Calista Flockhart isn't exactly the life of a party. So it wasn't a huge surprise when the publicity-shy actress was spotted sitting in a corner at an ABC party this summer in Los Angeles talking to a few critics.
What was surprising was how at ease she was in such a small group. After all, she had been staring into space during most of an earlier press conference for her new ABC series, "Brothers & Sisters," which premieres at 10 p.m. Sunday on WKBW-TV.
But here she was sitting down for a half hour, talking about the five-year career pause she took after her signature show, "Ally McBeal," went off the air; talking about her young son; talking about just about anything.
Her openness surprised some critics, who sometimes even can forget that actresses aren't as outgoing as their characters. Flockhart certainly isn't as flighty or as talkative as Ally McBeal.
"You are hiding behind a script," explained Flockhart. "Who I am doesn't have anything to do with who these people [in scripts] are."
"I'm actually boring," she said. "I don't have David Kelley [the creator of "Ally McBeal"] writing my lines for me right now. That's the problem."
It wasn't really a problem. Flockhart was so open and comfortable that one critic felt emboldened and asked her the question that most of us thought would end the pleasant conversation. It was about her weight, or lack thereof. The questioner never actually used the A or B word. She asked Calista Flockhart if she felt empathy for Keira Knightley or Nicole Richie, whose eating habits have become tabloid news.
"You know what, I don't even want to touch it," said Flockhart. "I think it is just ridiculous and silly and I'm not even going to ..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't have to. Then she went back to being her charming, thoughtful self while answering less heavy questions.
Like what she's been doing since "Ally" and what brought her back to television. The first question is easy. She's been raising her son, Liam, with the man in her life, actor Harrison Ford.
"I would have to say my son has definitely changed my life in all the cliched ways and all the other ways that I never expected," said Flockhart. "He changed my priorities, he changed my plans, changed what I care about, changed where I go, change what I do."
"Brothers & Sisters" works for her because she is in a large ensemble that includes Rachel Griffiths, Sally Field, Patricia Wettig and Ron Rifkin, and she knows the creator, New York playwright Jon Robin Baitz.
"I've known him for many years from New York," said Calista Flockhart. "We hung around in the same group of artists. And I've gone to see every play he's ever done. There is a comfort level because he's so talented, and so I have this trust. I knew that I was in good hands. And interesting hands. He's so smart."
The late addition of Field to the cast is also a bonus for Flockhart, who plays Kitty, the opinionated radio host who is the daughter of Field's closed character.
"I am so excited about working with Sally Field," said Flockhart, who didn't disagree that Field doesn't look old enough to be her mom. "It is a good thing that I look really young."
She was aware that the early buzz was that "Brothers & Sisters" was a troubled show because a pilot wasn't shown to critics in July.
"I was happy with a lot of [the original pilot]," said Flockhart. "But I did agree there were things you could do to make it better and when you have the opportunity, why not make it better?"
The earlier buzz has proved to be unwarranted. The late-arriving pilot is worth watching on several levels. It is a smartly-written show about a complicated, great-looking family with issues about business, about politics and about love. It celebrates the enduring quality of family love, even if it is often left unspoken. The difficult scenes between Flockhart and Field are a highlight.
"I know that the beauty of television is it evolves," said Flockhart. "You can look at the show and the pilot as one thing. And you can look at it three years later if you're lucky and say, "Wow, it's a like a completely different animal.'"
"I feel really confident in the project," she said. "And I'm not concerned about what the result is. I'm enjoying the process."
And what did megastar Ford say when she decided to go back to work?
"He was very supportive and excited for me," said Flockhart before cracking: "And somebody has to pay the bills."