Actress Busy Philipps plays Laurie Keller, the brassy assistant of Jules Cobb (Courteney Cox), on the ABC comedy Cougar Town. Prior to that, she had memorable roles on such TV series as Dawson’s Creek, E.R., Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Love Inc., Undeclared and the critically acclaimed Freaks and Geeks, from Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, and in such feature films as He’s Just Not That Into You, Made of Honor and White Chicks. Now, she can also be seen in the new Atom.com web series, Jason Nash Is Married, in which comedian Jason Nash takes vignettes from his popular one-man show about married life as a struggling artist.

In this exclusive interview with Collider, Busy Philipps talked about the freedom and creativity in doing a web series, the escapism she gets through her hilarious character on Cougar Town, their upcoming Halloween and Thanksgiving episodes, and juggling her career with motherhood. She also reminisced about how incredible it is to still be remembered for her work as Kim Kelly on Freaks and Geeks, which she did over 10 years ago. Check out what she had to say after the jump. You can click here to watch the first episode of Jason Nash Is Married.

How did you get involved with this web series, Jason Nash Is Married?

BUSY PHILIPPS: Jason Nash is a friend of mine, and I love doing suff like this. I’ve done some other things for friends. I just like working with people that I respect and think are really funny. I had done a similar thing with him a couple years ago that was more like a pilot presentation that he shot himself and was shopping around. I believe that’s what Atom bought the web series off of.

Jason is just someone that I’ve known socially and through his stand-up, seeing him do different comedy shows, and I just really like him. I think he’s a funny guy and he has a unique perspective on being a dad and a husband. So, when he asked me to do it and I read the scripts and they made me laugh out loud, I told my husband, “This is so weird and kind of dark, and I love it!” It worked out timing wise because I was on my hiatus from Cougar Town and I didn’t really want to work over the summer, since I have a child myself who’s just two. It was a couple days of work and I got to hang out with friends, have fun and laugh. It was just a win-win situation.

How did you initially become aware of Jason Nash and his comedy?

PHILIPPS: What’s really strange is that I can’t honestly remember how we met. Possibly this guy Derek Waters, who’s a comedian, introduced us. I know him socially and had also done another web series with him, Derek and Simon: The Show, that Bob Odenkirk directed. Or, it was through UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade). I’m not really sure. But, for people who enjoy being funny, it’s not that large of a community and everyone sort of knows each other. Even though I do a more traditional type of being funny on television, I still know a lot of comedians and stand-ups and improv actors.

Once you had worked with him, did you find that your comedy complemented each other?

PHILIPPS: I think it does. I’m essentially playing his wife, who’s a real person, and part of why their relationship is so funny is because he just spins his wheels, and she keeps very grounded and reminds him that he’s a father and a husband and he has responsibilities. It’s a very relatable portrayal of a relationship and marriage. It’s a little unusual, only in that in our web series, the wife is the one that’s the breadwinner of the family. She’s the head of the household and is whipping him into shape.

In playing someone who is a real person, did you talk to her at all about how she would want to be portrayed?

PHILIPPS: No, it still is a character. I’m not doing an impression or anything, and it’s more my take on it. It’s kind of like how I am as a wife, a little bit. You have to call each other out on your shit in a successful marriage, and that’s what I do in this instance.

Do you think that everyone can relate to this viewpoint of marriage, or is it a very obvious male point of view?

PHILIPPS: I don’t know. I found it relatable with the kind of marriage and relationship I’m in. It certainly is from Jason’s perspective, so he does have some fantasies and dream sequences that are clearly inside his character’s head, but I think we can all relate to that.

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Forget Dawson’s Creek and Cougar Town — Busy Philipps‘ greatest career move was none other than the birth of her daughter Birdie Leigh in Aug. 2008.

“I only became a celebrity because I had a kid. Before I was pregnant nobody cared,” the actress, 31, tells Babble.

“My husband has a theory that celebrity gossip feels so seedy, but if you can put a positive spin on it, like touting a new baby, then people somehow feel it’s okay. I joke to my agent that having a baby made my career.”

Unfortunately for Philipps, her increasing popularity comes with a price: public criticism. And although she “would like to say, ‘Oh no, I don’t even pay attention,’” the first-time mother admits the negativity can take its toll.

“Right after Birdie was born, I consciously tried not to look at what people were saying, [but] a relative forwarded me a link to people saying, ‘The name Birdie is stupid’ and ‘What a terrible made-up name,’” she recalls.

