, so thrilled. I really do believe the majority of our fan base are these incredibly loyal military spouses who, to a certain extent, depend on our show. They use us to get through their husband’s deployment, to get through the adjustment period when their husbands come home. I’ve talked to a lot of soldiers who tell me, “I watch it with my wife because it’s incredibly important to her.”

I’ve heard some of the wives like to sit with their friends and talk about who is more like which of us, like we used to do with Sex and the City. Instead of, “you’re so Samantha, you’re so Carrie” it’s “you’re so Denise, you’re so Roxy.” It’s really wonderful. The one thing I can say all the time is that this show means something to a large number of people and you can’t say that for every show on TV, and I’m really proud of that.

Al Norton: I’ve noticed that you seem to spend the hiatus actually being on vacation. Is that a conscious choice or are you not seeing projects that interest you?

Sally Pressman: One of the most difficult things has been the timing of the hiatus. Between the first and the second season we were saddled with the writer’s strike and I got a couple of things in but then everything shut down. Last year we finished in October and came back at the end of January, and in the entertainment industry, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, nothing happens.

You have to find the right project, with the perfect time, or you’re not working. It’s very difficult situation because we are a cable show so we shoot at different times than network shows, and we shoot 18 episodes, so we’re here for seven months.

Al Norton: So does the silver lining become you actually get to rest and relax?

Sally Pressman: It does, it does (laughing). We’ve been lucky enough that our hiatus has fallen that we get to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s without having to deal with any scheduling complications. That’s been really great, to have that month and a half off with all that family time.

Al Norton: Enough about all that other stuff; one of the reasons I enjoy talking to you so much is that you are so open about your love of television. So many people I talk to say, “oh, I don’t watch TV.”

Sally Pressman: Yes, totally (laughing.)

Al Norton: I was talking to Sterling (K. Brown, Pressman’s Army Wives co-star) in May and he was talking about making plans to watch the American Idol finale with you.

Sally Pressman: Sterling and I are kind of TV crack addicts. I think we’re addicted to every good show on TV. It’s much more fun to watch with someone. I did a Biggest Loser marathon with Brian McNamara, where we would order dinner and catch up on the episodes. Sterling, Drew, and I watch Mad Men and Lost together. It would be easier for me to sit here and name the shows that I don’t watch (laughing).

Al Norton: Now that Lifetime has Project Runway are you going to try and pull some strings to get on the show somehow?

Sally Pressman: I would love to. I am actually doing a promo spot for them but I would love to get on that show. Lifetime is so lucky to have Project Runway on the network and I really hope it brings some Project Runway viewers to Army Wives, open us up to a new audience.

Al Norton: Can you give me a preview of the rest of the season of Army Wives?

Sally Pressman: The argument of another baby gets pushed more and more for Roxy and X, so we’ll see what happens with that. We are shooting an episode right now that is incredibly special and wonderful, and it’s set in a different time period. It’s incredibly ambitious and I think it will be turn out to be something so amazing and different for us.

Al Norton: Not sure if you can answer this but do you mean another point in the character’s lives or another point in time?

Sally Pressman: Another point in time. We actors will be in it but it will be set in a different time. That’s really all I should say but it’s going to be really cool seeing all of us doing something very different.

Don’t miss Army Wives, Sundays at 10 pm on Lifetime

Actress Sally Pressman plays Roxy LeBlanc, a spitfire bartender, young mother and rookie Army wife on the hit show “Army Wives” (Sundays, 10 pm et/pt). She sits down exclusively with myLifetime.com “Army Wives” blogger Caitlin, and tells us where she draws the line between herself and her character … and where she’d love to cross it!

During hiatus, were you one of the “Army Wives” cast members who went to Fort Bragg?

I did. But it was right when we got back [from hiatus] after the writers’ strike. We all took a little field trip to Fort Bragg, and they set us up with our counterparts. So, Brigid [Brannagh] and I hung out with some of the lower-ranking wives, and we had a grown-up playdate. We hung out with the wives and sat in their houses and had coffee with them, and played with their kids.

What about their husbands?

Their husbands would come home for lunch, because they hadn’t been deployed at that time, so we got to meet them and see how the families interacted. It was such an amazing opportunity. What was even cooler was that we were welcomed into their homes as if we were one of them.

We did a whole gallery on the “Army Wives” website dedicated to Roxy’s fashion choices … since they’re kinda kooky. Is your personal style anything like hers?

Nothing!

Are you more conservative? Would you wear any of it?

There is absolutely not one thing! A lot of the actresses on the show will be like, “I’m just gonna take this home and wear this to this thing that I’ve gotta do tomorrow and I’ll bring it back.” Not one thing would I ever take from the set and bring it home.

