Sara Rue :: prime time's lesbian surrogate

Between a high profile campaign for Jenny Craig, Sara Rue's taking a role as a lesbian surrogate on the sit-com Rules of Engagement. EDGE spoke to her about the role, her weight loss and working on the 'It Gets Better' campaign.

When we've seen actress Sara Rue lately, she's been literally shrinking before our eyes as part of her high-profile ad campaign with Jenny Craig (she's lost more than 50 pounds), but the star of past television hits like Grand, Popular (co-created by Glee's Ryan Murphy) is now taking a recurring role on a popular network sitcom as a lesbian surrogate.

On CBS's Rules of Engagement, which is currently in its fourth season, Rue comes into the series to let her womb help the baby-challenged Jeff (Patrick Warburton) and Audrey (Megyn Price) finally become parents. It's a reunion of sorts for Rue, who worked with Warburton on her ABC sitcom Less Than Perfect, where one of the writers, Tom Hertz, went on to create Rules of Engagement.

Besides joining the high profile series for an open-ended number of episodes, Rue has been busy shooting movies, guesting on other series and also making a "It Gets Better" video with comedian Ross Mathews. EDGE's Jim Halterman was able to chat with the busy Rue last week in Los Angeles to find out how she's approaching the new role, her plan to steer clear of all the holiday sweets this season, being wow'd by entertainment legends and an upcoming role where she plays a porn star who falls in love with a man of the cloth.

Why a gay surrogate?

EDGE: So you're playing a lesbian surrogate on Rules. How does the fact that she's a lesbian come into play?

Sara Rue: Well, I'm certainly hoping to have a hot girlfriend in the future, but for this episode I think the idea was that if Jeff (Warburton) had it his way he'd have one of his guy friends carry the baby. But it happens to be a lesbian on the softball team so I think that the fact that she was on a softball team and a good friend of his is ultimately why she's the surrogate. She just also happens to be gay.

EDGE: So let's say you get to cast the girlfriend. Who would you cast?

SR: You know who I would pick? Katherine Moennig from The L Word! She's awesome and such a good actress so I would love that. Lindsey Price and I had a lesbian kiss last year on Eastwick so I think she would make an awesome girlfriend. Who ever is game!

EDGE: You're pretty much known for comedy and you've also done a lot of theater. Would you like to do more drama?

SR: I did Eastwick last year, which technically was a one-hour dramedy, but I love doing drama. I've done a lot of dramatic theater and this year I did a guest spot on Private Practice where there was some heavy drama. It's always good to do. Its like doing exercises. You can't just work the same muscles over and over. I enjoy it but I feel that comedy is definitely where my heart is but I like the idea of making people laugh and being in front of a live, studio audience. I like the energy of getting ready for a show.

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Watch Sara Rue and Ross Matthews' 'It's Get Better' YouTube video:

Meeting Joan Collins

EDGE: Joan Collins is also in your first episode but did you get to act in any scenes with her?

SR: We didn't have any stuff together but I did go 'Oh, Joan Collins! Cool!' I watched her stuff and she was just lovely. She was really working hard. It's always strange when you meet someone like that. 'It's Joan Collins and here we are getting coffee together.' I always feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience. I had the same thing when I worked with Debbie Reynolds. The whole time I kept saying 'You're talking to Debbie Reynolds!' I could never fully enjoy myself. We'd exchange a few words and then I just couldn't relax like a normal person. It's freaky in a good way.

EDGE: Besides loving you, we all love Ross Mathews, who you just did a "It Gets Better" with video. Despite the heavy subject matter, how did you make it a bit lighter and utilize both of your senses of humor?

SR: He is the best. Hr came over and we did it in my living room with just him and I and my computer. At first, we were talking and kind of serious and it's really upsetting what's going on with the bullying and then we thought, 'What is the point of bullying and that's that it does get better.' What's better than telling people than showing people so we just decided to be ourselves and talk about how it gets better but, yes, there was a lightness and levity to the video. We are certainly not making fun at all.

We're both extremely pro-LGBT, of course. I'm really proud of the way it came out. We just talk about how being a teenager is really nuts no matter who you are and it does get better and we give reasons why and how. We support you even if you feel alone no matter where your small town is or wherever you are. There are people like us out here who can't wait for you to become full-fledged adults and members of society and we look forward to that day for you. I'm really proud of it.

EDGE: What's been the unexpected thing that has come out of the Jenny Craig experience besides the weight loss?

SR: I didn't know how it would be perceived. You don't know if it's going to be a positive or negative experience but I had no idea it was going to be so fulfilling for me. I've really enjoyed talking to people and being involved in other people's journeys to a more healthier them. I've really enjoyed that aspect of it and I've loved the program. I signed up for jumping into this pool and now I'm like 'I like this pool! I think I can swim around in here for awhile!' I really like the company, thank God the food is good, they are very LGBT friendly - they're a great company to work for!

EDGE: I had asked Valerie Bertinelli about the pressure to keep the weight off since the whole country is paying attention to your weight. Do you feel some of that?

SR: Absolutely. I'm trying not to worry about it too much and be obsessive about it. I just ran a half-marathon a couple of weeks ago and I'm working out and doing my Jenny Craig maintenance plan but I'm trying really hard not to become a crazy person about it. The whole point of me wanting to do Jenny Craig and wanting to be a spokesperson is so at the end I could be a normal person so that's really what I'm trying so hard to be. I'm definitely not perfect at it. There are days where I'm too obsessive and I'll eat too much of one thing and then worry about it for hours. I'm just trying to be normal, which is not necessarily the easiest thing for me to be but I'm working on it and I think it will always be a work in progress. It's been a really great experience.

EDGE: The holidays are hard for anyone trying to watch their diet. Any big plans to combat the temptations?

SR: I'm engaged and my fianc�e is what I call a normal dude. I watch him and I go 'Oh, he eats like a normal person!' We go out to dinner and he's going to have some of this and that but he doesn't overeat so I'm trying to be normal and that means if we go to a party and there's a cake I want to try or whatever it is, it means I limit myself enough so I don't feel deprived or not enough so I don't screw my diet. I'm trying to ride that fine line of being in the middle. I guess my holiday goal is to not obsess.
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EDGE: Tell me about this new movie you did called For Christ's Sake

SR: [laughs] It's really good and I think it's coming out soon since I know they got distribution. I play a porn star who may fall in love with a priest and comedy may ensue. [laughs] It's one of my favorite things I've ever done. And my friend Will Sasso, who is in $#*! My Dad Says, is in the movie and is one of the producers and he told me about it originally. I'm really excited about it. It's really deranged and dark but I think if you have a dark sense of humor you will enjoy it.

EDGE: Can we hope that the subject matter will ruffle some feathers?

SR: I'm sure it will! I'm not religious personally so it didn't bother me but out goal is not to offend anybody but to make light of some things that people might take too seriously.

Rules of Engagement airs on Mondays at 8:30 ET/PT on CBS and you can follow Sara Rue @SaraRueForReal on Twitter.

Watch Sara Rue's video blog on reaching her goal weight: