Brooke Elliott's a 'Drop Dead Diva'

Actress Brooke Elliott makes an unlikely diva. First off, she's from Minnesota, the land where people apologize if they wink too loudly. Secondly, she's playing a model who dies and ends up in the body of a plus-sized lawyer who has problems throwing her weight around.

But her series, Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva," has become one of basic cable's most reliable hits, attracting more than 3 million viewers a week in its second season and leading a charge to prove you don't have to do an impression of a twig to create a strong, compelling female lead. We chatted with Elliott recently from the set of her show:

Q You're in almost every scene of this series. How do you keep sane?

A For the five months I'm here, it's really intense. I usually work 16-hour days. I try to get massages on Saturday. That's my only day off.

Q What are your memories of Minnesota?

A Oh, we moved from there when I was 3. I have little, tiny memories of my stuffed animal leaning against the window. I also remember green carpet.

Q That could have been grass. We occasionally have some of that.

Q That can be torture for a young person to move that much, but it can also make you stronger. How did it work for you?

A I do remember some loneliness at school, but it also really did prepare me to adapt to new situations and learn how to communicate with people. Plus, if you make a mistake at a school, you're moving on to a new one soon.

Q Right. So when you burn down the school --

A (Laughs). I did not burn down any schools.

Q I'm guessing that the arts was a way to make new friends.

Q Was it hard to get juicy parts when you were always the new kid?

A There are always cliques. There were times I didn't get the lead, so I did ensemble and that was fine. That's also something you learn when you move around a lot: Don't fight the system. Just work your way up, and maybe next year will be your year.

Q Well, this has certainly been your year. Why do you think people connect with this character?

A I would love to hear from fans on that. I know why I connect to her. It's that idea of identity, that this woman is trying to figure out who she is, moving on from the person she was. She's struggling and that's something that everyone can relate to.

Q If the show continues to do well, you should insist on having massages on set.