5 Questions With: Amy Sedaris

Eccentric comedian Amy Sedaris is many things: lover of rabbits, baker of cupcakes, sister to comic memoirist extraordinaire David. The offbeat Sedaris kicked off our AOL TV chat by asking our shoe size (unfortunately we don't share her petite size 5, or she might've mailed us some castoffs).

The self-proclaimed "clown" has a guest arc on Kyra Sedgwick's cable hit 'The Closer,' as Brenda Lee's sister-in-law-to-be, Claire (Mon., Feb. 16 and Feb 23, 10PM on TNT).

No surprise the character is a wacky gal -- the part was written for Sedaris. She dished with us on her role, her psychic abilities ... and what the 'Sex and the City' movie sequel would look like if she had anything to do with it.


Eccentric comedian Amy Sedaris is many things: lover of rabbits, baker of cupcakes, sister to comic memoirist extraordinaire David. The offbeat Sedaris kicked off our AOL TV chat by asking our shoe size (unfortunately we don't share her petite size 5, or she might've mailed us some castoffs).

The self-proclaimed "clown" has a guest arc on Kyra Sedgwick's cable hit 'The Closer,' as Brenda Lee's sister-in-law-to-be, Claire (Mon., Feb. 16 and Feb 23, 10PM on TNT).

No surprise the character is a wacky gal -- the part was written for Sedaris. She dished with us on her role, her psychic abilities ... and what the 'Sex and the City' movie sequel would look like if she had anything to do with it.

1. How'd you get the role of the kooky sister, Claire?
I was having a casual conversation with my agency, and they were like, "What kind of shows do you like?" And I was like, "Well, people tell me I look like Kyra Sedgwick. I'd love to be her sister on 'The Closer.'" You know, a month went by, and I got a phone call, and they were like, "Oh my god, the writers wrote a part for you to play Fritz's sister." And I thought, "That's weird, that his sister would look like his girlfriend." So, I love that. Next thing I knew I was flying to Los Angeles.




2. Claire thinks she's psychic. Have you ever thought you were?
She is a psychic. [Me?] Not in a spooky way, where I shut my eyes and flail my arms around like the Miracle Worker. But you know, sometimes, the ability to ... say for example, I need money really bad. Sometimes I do feel like I have the ability to put it out there, and it will happen. Because that's happened to me before. If I put my mind to something, it happens. I do know that's not necessarily psychic. But I always feel like there's something around me protecting me.

3. If you had a special ability, what would you want it to be?
I would want a wand. And I would want just everything I touch with that wand to turn into whatever I want. I want witchcraft so bad that I can't stand it. I have wands in my apartment. And I use them sometimes. I walk into the kitchen with my wand, and I come out with something on a platter and I say, "See, magic happens." Works every time [laughs].

4. Do you consider yourself the bizarro alternative to Martha Stewart?
I am an aging Girl Scout. That's what it is. It all comes from Girl Scouts, from knocking on people's doors. I'll sell a steak bone if I know I can sell it. I just like the transaction between two people, and that's never, ever gonna end. I made so many of those potholders, you know, those potholder kits that you can get, I sold those this year. When I did book tours and stuff I sold them for 10 dollars a pair, and I sold a lot. I just like always having somethin' for sale ... [And] I want to do my own hospitality show. I've been pitching that. But I'm kind of doing a couple other things first. But before I die, I know I'll do one.

5. What would you want your character Courtney to do if she were in the 'Sex and the City' sequel?
I'd probably own my own liquor store [laughs]. Or the whole movie would take place out at the airport, and I run the bar there called Destinations. That way they wouldn't have to shoot in the city and traffic [wouldn't] get held up. I loved doing that show. Everything about that was just fun, fun, fun. I'm glad they're doing another movie.