“First of all, she’s named after Lady Bird Johnson, and second of all, it’s not a made-up name; it’s an old-timey name … They use it on Mad Men for God sakes!”

Choosing to see the positive side of her celebrity status, Philipps hopes becoming a mother — and opening up about natural childbirth — will inspire women when it comes to choosing a birth plan.

“It’s hard talking about it because it sounds like I’m taking away from how sacred it was. It was an incredible experience,” Philipps reveals. “I also want other women to know it’s possible to have a crazy, spiritual, amazing birth in a hospital. I was in a hospital. I had a doctor.”

But, adds the proud mama, it was Philipps herself who essentially helped deliver her daughter!

“I don’t know what I thought was going to happen beforehand, but I was completely squatting and after my doctor got [Birdie's] head and shoulders out, she asked, ‘Do you want to pull your baby out? Give me your hands,’” she shares.

“I didn’t even know my midwife took this picture of me with my hands pulling my daughter out and then right onto my chest.”

Determined to go the same route with her future children, Philipps admits the experience of natural childbirth left her with a new found sense of power. “During the days and weeks afterward, I felt like I could do anything in the world; there was nothing in this world that you could present before me that I could not conquer,” she says.

“[Natural childbirth] is not for everyone. I totally respect that. The best thing for your baby is the best thing for you. I have some friends who feel really strongly about an epidural and I’m 100 percent behind that, but that was not my plan.”

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For a while, we thought Busy Philipps might have hit her peak. After playing Kim Kelly on the epically-awesome Judd Apatow series, Freaks and Geeks, in the early 2000s, (she also had a pretty successful role on Dawson’s Creek) Philipps spent the next few years taking on supporting roles in films like White Chicks and Made of Honor that didn’t fully showcase how badass she truly is. Last year Philipps resurfaced with a title role in Cougar Town — an ABC series by the creators of Scrubs that’s actually much smarter than the name implies — as well as a new daughter, Birdie Leigh, with husband and screenwriter Mark Silverstein. The Cougar Townie chatted with us about babies, birth and being in the spotlight once again.

I hate to start the interview like this, but I read that last year you actually pulled your baby [Birdie Leigh Silverstein] out yourself. Um…let’s start there.

Ha, ha, ha, ha, yes. That’s true, sort of. I had a natural childbirth, which was something that I felt very strongly about. I don’t know what I thought was going to happen beforehand, but I was completely squatting and after my doctor got [Birdie’s] head and shoulders out she asked, “Do you want to pull your baby out? Give me your hands.” I didn’t even know my midwife took this picture of me with my hands pulling my daughter out and then right onto my chest. It’s hard talking about it because it sounds like I’m taking away from how sacred it was. It was an incredible experience. I also want other women to know it’s possible to have a crazy, spiritual, amazing birth in a hospital. I was in a hospital. I had a doctor. I was also lucky because I had an amazing team. I had an incredible doctor and a really great midwife and my husband who, honestly, was the most traumatized. For him, seeing me in that much pain and not being able to help me — that loss of control was difficult for him. I also had this idea that I was going to have a natural childbirth and he would [look] up at my beautiful, angelic face and the birth would be happening below the waist and he wouldn’t see. Obviously that’s not how it goes down.

How did you even begin to prepare for natural birth?

Nothing prepares you for it. I did lots of different birthing classes so that I would be able to do it on the day. I was lucky because the kind of breathing you have to do is what we’re taught to do as actors, so I’ve been doing it my whole life. It’s about isolating and figuring out how to breathe deeply and go somewhere else to get away from the pain. It was really intense, and on top of that, I had an immensely big kid. She was 9 pounds, 7 ounces and was 22 inches long, so it was not easy getting her out of me. But we did it.

If you were to have kids in the future, would you do it that way again?

Absolutely. 100 percent. My recovery was incredible. I wasn’t in pain. I gained a lot of weight, but other than that, I was skipping around the room after the birth and all of the nurses kept coming into the room saying, “Oh, we wanted to see the lady who gave birth to that big baby all by herself.” I’m not kidding. She was the biggest baby in the nursery by over a pound. She was a sumo wrestler! During the days and weeks afterward, I felt like I could do anything in the world; there was nothing in this world that you could present before me that I could not conquer. [Natural childbirth] is not for everyone. I totally respect that. The best thing for your baby is the best thing for you. I have some friends who feel really strongly about an epidural and I’m 100 percent behind that, but that was not my plan.

