Eastbound & Down's Katy Mixon: 'Danny McBride Is Not As Evil As His Characters'

She may have been at the TCA Press Tour this morning to promote her family-friendly new series Mike & Molly, but Katy Mixon knows a thing or two about dark comedy from playing the jilted girlfriend of a misanthropic sociopath on Eastbound & Down. How can she juggle those two extremes?

When Movieline approached her after the Mike & Molly panel, Mixon said that switching between network and pay-cable wasn't as difficult as it seemed.

"Eastbound & Down is giving you a rhythm," she said. "It's just a whole different vibe with improv. As an actor I just kind of exercise within my environment and adjust depending on where I'm at."

This fall will be busy for Mixon: On September 26, HBO airs the second season premiere of Eastbound, and though the new season follows Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) to Mexico, Mixon's character April returns (even after Kenny stranded her at a gas station during the season one finale). Still, in spite of the tortured relationship their characters share onscreen, Mixon maintains that McBride is nothing like the rage-filled psychotics he plays so well.

"He is not evil like [his characters]," she said. "Danny is such a gentleman. He is giving you geniusness. He is one of my favorite people and he is just absolutely incredible and talented and amazing."