Q&A With Emily Procter

She appeared in just 12 episodes but Republican Associate White House Counsel Ainsley Hayes remains among The West Wing's most memorable and best-loved characters. Played with smart-mouthed sass and Southern charm by actress Emily Procter, Ainsley made her debut trouncing Sam Seaborn on live television before joining the administration and providing a counter-argument on issues from across the aisle – while providing a number of unforgettable food-related quotes along the way.

How did you come to be cast as the Bartlet administration's first Republican?

Well, I was in my little apartment in Beverley Hills and things were really not working out for me – as all Hollywood tales begin. I really had gotten to a place where I thought, "I need to figure out what I'm doing here, or I need to move back home." My car was falling apart and I didn't have any air conditioning; it was August and it was so hot I had to duct tape cooler packs to my air vents. When I pulled up for the audition I was like, "Hi, Emily Procter, here for The West Wing," and I think they sort of looked at my car and were like, "Oh honey, not for you. You're not getting it." But it worked out.

What are your memories of the audition?

I'm from North Carolina, so when I get dressed up, I tend to get really dressed up! I did my best to put on what I thought someone would wear in the White House and I went and read for the part. I was wearing such a strange, pulled-together outfit that the casting director called back and said, "We think that she's good, but we don't know if she's attractive." My agent said, "what do you mean?" They said, "She was wearing very strange purple pants!" So I had to go back again in a more attractive outfit.

Was she written as a Southerner?

No, actually. At one point during the process, Aaron said, "You do realise that she's from Montana," and I said, "Yes sir, I do," and he said, "But you're reading her with a Southern accent," and I said, "Well, yes." And he just sort of looked at me and I looked at him and no one went on after that. So I left it. I was lucky that he let her be Southern because I don't have another accent!

What did you make of Ainsley?

It was the first time I had ever read anyone write a Southerner properly. Because Southern women, in my opinion, are complicated and are equally feminine and driven. That's kind of an unusual combination and people usually tend to get it wrong. And he just nailed it and I thought, "Oh my gosh, it's going to be so nice to see this person on television," because she represented something to me that I felt very strongly about.

Were you surprised they wanted a Republican character on such a liberal-leaning show?

Yes. But you know, I really truly believe that in order to create the full environment, it was necessary to have both sides of the argument. I thought it was so smart that that's what he decided to do with the show. I remember Aaron saying, "I don't want you to make her so likeable," and I was like, "But it's better!"

So many of the things she was saying were difficult for me; they were so opposite to what I felt. You know, having to argue against the Equal Rights Amendment was a really interesting one for me. I had to really try and figure out a way why I would want to support that. And that was part of what made it so fun.

What do you remember about your first episode?

The very first scene I had on the show was with John Spencer. They call me to come on the set and he's already in there. I hear him in a very loud voice say, "The new girl – if she's bad, we don't have to keep her, right?" Then after the scene, he was like, "You're alright!" I loved working with John. He invited me to come over to his house to rehearse and he had this swimming pool and all of these beautiful roses. He took these pots of roses and created this obstacle course around the pool. There was an uncurled hose and pots full of thorny bushes and we would go around and around his pool as quickly as we could with the dialogue. It was really quite dangerous and he was like, "Emily, I'm a gentleman so I'll stay on the inside of the pool." He was wonderful.

The interplay between Aisnley and Sam was a series high point, how did you find those scenes?

Rob Lowe is a sportsman and a ladykiller and it's impossible to be in a scene with him and not immediately begin to play tennis. [Laughs] Whether you want to or not, that is what happens.

Do you have lines quoted back to you on the street?

There's a difference between the CSI: Miami fan and The West Wing fan. The West Wing fan is far more dialogue driven. "Can I take this muffin?" is definitely the most repeated (See video below).

Aaron said his biggest regret was not making you a regular cast member and letting CSI snap you up.

Well, he and I have had this conversation and it's one of those things where I think we misunderstood each other. If I had in any way known that this was a possibility, I would have stayed there forever! They would've had to kick me out! As it was, when on my last episode, they said, "Do you need a box for your things?" I had to shut the door and cry because I didn't want to go.

How was CSI: Miami by comparison?

After the pilot episode I was doing something and I was like, "Well on The West Wing... but wait, on The West Wing we would rehearse this... but wait, okay, on The West Wing." And Marg Helgenberger turned around and went, "Oh my God, she is not going to make it." [Laughs] It was at that moment that I was like, "Oh, this is apples and oranges. This is a very different thing."