You’ve gotten an insane amount of publicity since Birdie’s birth. How are you dealing with that?

I only became a celebrity because I had a kid. Before I was pregnant, nobody cared. My husband has a theory that celebrity gossip feels so seedy, but if you can put a positive spin on it, like touting a new baby, then people somehow feel like it’s okay. I joke to my agent that having a baby made my career.

We saw that the Internet went nuts when you tweeted that your daughter looks like Justin Bieber. Do you pay attention to stuff like that?

I do, and a lot of times it’s to my detriment. I have to show [co-star] Courteney Cox how to look up mean things that people have said. She has no concept of gossip. Right after Birdie was born, I consciously tried not to look at what people were saying, [but] a relative forwarded me a link to people saying, “The name Birdie is so stupid” and “What a terrible made-up name.” First of all, she’s named after Lady Bird Johnson, and second of all, it’s not a made-up name; it’s an old-timey name. It was very popular in the 40’s and 50’s; they use it on Mad Men, for God sakes! I struggle with it. I honestly would like to be able to say, “Oh no, I don’t even pay attention,” but that would be really disingenuous.

When doing research for this article, I came across what is perhaps the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. Someone has put together a Youtube clip of photos of you either pregnant or playing a pregnant character, soundtracked by the song Barracuda.

WHAT?!?!?!? Luckily I’ve never seen that because that is really, really bizarre. Are they implying that I’m a barracuda that ate my young because I’m so fat?

I don’t think so. The song doesn’t seem to be related to the photos.

That’s really random. No. The weirdos stay on the internet. I get fans who are super passionate about what I’ve done. People are very passionate about Kim Kelly and Audrey from Dawson’s Creek. I was blessed enough to play one of the greatest girl television characters of all time in Kim Kelly. She was pretty fucking awesome.

The character you’re playing now on Cougar Town seems that way too. What attracted you to that role?

I had just had Birdie and really wanted to get back on television. I said to my agent, “Only send me comedies. I don’t want to be on a procedural drama where I have to be crying all the time. I have a newborn at home and I can’t handle that.” I didn’t want to be the lead in any show because I couldn’t handle that either. Cougar Town was one of the first scripts they sent me, and I was laughing so hard I said to my husband, “I’m doing this show!” And he said, “Alright, take it easy, buddy!” because I say that about a lot of jobs. I like playing Laurie [Keller, friend and co-worker to Courteney Cox’s character on the show] because she’s light and fun and ditzy and kookie and a little strange.

Would you want Birdie to follow you and go into acting?

I always think that it’s weird when musicians and actors say that they don’t want their kids to go into this business because, dude, someone let you. My job as a parent is to encourage my kid to follow her dreams and passions and to help her figure out what those are. If her passion is [acting], believe me, my kid is going to know the ups and downs of it. I want her to be happy and I want her to be passionate about her job. I tell her every day when I go to work, “Your mommy is so, so lucky because I have two jobs that I love.” The first one is the most important one — and that’s being her mom — and the second one is awesome because it’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl — and that’s be on TV. If she finds something that she wants to do and that happens to be on TV or in movies or writing movies, then I’m all for it.

You’ve stated before that you were a wild teenager. Do you have any concerns about that for Birdie?

Of course I have concerns. I went through my wild phase and I turned out pretty okay. That’s why I’m going to therapy now. I’m just going to stay in therapy until she’s 18, and hopefully it’ll all work out. I don’t know. Ask me in 10 years.

Catch episodes of Cougar Town on Wednesdays at 9:30 EST on ABC.

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I don’t know what I have to do to convince you people to watch “Cougar Town,” but enough is enough is enough is enough. Oh, sorry, I got caught in a Donna Summer loop right there. But if it made you smile, then I promise the random running gags, crazy asides and totally outlandish tone of “Cougar Town” won’t disappoint.

Tonight the funniest show on television returns for season two and everyone involved hopes that you don’t (continue to) let the title dissuade you. It may have started out as a sitcom about Courteney Cox’s divorcee blowing guys in her backyard, but halfway through last year “Cougar Town” had evolved into an absurdly ingenious comedy about the family you’re born into and the one you create.

My favorite branch on Jules’ family tree is Laurie Keller, who is played with infectious enthusiasm by Busy Philipps. I chatted with the always hilarious Busy about her egregious Emmy snub, what you can expect from season two and why some light drama is coming to “Town.”

