An Interview with Misha Harris (Agent Alameda, Watch Over Me)

Many actors know they want to break into show business at an early age and live their lives based on their ambition. Some do go on to get degrees, but usually don't make use of their education when they score a great gig. Misha Harris, an up-and-coming actress, has lived life to the fullest before appearing in her first acting role.

After graduating with a degree in Social Sciences/Economics from USC, Misha had a successful career in real estate, worked as an asset manager for Barry Diller at USA Networks and trained to become a Master Chef from the Culinary Arts Institute for Food and Wine. I had the opportunity to chat with the very lovely Misha about her roles on My Network TV's Fashion House and Watch Over Me and what her plans are for the future.

Q: Before you became an actress, you have lived a full and very accomplished life, what do you feel is your greatest achievement so far?

Misha: "I actually think my greatest achievement is my transition over from working 9 to 5 and being in a corporate environment to breaking free of that and starting to be successful in acting. It was a jump, I did it well and I'm proud of it."

Q: I understand you love being at the beach, what are your top 5 favorite beaches?

Misha: "I love the beach! I was going to Miami a lot and paying all this money for a hotel and about six years ago, real estate was real cheap there. I bought this condo on the beach, on South Beach six years ago when it was real cheap and now its doubled in price. Miami, Negril [Jamaica], Manhattan Beach, I liked the beach in Aruba and the fifth would be Fiji - I haven't been, but I like the beaches when I see them."

Q: How did you get involved with My Network TV?

Misha: "My agent had sent me out on an audition to meet D. Candis Paule, who was the casting agent for Fashion House and Watch Over Me, just to go out and meet her. I read for her something from Veronica Mars. It was more of a meeting than an audition. So, I read for her and she really liked me and I left the audition feeling really good. A few months later, she called me about a principal role on Fashion House. I went back and it was a doctor role, an OB/GYN. I thought for me to get this, I'm going to have to read it completely different than anybody else, I'd have to make this more about me than the character I was talking to. So, I did that, I made it about me and I made this back story about me as a doctor. The lines read differently when I did that and she just loved it. She cast me in this part and then she cast me without an audition for my new gig on Watch Over Me. I'm going to be airing in late January/early February. It was a great experience."

Q: Would you please explain to our readers what a telenovella is?

Misha: "Telenovella is basically the brain child of Telemundo. You have one show that has a certain number of episodes that begins and ends, then you have a new story. My Network TV is the first American network that has ever done that concept. Telenovella's are small stories that come on and then go off, so you always have this different story that you're following."

Q: Did you enjoy working with the cast of Fashion House and Watch Over Me?

Misha: "It was really fun. All the directors were great. What was different about Fashion House versus Watch Over Me is that Fashion House and Desire were the first ones that they did, so everyone was new, even the crew, to how fast we had to shoot."

Q: When were these series actually filmed?

Misha: "Fashion House started in June and were filming Monday through Saturday because there were so many episodes you have to get through. As soon as that wrapped, Watch Over Me started immediately."

Q: Tell us about your role on Watch Over Me.

Misha: "Currently, Watch Over Me is about the character named Michael and he has a lab where he creates different types of biological viruses and he uses these to negotiate arms deals and all this global type of terrorism. My character is Agent Alameda, I'm head of the FBI. What is really fun about this character is that it was originally written for a guy and it's the first time I got to play a hardcore type of detective, all the guys are my back-up agents. I'm playing this tough Pam Grier type of character with a gun and I'm trying to shut down his lab. My character is driving the season finale."

Q: What's ahead for you? Any projects?

Misha: "I actually just finished a play, it was called Girls of Summer. It was about a Negro all-women's baseball team and our coach got killed at the beginning of the first game we played. I was doing that and filming Watch Over Me at the same time. I'm taking a little rest over the holidays and then I'll gear up again in January to begin auditioning and getting more parts."

Q: If you could be on any other television series, what would it be and why?

Misha: "I'd love to be on ER or Grey's Anatomy. That type of casting is natural for me because coming from a corporate background, I'm really good at serious, professional parts. I'd also love to be on Law & Order or CSI: Miami. I tend to go towards this detective/doctor, strong women parts."

Q: Is there anything you'd like to say to the fans?

Misha: "Look out for me in 2007!"