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Interview with Maura Tierney

From "ER" to "Welcome to Mooseport"

By , About.com Guide

Were you looking for something lighter when you choose this movie?
Yes, I wanted to do a comedy because my character on the TV show is so very dramatic, so I just wanted to do something different.

You rarely get to smile on "ER," so you must have been relieved to be able to have fun.
Yeah, it was a relief. I had to concentrate though, it was not easy. I really thought, “I want this girl to be a happy person.” And I never play a happy person. I haven’t in a while.

Do you see many more years of TV work on “ER?”
Well, I’m on the show for two more years. I don’t know if the show is going to go on – it probably could. I don’t know if John Wells will have it on longer than 12 years. So the show is slated to end after two years.

Do you think it’s running out of steam?
No, I don’t. Who knows? It could at any minute. But hey, this season we’re doing really well. I think we might be doing a little better than we did last season. I think the shows are pretty good. I think critically people are liking us better than they have the last couple of years. It doesn’t seem to run out of steam.

When you do a character like Abby after so many years do you have to try hard to avoid just phoning it in?
Not right now but I definitely see, when I look at the thought of two years down the road, yeah, I think you definitely have to be careful not to because you can. You can do it. You can start doing it without thinking about it, especially if the writers aren’t on it. It’s easy to become a utility player on that show. I think it’s collaborative between the writers and the actors to keep it interesting so that nobody gets taken for granted. It’s harder for them to keep writing for you after five years.

ADDITIONAL "WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT" RESOURCES:
Interview with Ray Romano
Interview with Christine Baranski
"Welcome to Mooseport" Movie News, Trailer, Credits and Websites

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