PopWrap: First of all, you were horribly robbed of an Emmy nomination.
Busy Philipps: Thanks, and it’s been really sweet of a couple different people to say that. But honestly, I never even considered it to be an option. I ran the numbers, I knew who was getting nominated but it was really nice when people put me on their snub lists. A girl can’t complain!

PW: I feel like “Cougar Town” really hit its stride last season, how do you guys feel going into season two?
Busy: We’re excited. The TV landscape has changed so much in just the ten years I’ve been doing this professionally, and it’s hard to get past six episodes – let alone get a second season. And we weren’t a hit last year, people weren’t really watching but all that buzz we got towards the end of the year has reinvigorated us in hopes that more people will tune in to see the weird wacky things we’ve been doing. And maybe they’ll enjoy it.

PW: Which means more awesome Ellie/Laurie sparring?
Busy: Of course! We can’t get rid of that – plus, it’s so much fun for Christa [Miller] and myself to play. I think they have an understanding, but they still have to give each other a hard time. That’s what their relationship is built on. I think Laurie has a real deep respect for Ellie, like a “that’s who I want to be when I grow up” thing .. even though she’s not much older than Laurie [laughs]. But I always do that. I tell people “you’re who I want to be when I grow up” and they’re three years older than me.

PW: Dan Byrd told me that the network wasn’t a big fan of Laurie’s relationship with Travis last year, will that change?
Busy: The Travis/Laurie relationship is one we’ve always loved, but because he’s in high school the network thought it seemed inappropriate — like they were going to kiss at any moment. But I love Dan, I joke that he’s my husband and teenage son.

PW: That sounds a little creepy Busy.
Busy: I know [laughs]. But now that Travis is in college, I think we’ll be afforded some more opportunities for them to have storylines together. Although in the first part of the season, there’s a lot about Laurie’s relationship with Smith. And revealing to Jules that she slept with Grayson a while back.

PW: Nice, I’m glad Smith is back — does that mean we’ll learn more about Laurie’s crazy weird sexual predilections?
Busy: A little bit. I’d like to get into more of them, but she does have this one that I thought was funny. Laurie would always reference Dale in season one and I always imagined him to be a big redneck, but a few episodes from now, Laurie says, “you know Smith, you’re my first white boyfriend.” So Laurie doesn’t date white guys, I didn’t know that.

PW: I’m guessing the decision to tell Jules about sleeping with Grayson doesn’t end well for Laurie.
Busy: It brings a little drama. Light drama, but drama. And it ends up breaking Laurie’s heart a little bit, which has never happened before because she thinks of herself as dude in that way, so she’s trying to avoid being vulnerable in front of her friends. But she allows herself to open up to Andy and Grayson. I like now that we’ve established the show any of these characters can have scenes together. Sometimes I’ll think, “oh, I didn’t know they were friends in that capacity” but by having the scenes, they become that. I think it’s nice.

PW: I do too — as long as it means that Laurie has more scenes with Andy like their petting zoo trip. I love them together.
Busy: I kind of do too – which is also because Ian Gomez and I are weirdly compatible. I always joke that he’s like my Cuban doppelganger. Bizarro Busy. We’re weirdly similar which is weird given our difference as humans.

PW: What do you want people to know about season two?
Busy: I really feel like the direction the showed headed in last year and we’re picking up right there. Don’t let the horrible title scare you off – it is what it is, it’s unfortunate, but that’s not what the show is.

“Cougar Town” airs Wednesdays at 9:30 on ABC

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Cougar Town’s Busy Philipps lets us in on her autumn obsessions.

B is for Birdie
“I always wear my B charm by Helen Ficalora, for my daughter, Birdie.” (starting at $125 and $70, respectively; helenficalora.com)

Bright blooms
“We go to the Hollywood Farmers’ Market every Sunday and buy vegetables for the week. I also like getting colorful wildflowers.”

Great hair days
“I use Kérastase shampoo and conditioner ($34; kerastase-usa.com). It’s so expensive it makes my heart hurt, but it’s the only thing that makes my hair beautiful.”

Breaking out a blazer
“I’m excited to break out my lightweight Marc Jacobs pea coat. I also love my J.Crew blazers ($158; jcrew.com)—I have several!”

Ooh-la-la lips
“I like a deep-red lip ($20; elizabetharden.com) right now—it feels very fall to me.”

