‘In the Loop’s Anna Chlumsky savoring sequel career

[HMG] – When Anna Chlumsky kissed Macaulay Culkin in 1991′s ‘My Girl,’ a child star was born. But then Anna vanished. Now 29, she’s busily embarked on a sequel career, and those with long memories are glad she came back.

Last month the Chicago-born actress played Lisa Klein in one episode of NBC’s ‘Law & Order,’ but her role as Liza Weld in last year’s BBC-produced political comedy, ‘In The Loop’ got rave reviews.

“What made me excited about that was the chance to audition for the BBC. I never thought I’d get the chance to work over there,” she tells Popeater. “Then the actual script – I was bathing in the text, it was so good.”

Anna took a break from acting to attend college, and was next asked what lured her back?

“When I graduated, I applied for Think-Tank jobs in D.C., and nothing worked out. Then I took an entry-level post at Zagat’s because I wanted to be a food writer. Then I started editing sci-fi/fantasy novels. But I was still unhappy. And I didn’t know why.”

But seeing Mercedes Ruehl on stage in “The Goat” by Edward Albee provided the answer. Anna immediately swapped New York for Hollywood and started again. But ‘My Girl’ never dies;

“Nineteen years later people still ask me how it felt to do that. I don’t remember,” admits Anna. “A few years ago it was on TBS and I thought, ‘I don’t know who that is! You could have told me it was the girl down the street and I’d have believed you.”

So with her acting career now reaffirmed, what roles does she have in mind?

“I’d love to play a cowgirl. And a tennis player – Mostly because I’d like someone to teach me to play! I like playing determined people who persevere, because how I see myself,” the actress admits. “But I’m in love with great text and that’s always the goal: To let the text speak for itself. It all has to start with the story.”

And ‘In the Loop’  fit the criteria perfectly;

“If I’m lucky enough to work on projects that have great writing like that, where you can also collaborate with the director and other actors, that’s the dream. And “In the Loop” convinced me it’s possible. It can happen, it does exist and it’s magic. And that’s what we’re after – Magic.”

Anna’s next outing is a pilot for a new CBS drama, ‘The Quinn-Tuplets,’ which follows the lives of five miracle babies as they pursue adult life. Co-starring Sam Witwer from ‘Smallville’ there’s no air-date yet, so watch TV Guide…