Lauren Grahamis tired of playing the mom.
Now shes singing and dancing onNBCs new musical seriesZoeys Extraordinary Playlistand ice skating forDisney+sThe Mighty Duckssequel series.
Graham tells EW with a laugh.
Sergei Bachlakov/NBC
Which is not how Im doing it but I am looking for a different kind of challenge.
Like, I dont get the boss roles.
That was really appealing to me, and to make something fun and off and interesting and odd.
Sergei Bachlakov/NBC
Then singing and dancing?
I thought it would be really fun and it was.
Graham plays Joan, Zoeys boss and the only other woman in the entire company.
Sergei Bachlakov/NBC
But as the season progresses, Graham promises theyll get closer, and for an important reason.
I didnt want them to be rivals, she says.
That was really important to me.
I dont like seeing women clash.
It didnt seem realistic to me.
She also didnt think it fit with who Joan was being shaped into as a character.
I just kept thinking that the No.
1 thing this person cares about is work, Graham adds.
She cares about work, work, work, and Zoeys really good at her job.
That is something she respects her for.
My character struggles with boundaries this season in several different ways.
Thats her through line.
And it was actually Levy herself who helped Graham realize her potential to play Joan.
And then it almost became a joke where she was like, You should play my boss.'
I had to sell it.
Its a physical challenge and a mental challenge.
I cant do any of that!
And then I was like, Yes I can!
And I just did.
It was cool to test some limits I thought I had.
Thus, the dancing on a bar.
But the aspect of a show being in its first season is challenging.
To get everything right just takes a lot of time.
WhereParenthoodhad the easiest hours in the world, this was more a return to a longer day.
Its a little much but its also really fun.
These kids are so sweet and the story is really funny.
Its a hopeful throwback.
My skating needs work, however.
Im going to be training for the next six months on them.
Zoeys Extraordinary Playlistairs Sundays at 9 p.m. on NBC.
