Jennifer Finnigan

Jennifer Finnigan: (what she likes about her "Close To Home" character) There's a lot of procedurals on air right now, and a lot of them are female-driven, but the women tend to be very - I don't want to say masculine but just sort of hard-edged. What I love about Annabeth is that she is a real woman; she's vulnerable and feminine and affected by things. One thing that gets me about a lot of these procedurals is that the characters sometimes seem unaffected by all the tragedy - and she's not. She takes that to heart, and that's who I am as well.

(about why she wanted to play in "Close to Home") Jennifer Finnigan: I read it and went, How could I not? I've never really felt as connected to a role as I did with this one. The writing was brilliant. She's just this amazingly strong character. She's got so many dimensions. All these procedurals out there, as great as they are, it's rare that you get to see these women in their home life and in that different environment and that vulnerability and that softer side.

(about the daunting schedule of a drama series when planning a wedding) Jennifer Finnigan: Yes. It does, but when it all comes down to it, I think right now I'm meant to be doing drama. Jonny and I discussed it a lot. Thankfully, he's an actor, so he gets it. If anyone's going to be understanding about it, it's him. But just to be realistic, I said, "Honey, there are going to be times where I probably won't see you for three, four days in a row," and that's hard. It's a scary reality we're going to have to deal with, but he knows that I'm really committed to my work, and he would never want to interfere with that.

(about how she met, actor, Jonathan Silverman) Jennifer Finnigan: We met at a barbecue, a daytime barbecue. A common friend introduced us, and we talked from two in the afternoon until two in the morning, and we laughed so much. We just instantly clicked, like I never did. He's my sanity.

Reporter: What charities are most important to you? Jennifer: Definitely pediatric cancer, AIDS research, and there's a new charity I found out about that interests me for young kids and teens who are suicidal because they are gay and afraid to come out.

Reporter: Who do you admire the most? Jennifer: My parents, for their integrity and strength.

Reporter: Which Hollywood actor/actress are you most looking forward to working with? Jennifer: Without a doubt, Meryl Streep, first and foremost. God, I could learn so much from her, she's so brilliant.