FAIRLY LEGAL: Sarah Shahi Talks New USA Series

Sarah Shahi was five weeks post-partum when she auditioned for the role of Kate in USA Network’s new series, Fairly Legal, and wardrobe was an issue, she tells NiceGirlsTV.com.

“I thought she’d be a fun girl to be for ten minutes in an auditioning room. I was not sure if I wanted to get back into TV because of my baby. It’s kind of funny, I went into the audition wearing my husband’s t-shirt, Nike running pants, a blazer, and heels because that’s the only thing that fit me just after five weeks of having my baby. I went in, I read, and I think towards the end of my audition I felt myself lactating and I was wearing a white t-shirt, and I kind of ran out of there as fast as I could.

They called and said that they really like me but they thought I was wearing some interesting wardrobe. They wanted me to come back, but this time put a button-down down. For me the only thing that fit was my husband’s country western button down t-shirt from a Halloween costume that he had, so I wore that. Once again, they were like, ‘What the eff is this girl thinking?'”

Already a feisty, speak-her-mind kind of woman, becoming a mother gave Shahi even more reason to stick to her high standards, an attitude that Fairly Legal producers were looking for in their lead.

“It was a two round audition and then they wanted me to test. Once again, I still wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to go back in TV, so I sat down with them and I had a meeting with them before the test. I said, “Look, I don’t want to be just an actor for hire. I kind of want to have a say in the story lines and in the character and the other casting. If that’s something you guys are not interested in having, then I’m not your girl.” It turns out that’s probably exactly what they wanted to hear because that was the character.”

Shahi carries the show on her shoulders, appearing in 90% of the scenes as Kate navigates complicated personal and professional lives. Following the death of her father a week before the pilot opens, After the sudden death of her father, San Francisco mediator Kate Reed must work with her stepmother (Virginia Williams) – who’s the same age — to keep his firm alive by resolving a dispute between a clothing magnate (guest star Ken Howard) and his son (guest star Patrick Gilmore), who’s due to inherit the business, and hiding a dark personal secret which could ruin an innocent boy’s life. Also in the mix is Gerald McRaney as a gruff judge who disapproves of Kate’s decision to go from the legal profession as a lawyer to the fairly legal profession as a mediator, Baron Vaughn as her right hand man Leo, and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Justin, another lawyer, who Kate can’t quite seem to shut out of her life. The supporting ensemble is an excellent backdrop for Shahi, and she clearly enjoys working with them.

“The cast is great. We find it so easy for whatever reason and I think we just got lucky. The dynamics that you see are kind of real, in a way. Like if Leonardo and Kate are annoyed with each other, that’s kind of how Baron and I can be with each other in real life. Virginia and I, we get along, and it’s really easy to play that we don’t like each other because we like each other so much. So it’s fun. We try to out bitch one another in the scenes actually. Michael Trucco is, unfortunately, so ugly that it’s hard to play love scenes with him because what girl would want to kiss a guy with blue eyes that looks like a Greek mythological figure, like Adonis or something with a body of a god. I hate him. So yes, the dynamics are awesome in the cast. It’s amazing.”

Watch for our advance review of Fairly Legal and tune in to the series premiere Thursday, January 20 at 10/9c.