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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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 has described her Cougar Town co-star Courteney Cox as “incredibly open”.

Speaking to the Daily Record, Philipps explained that Cox has taught her a lot during the time they have worked together.

“Comedically, you can’t buy the kind of experience she got when she was on Friends,” she said. “But seeing how she brings that into her producing of the show too, how she’s very hands-on and how that works for her, has been really rewarding and informing.”

Philipps continued: “She’s not just a producer on our show in title only. She give script notes, she’s in the editing room all the time, she’s always watching cuts of the show.”

However, Philipps explained that she feels comfortable working with Cox even though the star also produces the programme.

“When we’re working together as actors, we’re just working together as actors,” she said. “She’s more of a creative producer, more that than a cracking the whip type. She’s an incredibly open person. I think because she was such a big part of such a big show for years, she decided she couldn’t hide anything, because it would come out anyway.”

From Digital Spy

Busy Philipps, 30, (Cougar Town airs on ABC Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m.) shares the 25 things you don’t know about her with UsMagazine.com.

1. I had a baby with no pain medicine, mainly because most people I talked to didn’t think I’d be able to do it. So there.

2. That’s also kind of the reason I’m an actress.

3. I love TV, and I don’t believe it when people say they don’t watch it.

4. I was a live Barbie doll at a Mattel Toy Fair when I was 17.

5. I have dislocated both of my knees.

6. I had a boyfriend who once told me that I I laughed way too loud, and I’ve been self-conscious about it ever since.

7. I once let strangers sit with me at a restaurant, because I couldn’t figure out how to tell them I wasn’t their friend’s new girlfriend.

8. I have a “story by” credit on Blades of Glory. You’re welcome, America.

9. My hair was dark brown for a year. I swear, people were nicer to me.

10. I weirdly relate to Men of a Certain Age.

11. I constantly drink water and leave the cups around the house. It’s sort of like that M. Night Shyamalan movie.

12. I eat 6 to 10 Godiva dark-chocolate chips a night.

13. I get irrationally angry if I am woken up at night.

14. Sometimes I get needlessly confrontational, but when I should be, I’m not.

15. I believe everyone should be able to get married if they want.

16. My hobby is cake art.

17. I love Mexican food.

18. I’m excited for Grizzly Bear at Coachella this year.

19. I went to college with Linda Cardellini and Colin Hanks.

20. I once ate a turkey sandwich every day for almost a year.

21. My favorite movie is Noah Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming.

22. I always watch HGTV before bed. Or Friends.

23. I hate it when people tell me to smile.

24. I love to lie on the beach.

25. I am not Bijou Phillips.

From US Magazine