I’m from New York; a pretty modest dresser. I have a sophisticated girly style. I don’t like anything too revealing and I don’t really have a lot of country in me … and my bra never shows!

Speaking of undergarments, that scene in the pilot episode where you’re standing there in your undies with two other actresses (Kim Delaney and Catherine Bell) whom I’m sure you’d just met … was that kind of awkward?

You know what’s weird? I was really nervous about it. Like, really, really nervous about it. While standing there before the cameras were rolling, I was anxious; I was uncomfortable. As soon as the cameras rolled, I was instantly comfortable. Then when they yelled “Cut!” I was uncomfortable again.

It’s like I could kind of bring on Roxy’s comfort — just being comfortable with herself — and as soon as I had to be me, it was like, “Oh! I don’t dress like this! Where’s my robe?!” It’s a really cool thing to be able to embrace her [Roxy] and her comfort level with herself.

All right! Time for your military pop quiz to see how much you learned as a first-year Army wife!

Oh, no!

You can do it! What do these acronyms stand for? ACU.

ACU! That is their uniform. The soldier’s uniform.

Correct! FRG.

FRG is the Family Readiness Group. It’s the group of Army wives that help deal with traumas, and, kind of like the support system.

That was a lengthy answer, too! Well supported! And the last one is: D-FAC.

D-FAC is dining facility.

You are good!

Boo-yah!

What can you tell us about Season 2 without getting into trouble for giving away spoilers?

I don’t know how much I can reveal! All I can say is enormous challenges and obstacles are put in place for every single one of us.

We reach emotional depths that we haven’t yet reached and we are tested in brand-new, more difficult ways. And we really embrace the trauma and the roller coaster that is being a real-life Army wife. That’s all I can say!

Well, Catherine Bell spilled the beans about someone kicking the bucket, so …

Oh, that. I know that. I’m not gonna spill any more of that bucket!

Which cast members are you closest to? Do you hang out when you’re not shooting?

We totally hang out, ’cause were isolated from our families, our friends and from our lives back in L.A. Most of us are from there. So we all pretty much hang out. Sterling K. Brown, Drew Fuller and I have our ritual “Lost” and “Grey’s Anatomy” watching events.

What about your fellow “wives”?

Brigid Brannagh and I actually live right next to each other, so we hang out and have a glass of wine and a cup of coffee every now and then. We also have parties and fun things that are organized for us to hang out with the crew and each other often. A lot of the crew is from Wilmington, so we’re all kind of here, away from our peeps.

Do you get a lot of real-life Army wives approaching you when you’re out and about?

Definitely! All the time! They’re so incredibly supportive and positive, and they really appreciate what we’re doing — which, for us, makes it a dream. We’re doing everything in our power to honor them, and it’s just wonderful to know that they appreciate what we’re doing.

Have they ever approached you with advice about what they had just seen in an episode and how it would have panned out in real life?

I would say they’re mostly supportive. Some of the websites and some of the blogs or whatever … that’s where some of the criticism comes in. But most of the wives I talk to say, “Everyone has to understand that, yes, you are representing life, but it’s not a documentary. It is still for entertainment.” There are some things [in the show] that are enhanced for TV.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever read about yourself online?

Well, I usually don’t, but my mom always does … religiously! She reads everything written about me. She calls me up with updates like, “They said that you and Trevor are gonna break up! Are you guys breaking up?!” And I’m like, “Not that I know of!” And another thing was, she said, “They’re arguing about how tall you are! And where you’re from and how old you are! One person said they think you’re 36, and I set them straight that you’re 26!” I said, “Mom, thanks for standing up for me.”

Your bio on IMDB.com pretty much summed it up with, “It’s a mystery as to how old Sally Pressman is!” It’s written like a case for Matlock to solve!

Well, you can set the mystery straight: 26! We don’t want any of those 36-year-old rumors spreading around! That’s a decade, people! Decade!

Whenever I go to a bar, someone always asks me if I’m 18. So I’d guess I’d rather be mistaken for 36 and not get carded.

No way! You totally wanna be carded! Unless you’re not of age, you wanna be carded. ’Cause if you have a card, you’re like, “Boo-yah! Read it! Check to see the date! There’s nothing you can do!”

Here’s yet another mystery to be solved: Both IMDB and Wikipedia say that you attended Yale University and have an extensive ballet background. Is this true?

True! I graduated from Yale. I went there for undergrad and graduated in 2003, and before going to Yale, I was a member of Manhattan Ballet Company in New York. From ages two through 18, I was dancing.

Is there anything you’re working on outside of “Army Wives” we can see you in?

“My Best Friend’s Girl” is a movie with Dane Cook, Kate Hudson and Jason Biggs that’s coming out . . . I think in the fall. I’m in a very funny scene with Jason and Dane. So go see it!

Source: mylifetime.com