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Jaime Pressly starring in hit NBC show.
October 11,2005
Jaime Pressly left Kinston for the West Coast and the entertainment world, but a breakthrough role in a hit television comedy has brought her back to the South.
As one of the stars of NBC's number-1 rated comedy, "My Name is Earl," Pressly enjoys bringing the Southern street-smarts she learned in Kinston to the role. It's part of her mission to revamp Hollywood's stereotypical depiction of Southerners.
"Just because you have the Southern accent does not mean you're dumb," Pressly, 28, said in a telephone interview Monday. "Look at the character, 'Joy.' She does some crazy, outlandish things, but she's not dumb. She might not know about some things, but that's more of a class thing."
The show's story revolves around Earl, a dead-beat lottery winner on a journey to right the wrongs of his past. Pressly's character, "Joy," is Earl's money-hungry ex-wife. In previous episodes, Joy has plotted to kill Earl in order to inherit the lottery winnings.
"It's probably the best job I've ever had," Pressly said. "All the characters on the show are likable and relatable and the people playing them are the same way."
Pressly, who first achieved fame for roles in "Not Another Teen Movie" and "Joe Dirt," said growing up here helped prepare her for hard work and life in the spotlight.
"Coming from a small town made me tougher," Pressly said. "It made me work harder. In Kinston, we all have this different work ethic. We work hard for what we have. We appreciate what we have."
Pressly's not just working hard in TV roles.
Just before she began taping "My Name is Earl," she finished shooting the movie "D.O.A.: Dead On Arrival," in remote locations of China. Pressly said the grueling shoot made her appreciate the comforts of home.
"It was an experience I don't ever want to have again," Pressly said. "We were in Guilin, China, for six or seven weeks. We were lucky we got the shots. The last two days were sunny."
She's also putting the finishing touches on her clothing label's first ready-to-wear collection. J'aime Clothing was selected as one of two clothing lines to be featured at L.A. Fashion Week.
"I started it with lingerie 2 ½ or three years ago," she said. "We were named one of the top-five designers last year. (Ready-to-wear clothes) are a lot more simple to make."
Her father, Jimmy Pressly, said Jaime's tireless effort landed her current success. He still lives in Kinston but doesn't miss the chance to see her on TV.
"She did not give up, that's the main thing," Jimmy Pressly said. "She gets along good wherever she goes because she enjoys what she's doing."
Pressly's goal is a career like the ones Goldie Hawn and Shirley MacLaine have. She said she most admires those actresses' talent, versatility and down-to-earth personalities. She'd also feel honored to work with either of them.
In the meantime, she's set on finishing the first season of "My Name Is Earl" and preparing her clothing line for its big premiere this month.
Then what?
"I'm the person that creates the never-ending list" of things to do, Pressly said. "I'm going to do a lot."
Source : Kinston Free Press
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