Katharine McPhee on Acting Career: 'I Was Super-Grateful for 'Smash'

In an exclusive interview with Zap2it.com, Katharine McPhee talks about her acting career and reveals she has tried to 'steer away' from music-related acting roles and instead, focus on straight acting.

The American Idol champ will star in a new "Hallmark Hall of Fame" drama titled 'In My Dreams,' which premieres this Sunday, April 20th on ABC. In addition, McPhee will soon be seen in the CBS pilot 'Scorpion,' another opportunity for her to put her acting chops on display.

While the 'Smash' star will be forever grateful for her casting in the NBC musical drama series in which she portrayed Broadway hopeful Karen Cartwright, she shared that the role was not necessarily her dream job. "Listen, I was super-grateful for 'Smash' in so many ways," the actress tells Zap2it, "just because it fulfilled all these dreams I had, but I've always wanted to just be an actor. It's not something you tell everybody -- you want to go out and make it happen, as opposed to just talking about it -- but 'Smash" ended up being the thing that opened doors for me.

The talented singer adds that while singing roles are not at the top of her wish list, she will not go out of her way to avoid them either. "At this point, I try to steer away from things that are so music-related, but I'm not closed off to them. If something's an amazing thing to do, I want to be able to. The basic thing actors want is to be able to do different things and feel like they're challenged, and I've been excited and grateful for all the prospects."

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About ABC's IN MY DREAMS:

Nick (Mike Vogel) and Natalie (Katharine McPhee) are the perfect couple, but there are a couple of things blocking their path to romantic bliss. First, they've never actually met, except in their dreams. Second, they have precisely seven days to Turn those sweet dreams into a blissful reality in "In My Dreams," the new Hallmark Hall of Fame movie premiering on SUNDAY, APRIL 20, 2014 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Charlotte (JoBeth Williams), Nick's meddling mother, is determined to introduce her son to Ms. Right. Mike Vogel says that mother--son dynamic is one of the things that attracted him to the script and the project. "Nick's Mom is a meddler," says Vogel. "But she's not mean-spirited. Her heart's in the right place. She means well, she really does. She just can't help herself!" Vogel describes "In My Dreams" as "a romance with hints of comedy." His co-star, Katharine McPhee, agrees with that description. "This is a romance, first and foremost," she says. "I firmly believe that Mr. or Ms. Right is out there for all of us. And who's to say that throwing a coin in a fountain won't lead you to the pot of gold at the end of the romance rainbow. I mean, if that can work for Nick and Natalie, why can't it work for all of us? The trick is to find the right fountain!"

"In My Dreams" stars Katharine McPhee ("American Idol," "Smash") as Natalie, Mike Vogel ("Bates Motel," "Under the Dome") as Nick, JoBeth Williams ("The Big Chill," "My Name Is Bill W") as Charlotte, Joe Massingill ("Epic") as Joe, Rachel Skarsten ("Lost Girl," "The Vow") as Jessa, Antonio Cupo ("Bomb Girls") as Mario and Jessalyn Wanlim ("A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song" as Sharla.

"In My Dreams" was directed by Kenny Leon ("A Raisin in the Sun," "Steel Magnolias"). Teleplay by Teena Booth ("Fatal Honeymoon," "Amish Grace") and Suzette Couture ("The Last Templar, Jesus"), with the story by Teena Booth. David A. Rosemont ("Pillars of the Earth," "November Christmas") is producer, Brent Shields ("The Magic of Ordinary Days," "Christmas in Conway") is executive producer. It is from Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions.