30 Rock Q&A with Sherri Shepherd: Always Hustling

Listen here 30 Rock fans, official proclamation from the Queen of Jordan: watch as Sherri Shepherd rejoins the cast of 30 Rock and reprises her role as Tracy Jordan’s wife, Angie, on an upcoming episode titled, what else but, “Queen of Jordan.” Now, you may think you know Angie Jordan, but you’ve never seen her like this. In a conference call with Sherri Shepherd, the actress tells us how Queen of Jordan is the wildest she’s ever been, and also why you always have to keep on hustling and how she’s faring in preparation for her big day (the wedding!).

On March 17th, Shepherd will pick up her role of Angie Jordan, beloved wife of funny man and all out drama queen Tracy Jordan (played by series regular Tracy Morgan). When asked what it’s like being married to Tracy, Shepherd had one thing to say:

“It’s a blast. From the first time I got over there it’s been fun with the entire cast and especially being married to Tracy. In my first episode with him I was a little intimidated because I didn’t know if he’d want this totally voluptuous woman to play his wife, because all I’ve ever played is secretary or best friend. When I first walked into the set and he saw me, he said ‘I love a big girl. We’re going to have fun.’ And that was three years ago; we’ve been having a blast since then.”

And the good times keep on rolling, while Shepherd’s role as Angie has always been a secondary character, this week’s upcoming episode will mark the first that puts Angie in the spotlight. “In this episode Tracy leaves. He goes to Africa. I have to do this reality show and they’re trying to trick me into getting Tracy back,” Shepherd says of what she calls the “craziest I’ve ever done on 30 Rock.”

Crazy how, you ask? Sheppard reveals that there will be a catfight, some cursing, and a very tender moment in store for Angie on this week’s show. “Liz (played by Tina Fey) is trying to trick Angie into getting Tracy back home so they can continue doing the show,” Shepherd says of the cause of the fight before she continues: “Angie and Liz have kind of a love/hate relationship deep down. Angie always thinks that Liz wants her husband and so it’s always that, and she doesn’t want Liz telling her what to do. She wants to be the numero uno woman in Tracy’s life. It’s always kind of a power struggle between Liz and Angie because Liz is also the number one woman in Tracy’s life. So, of course, we get into it because you have two alpha dogs fighting for a position in Tracy Jordan’s life. “

And for Angie, that’s the ultimate prize. On describing the couple’s relationship, Shepherd says, “through it all Angie loves her Tracy Jordan; no matter what he does. She might put him out the house, she might be mad at him, but they have a love that just endures.”

And speaking of enduring love, Shepherd herself has found her own enduring love and is now engaged to Lamar Sally, a television writer whom she has been dating for more than a year. The pair plan to tie the knot in August, and as Shepherd says, there’s still so much to do. “I’ve got five months to go,” she says, “and I still haven’t got my guest list together. I have five more spots and 52 people to invite. It’s a nightmare.” Count one of those out, thanks to a very public plea from Shepherd’s former co-star on the comedy series Less Than Perfect.

“Andy Dick tweeted me the other day,” she says, “publicly; not even a direct message, publicly and said, ‘You are inviting me to your wedding, aren’t you? And I went ‘You know what, I guess I am.’ It’s like, who do you invite and who do you slash?”

Now that’s an easy one. Both Shepherd and her fiancée are already committed to losing 30 pounds before the wedding, a commitment which Shepherd takes very seriously. “We’ve been working out at the gym and we’re just trying to eat right,” she says. “I’m looking at calories now. I don’t care what anybody says, they can say you look beautiful but you still want to fit into a six-freaking-six wedding dress.” Other wedding plans Shepherd has already tackled are bridesmaid dresses (Carmen Marc Valvo), deep purple is the color scheme, and her son will walk her down the aisle on the big day. This last part is very important to her as “[Sally's] not only accepting me, he’s accepting my son as well.”

All in all things are very busy for Shepherd, and that’s just as she likes it. As well as guest starring on 30 Rock, Shepherd has her regular gigs on The View and The Newlywed Show. She also has her stand-up, is working on her next book, and is shooting a pilot for TV Land. Shepherd is also looking forward to trying her hand as a television producer. When asked if she ever feels there will be a point where she can finally just relax, her answer is a definite no.

“I don’t think anybody in this business ever, even the most successful person in this business, can say, ‘okay I can relax.’ This is the most unstable business ever to be in. Even when my fiancée was thinking about marrying me, I said ‘do you know I could not have a job tomorrow.’ People are always sitting here going: what else can I do now? Strike while things are hot. I don’t think anybody ever stops and says I can relax now and go water my flowers. You’re always hustling.”

Other notes from the call:
Shepherd bases her books off of her life experiences. And her upcoming book will focus on something her son, Jeffrey, is dealing with right now: having a daddy and a step-daddy. It will focus on blended families and “how you answer those questions of a new person coming into your life.”

Another future project? Shepherd loves working with Tina Fey on 30 Rock and would love to extend that relationship to the big screen in a movie a la Thelma and Louise.

While Angie’s show Queen of Jordan is more like the Real Housewives, Shepherd is not a fan of the Housewives series. “I’m not really into the shows where they don’t know how to control themselves. I’m more [interested in] the shows that inspire people, that uplift people, that encourage people.” One of her favorites: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Another favorite: Dancing with the Stars. And this season Shepherd will be voting for Wendy Williams. “Wendy inspires me, because if she’s able to stay up with those boobs I think I’m doing it the season after her.”

Catch Sherri Shepherd on the “Queen of Jordan” episode of 30 Rock which airs this Thursday, March 17 on NBC.

Photos courtesy of Ali Goldstein/NBC.