Actress Jean Smart Talks About 'Samantha Who' Role

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She was the sassy blonde you couldn't enough of, on Designing Women and now Jean Smart is winning rave reviews on a ABC's 'Samantha Who.'

Smart has had memorable roles in tons of roles, like I Heart Huckabees, Sweet Home Alabama, TV Drama, '24' and a whole lot more!

Jean Smart sat down with Stephanie Sandoval on Sonoran Living for a little chat about her new role.

Stephanie: Jean Smart is making audiences laugh in her role, as Regina, Samantha's mother in 'Samantha Who.'

Jean: You are so kind.

Stephanie: I figure it doesn't hurt to start out the interview. For those of us who haven't seen the show, tell us about 'Samantha Who' and your character.

Jean: In a nutshell the show is a funny show about 'Samantha Who' gets hit by a car.

The show starts out, she is in a coma for eight days. When she wakes up, she has what they call retro grade amnesia, which can happen to people.

She's forgotten everything. She doesn't know her mother, father, boyfriend, best friend, what she does for a living or her coworkers. I play Regina, her mother.

So we are both sort of getting a second chance. You find out it was a rather dysfunctional relationship. I'm getting a second chance to be a better mother this time around.

Stephanie: I understand you are described as a narcissistic housewife. Your greatest loves of Oprah and HGTV.

Do you see her as a totally shallow person? Or do you think there is more depth there that's masked by the comedy of it all?

Jean: Of course, what's always there is that she really, really loves her daughter.

It is just that she's awkward sometimes in the way she shows it. She is either hypocritical thinking that's showing love or smothering her manipulating her every move.

This season she's trying to get her to marry her rich, handsome boss. There is a wonderful fantasy all of us share, that's universal, of getting a second chance of a part of your life or a relationship.

That's one of the great appeals of the show. Is that idea of getting a do-over. We can just see Christina's character do that.

But then we get to see the flash backs of what we call 'bad Samantha.'

Stephanie: One of the great appeals is you. You have had such a long and successful career in television and film. I know there is cliche, but to what do you attribute your success? And the longevity?

Jean: Oh, gosh, i don't know if i should try to examine that too hard I don't know. I have been fortunate.

I have gotten to be on great shows. Designing women was a classic, wonderful show. Wonderful writing. I did some other shows that I absolutely love that weren't, for whatever reason, successful.

I certainly had as many that weren't that are. I got do the recurring part on Frazier, which was a great joy working on that show. Of course, doing '24' was a real treat.

I used to brag that I had the best job in hollywood that year. Then this came along. I have just been very, very fortunate.

I haven't been really typecast, which is kind of nice that does allow us to be able to see you all different ways on the screen.