CUTHBERT IS HAPPY
Actress spills on stardom, hubby
ONE BIG HAPPY
Tuesdays, NBC
Elisha Cuthbert’s search for happiness continues.
Her first sitcom was called Happy Endings. Her new one, which begins Tuesday on NBC, is called One Big Happy.
“I didn’t have to change my handle so that was really exciting,” jokes Cuthbert, who goes by the Twitter name@HappyElishas.
The Calgary-born actress, who began her career in Montreal as a young teen co-hosting Popular Mechanics for Kids, rocketed to fame in 2001 as the daughter of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) on 24.
Maxim Hot 100 lists, a Gemini award and magazine covers followed. Her life has been all comedy the past five years, with One Big Happy her first traditional four camera, studio audience sitcom.
At first, Cuthbert told the producers — who include Ellen DeGeneres — there was a problem with her joining the show.
It had nothing to do with the fact that the part being offered was a lesbian.
“Is it challenging? No. It’s like playing a human being,” she told reporters in Pasadena, California, in January.
Cuthbert plays Lizzy, who wants to start a non-traditional family and raise a child with Luke, whom she grew up next door to (played by Nick Zano from 2 Broke Girls). Lizzy is inseminated but then Luke falls for a freespirited British woman named Prudence (newcomer Kelly Brook). Before you can say Three’s Company, they’re all living under one roof and hilarity ensues.
It’s pretty much lifted from the life of showrunner Liz Feldman, formerly a writer/producer on 2 Broke Girls. Zano was cast first as Luke, and when the producers were searching for Lizzy he raved about Cuthbert. The two had worked together on Happy Endings.
Cuthbert wasn’t scared of the character — it was the process.
“I can’t do a multi-camera show,” she told the producers.
“I knew I could do the part, but could I do it in front of 200 people? That’s a different ball game.”
Zano urged her to try and she’s grateful that he did.
“I’ve been just having such a good time,” she says. “It’s bringing out more comedy in me that I didn’t realize I had.”
The 32-year-old loves the format, too, saying The Golden Girls is her favourite sitcom ever.
“To have a cast of all women is amazing and Bea Arthur is my girl.”
Arthur’s Golden Girls co-star Betty White is another inspiration (“she plays ditzy so endearingly”) and Cuthbert also praises I Love Lucy star Lucille Ball “for even coming up with the process of a sitcom. This woman was a genius.”