Katrina Bowden

When Katrina Bowdenauditioned for the role of Liz Lemonu2019s assistant, Cerie, on 30 Rock, she was a 16-year-old Catholic school girl with no experience in comedy. (Weu2019d like to take a moment to say something to the person who took a chance casting the then-unknownKatrina: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!) For seven years now she has given more than a few extra smiles to one of the funniest shows in TV history, which wraps its glorious run this spring. u201cItu2019s so weird that itu2019s ending,u201d she says. u201cI was so young and inexperienced when the show started, and the cast has basically beenlike family to me.u201d Hereu2019s to her nextbig roleu2014may ithave an even tinier wardrobe!

When you startedoff on 30 Rock, did you have any idea youu2019d still be on seven years later?
tNone. We didnu2019t even know we were going to get a second season. We always had critical acclaim, but it seemed like no one was watching, and if you donu2019t have any viewers, it doesnu2019t matter how many Emmys you win. It was when Tina went back on SNL as Sarah Palin that people really got interested.

Since 30 Rock was based on Tinau2019s time there, is Cerie based on someone real?
tYeah, a very wealthy girl who was really smart but never let anyone know that. And she never really tried hard, because sheu2019d been given everything her whole life. So I think they took that and made it a lotbigger with Cerie.

How different is Tracy Morgan from Tracy Jordan?
tWell, Tracyu2019s acomedian, so he knows what heu2019sdoing, but the writing staff definitely plays up the wacky things he says. They give him complicated things to say, because it sounds so funny coming out of his mouth. Heu2019s a sweet guy, but he has absolutely no filter.His dressing room is right next to mine, so I end up hearing a lot of very interesting conversations!

Was it strangebeing so much younger than the rest of the cast?
tAt first I felt like I was in over my head, but everyone made me feel so comfortable. Iu2019d hang out with the people from the show and go to SNL tapings and the after-parties, and a lot of the writers were young. Like, Donald Glover wrote for the show before he was on Community, and heu2019s just a little older than me. But itu2019s not like I was going crazy and partying,which might have been different if Iu2019d beenon a show with lotsof young people, likeGossip Girl.

Since you were just out of high school, were your classmates ever jealous?
tWell, I had been modeling for a bit in high school, and I tried to keep all that stuff quiet. I went to an all-girls school, and girls can get pretty catty toward each other.

Read the full interview when you pick up our January/February issue, on newsstands now!

Want more Katrina Bowden?
Check out her 2012 Girls of Maxim gallery and behind-the-scenes video.