THE SHOW
ABC sitcom Notes From the Underbelly
THE CHARACTER
Rachael Harris' Cooper
THE SUPPORTING ARGUMENT
On ABC's new pregnancy-themed comedy series, Harris delivers the
bitchiest, wittiest TV-sidekick performance since Megan Mullally's Karen
Walker on Will & Grace. Not only is Cooper the sole single and
non-preggers female among her girl-friends, but the acerbic divorce
lawyer is also unabashedly promiscuous and boozy, providing a crucial
voice for viewers who prefer a bottle of gin to a bottle of formula. Not
surprisingly, Harris gets many of the show's best lines — like when her
pregnant best friend contemplates quitting her job and Cooper snips, ''Is
this because of that thing inside of you?'' Or when she orders her
assistant to ''get me something in a waffle cone, eat it, and then e-mail
me what it tasted like.'' Despite her limited screen time, Harris makes
the most of the endearingly caustic role. ''I've always played character
roles and I prefer it,'' says the actress, who trained with L.A. improv
group the Groundlings and was a regular on Showtime's Fat Actress.
''Those characters often get to come into a scene, say something funny,
and then get out.'' But it's not just the writing: Harris somehow manages
to make Cooper likable despite all the anti-procreation nastiness. ''What
I love about Cooper is that she's very loyal to her friends,'' says
Harris. ''She's the kind of gal who's like, 'You're high for wanting to
do it, but I love you, and I got your back.'''
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