People

The Emmy-winning actress plays the title role on ABC's new hit comedy Samantha Who?, about a woman who has to rediscover her life after developing amnesia

Doing a pilot is always risky. How confident were you that this show would be a success?
It's such a crapshoot with TV shows, but I think our time slot guaranteed us a good opening. We always kind of knew that we'd be fine, but for us to build viewers like this every week is a surprise.

You have great comedic timing. Does comedy come naturally to you?
When I started on Married with Children, I didn't have a sense of it at all. But working with a [studio] audience really teaches you timing — that was such a great training ground.

Is it true that you've been on TV since you were an infant?
I did my first commercial when I was 5 months old, and I've been working ever since. I really don't know what I would do if I wasn't an actor. I've never seen my life any differently.

You've starred in movies, on TV and on Broadway. What's your favorite medium?
I love performing onstage. There's nothing like it. You use everything you ever learned, and you continue to grow every night. There's nothing stifling about it. It's the most exhilarating thing that you could possibly do.