Ari Graynor on Holy Rollers, Love Interest Roles, and Her 'Quirky Jewishness'

You just came back and did some Fringe, and you even got to appear in the musical episode, although I was sad that they had John Noble sing your part.

I know! And I did sing. I sang on that set, and I recorded it. So...

So it was supposed to be your voice, not just him singing over you?

Either my singing was really terrible, or...[Laughs] No, I think it made sense for John Noble to be singing, but I was excited to hear how my Tears for Fears song was gonna sound.

So no guest appearance on Glee in your future, then?

Yeah. I'm just sitting by the phone!

You're just beginning the shoot for What's Your Number, starring Anna Faris. I've heard this is a lot more fun and raunchy and R-rated than your usual romantic comedy.

Oh, it is. It just deals very openly and frankly with the way women talk about sex. It's witty and fun, and it is sort of raunchy, but I think it's fun to see women talking about sex the way they actually do. Women talk about sex just as much as men do! So that's fun, and Anna Faris is just such a comedic genius that I could watch her do anything, and this role is just perfectly suited for her. It'll be a pleasure.

And you're playing her sober sister, aren't you? No onscreen booze or ecstasy this time?

No booze! Honestly, my first day of shooting is tomorrow, and I'm having a bit of a panic attack that I can't fall back on that as my go-to joke mode. I'm going to leave the boozing up to Anna on this movie and hope that I'm not a total snoozefest on film without that crutch.

Periodically, you'll turn up doing voices on American Dad or The Cleveland Show. How does that happen? Are you just friends with Seth MacFarlane?

I wish it was that cool! I'm trying to think back now as to how I met Linda Lamontagne, who does the casting for it...I think she saw me in a play or something. Every now and then, I'll go in and do something for them, which is fun. Usually, it's something really outrageous and silly.

So when are you going to book a voice gig on one o' them CG animated films?

From your mouth to God's ears, friend!

Pete Sollett is doing an adaptation of the Marvel comic book Runaways next. Please tell me that you've talked to him about casting you and giving you some superpowers.

I feel like I'm pushing my luck to play a teenager, but I did beg him to cast me as a young parent. [Laughs] We'll see. I would love to do anything with him again, especially something that involves superpowers.

[Lead Photo Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images]

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