Carolyn Hennesy is one of ABC's most valuable players.

By day, as attorney Diane Miller, she keeps 'General Hospital' heartthrob Sonny Corinthos out of jail. By night, the actress is the reason that Bill Lawrence can still call his sitcom 'Cougar Town' (since series lead Jules, played by Courteney Cox, is now in an age-appropriate relationship.)

As man-hungry realtor Barb, Hennesy makes every scene she's in highly entertaining. TV Squad contacted Hennesy to conduct an interview about 'Cougar Town,' which returns to ABC tonight at 9PM ET.

Alas, Hennesy wasn't home, but Barb was gracious enough to take the call and give some insights into what makes her character tick! Read on to get our firsthand account of what it's like to encounter the sophomore sitcom's breakout character.

It turns out moonlighting can pay off.

Carolyn Hennesy's been juggling two gigs for the past year -- scene-stealing Barb on 'Cougar Town' and savvy, sexy defense lawyer Diane on 'General Hospital.' The latter has scored her a Daytime Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress.

"I still think it's all a dream," Hennesy told TV Squad this morning. "It's all surreal. It hasn't hit me yet. It simply hasn't!"

Hennesy made the list last year -- alas, it was a list of 'overlooked' deserving stars who weren't given a nod. This year, however, the actress' performing peers, who are members of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, got it right. "No one is more surprised than me," continues Hennesy, who gives credit for her nom to the 'GH' scribes who've created such a vibrant character.

(S01E16) "That woman happens to be my family." - Laurie about Jules

I've been enjoying these last few episodes of 'Cougar Town' because the supporting characters have been fleshed out and have become a more central part of the show. This week was no different, as we not only met Laurie's mother but we also learned new tidbits about all characters, including Jules' real estate nemesis, Barb.

Another upside of this week's installment was the appearance of Beverly D'Angelo as Laurie's mother. Not only was it great casting because D'Angelo does look like she could be Busy Philipps' mother, but also because the 'National Lampoon' actress had the comedic acting skills needed to play Sheila, a superficial and bad mother.

What do the breakout characters of sexy real estate agent Barb on 'Cougar Town' and savvy lawyer Diane on 'General Hospital' have in common? Both are played with deft timing and comedic perfection by actress Carolyn Hennesy.

By day, Diane is one of the few (if not only) people in Port Charles who gets to tell mobster Sonny Corinthos what to do. By night, Barb is Gulf Haven's woman on the prowl. In tonight's episode of 'Cougar Town' (9PM ET, ABC), Barb places an ad in a newspaper (ask you grandparents, kids) for an errand boy and it's answered by none other than Courteney Cox's TV son Dan Byrd (Travis).

AOL TV recently caught up with Hennesy, who gave a preview of the episode and shared how 'Cougar Town' and 'GH' work together to keep her one of ABC's busiest -- and funniest -- stars.

For some actors, the soaps are a stepping stone to a career in features. That's how it was for Meg Ryan, who began as Betsy on As the World Turns. For others, like Eva Longoria Parker, the place she made her mark before becoming one of the Desperate Housewives was as Isabella on The Young & the Restless. Allison Janney is another one. She was a lowly -- but brilliant -- maid at the Spaulding mansion on Guiding Light before lighting up the screen as C.J. Cregg on The West Wing and winning four Emmys along the way. Looking at the current crop of actresses at work in daytime today, who are the women, the divas if you will, who are ready for primetime, nay silver screen, success? Here's a list of seven who have caught my eye.

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