CITYist

Photography by Giuliano Bekor

Sweet and effervescent California girl, April Bowlby, plays wannabe model Stacy Barrett on the show Drop Dead Diva, now in its fourth season on Lifetime. She dished with CITYist about her character, working with Kim Kardashian, and her home life.

What can we expect from Stacy Barrett this season on Drop Dead Diva?

This season Stacy opens her own business, a Pakery, which is a pie/bakery business that she discovered with Nikki LePree, who is Kim Kardashian’s character. Stacy has made some new friends and puts Jane [Bingum, as played by Brooke Elliott] on edge a little bit, which you’ll find out more about later in the season. Stacy is growing each year. She’s giving up acting and modeling and focusing on a business she’s really good with. I think she’s just having a good time. There’s no love interest for Stacy as of yet. She’s just focusing on herself, which I think is a good thing.

Kim Kardashian recently joined the cast of Drop Dead Diva. What was it like to work with her?


It was really good. You see her on E! and hear tabloid stories and expect the worst. But she was the opposite. She was on time and ready to play. She knew her lines and had her acting coach with her. She was actually really fun to work with. She has a good head on her shoulders, that one.

How have you seen your character evolve over the past four seasons of the show?

Stacy was just like Deb [Dobkins, as played by Brooke D’Orsay], super shallow, unaware of other things. She just had one mindset. Now she has developed. She’s being kinder to different people in different situations. She kind of discovers herself and realizes she’s way more than a pretty face. She gets a nice little boost of confidence and figures out she doesn’t need a man or a modeling contract to make her happy.

Has this evolution made it more fun for you as an actress to play Stacy?

Both storylines are fun but after awhile you want some growth and some development. It’s fun to play Stacy a little more adult, a little more focused. She’s as grounded as Stacy can be… [Laughs.]

How would you describe your personal style? How does that differ from Stacy’s style on the show?

Stacy is really bright. [She loves] bright colors and all of her dresses have some sort of fluffy something on them. I’m much more casual. I like taupes, creams, beiges, and charcoals. I’d wear jean shorts with cashmere sweater but Stacy would wear neon pink shorts with a purple top [Laughs.]

How did you get your start?

I was modeling in LA and then started to take some acting classes. I figured, “everyone else is doing it, why not me?” I fell in love with it. I found an agent pretty quickly and started to book jobs. I think it was all at the right time and the right place for me.

If you could play any other character on the show, who would it be?

Oh, that’s a good question. I would like to play Kim Kaswell. I think it would be so much fun to be so stoic and bitchy all the time [Laughs.]

What projects are you working on next?

Well I’m going to go back to LA and I’ll settle into my house and get my life back to normal. And hopefully I’ll be working on a movie this summer.

Is there a particular actor or director you’d like to work with in the future?

There are so many people… I would love to work with Joan Cusack. She seems so interesting and I think I would just like to hang out with her.

Do you prefer film or television?

I love television. I love the pace of it. It’s a very fast-paced medium. I love the pace of our show. We’ll shoot something like seven scenes in one day. With film you’ve got one day to do one scene and make it perfect. I think I admire the time allotted. I think it’s a tie. I’d like to be working on our show and then on a slow movie.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

I’m taking ballet classes right now. I knit, I read a lot, and I go hiking with my dogs.