Mary-Louise Parker 'Weeds' it Up

Mary-Louise Parker returns to TV on Weeds, which airs tonight on Showtime.

Now in its fourth season, the wacky comedy about a pot-selling mom is Golden Globe-winning must-see TV.

“It didn’t feel like a sure hit by any means,” the 43-year-old actress says. “It wasn’t something where I was like ‘oh yeah, people are going to love this mom drug dealer.’ I didn’t think people were going to love it. It wasn’t like Cheers. It didn’t feel like a hit.”

Why does she think people love it?

“People don’t know what to make of it. They don’t know if it’s a comedy or drama. And then, there’s someone for almost everyone to relate to, and they’re all in different worlds together. You wouldn’t normally see this person and this person together.”

What input does Mary-Louise have into her character?

“I just tell the writers to make it as perverse and weird and crazy and bizarre as they can. I like her to be up in a tree. I don’t want her to be in the kitchen. I want it to be extreme. I think she’s more interesting when she exists in a world where she’s at odds, you know? It’s not as interesting to me when she’s in a safe place.”

Luckily, the single mom of two enjoys her coworkers.

“I like the other actors on the show. A lot, a lot. There’s not one that I don’t really like a lot. And I like the character. When I’m not working, I think about the character. I do like that job.”

Any truth that the show is heading to CBS?

“I don’t see how,” she laughs. “They’d have to cut every other word, right?”