Tricks and treats!
“I can’t wait for Halloween. I have always loved pretending to be someone I’m not. I’m excited because Birdie, who is 2 years old, wants to be Madeline.”

My cozy must-have
“You feel silly wearing a scarf ($17; oldnavy.com) in Southern California. But we want to be a part of fall so badly, so I go for [lightweight] ones.”

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Born Elizabeth Jean Philipps, Busy was given her unusual nick-name from her parents as an infant because she never stopped moving around, it stuck, and after meeting her at the Monte Carlo Television Festival it’s very clear why! Another thing that took me by surprise as I pulled up a chair beside the bubbly, blonde actress was her slim, athletic frame, but I guess appearing alongside the pint-sized Courteney Cox in the hit comedy Cougar Town would give anyone the impression that they’re bigger than they are. Sporting a bright sherbet-orange strapless dress, the mother-of-one, who once worked the toy-fair circuit as a real-life Barbie is a picture of health and happiness.

“I’m into it”, she beams, when I asked about her relationship with fashion.

“My credit card statement would rather if I wasn’t but I do love shopping, however having my baby has put the kibosh on it a little bit.”

Two years ago, Busy, who is married to screen-writer Marc Silverstein gave birth to their first child, a little girl, called Birdie. When it came to loosing the baby-weight, she is refreshingly open, by Hollywood standards, when she admits that she found it a difficult task.

“I think it all depends on how much weight you gain when you’re pregnant. If you happen to be an actress who gains twenty pounds then I imagine you could be out in a slinky black dress in a month, but if you happen to be an actress like myself who gained eighty pounds it takes a little bit longer,” she says with her attention-grabbing laugh.

“I went through a real period after my baby was born when I was over-weight that I thought I would just wear jeans and a t-shirt for the rest of my life – no more fashion for me. But I remember when I still had about twenty pounds to go but I had lost a huge amount of weight and I went to a party and one of my friends from L.A said ‘She’s back!’”

Despite her humorous approach to the topic of weight, on a more serious note, the actress revealed that she was actually discounted for a role, prior to Cougar Town, because she hadn’t shed the pounds.

“I actually didn’t get another job because I hadn’t lost all the baby weight, which I guess is just part of the deal. They want you to look a certain way and if you don’t that’s it. I mean that was hard for me, but ultimately it worked out, and I don’t think I was ready to go back to work then anyway.”

Now having the last laugh, Busy is riding high as Courteney Cox’s gal pal and assistant Laurie Keller in Cougar Town. Cox plays divorced mother and real estate agent Jules Cobb, who is trying to get back into the dating world. Philipps is the younger, party hearty friend helping her get her groove back. Ultimately the two get into all sorts of mischief along the way. This scenario is a major turn for Philipps, who is enjoying co-starring on a brand new series after years of playing solid supporting roles.

“Courteney Cox sets the bar really high for the rest of us,” says Busy sincerely.

“She’s just so lovely, funny, sweet and incredibly generous. I remember when I got the show another actress friend of mine was being snotty about it and said ‘well how are you ever going to be allowed be funny on that show because Courteney is the lead.’ And that’s just not the case, she wants everyone to shine in their own way.”

And shine they have, the show has recently been picked up for a second season and there’s now talk of changing its name as the producer don’t feel it reflects the direction the show’s taken and Busy agrees.

“I feel like people already have it in their minds as Cougar Town. So I think changing the title is tricky. But I also get it because I don’t think the show is indicative of the title. I believe something else would suit it better, but I don’t know how that would work. Thankfully, I don’t work for the network.”

So with everything, it seems, shining as brightly for Busy as the Monte Carlo sunshine, could life get any better?

“I feel incredible blessed to be having the career that I have now and have my daughter in my life too”, she smiles

“If you have to be a working mom, being an actress on a TV show is not a bad gig.”

From RTÉ

Busy Philipps knows her husband Marc Silverstein will never break her heart – because he put the promise in writing in a binding legal contract.

The Cougar Town actress married the Valentine’s Day screenwriter in 2007 and they have a young daughter together, Birdie. Philipps has revealed her husband is a romantic at heart and his most endearing gesture is a legal document, which he drew up to prove his love for his wife.

She tells Britain’s OK! magazine, “He did do something really romantic – he drew up a contract that says he will never break my heart. He had it all drawn up and notarized so it’s legal and he had it framed and hung it on the wall. So if we’re arguing I can say, ‘Um, excuse me, can I just point out what’s hanging above the mantel!’”

From Starpulse