Hometown newspaper interview with Night Shift co-star Amanda Baker

From: http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jul/21...ght_shift10983/

Local 'cutie' stars on 'Night Shift'

By Rob Young (Contact)

The Post and Courier

Saturday, July 21, 2007

SOAPnet

Mount Pleasant's Amanda Baker stars as a young student nurse on the SOAPnet drama, "General Hospital: Night Shift."

The show describes her as a hot student nurse with her share of crushes and secrets. She prefers "cute girl next door with a bit of humor, a bit of wit."

Either way, Mount Pleasant's Amanda Baker is making her mark on "General Hospital: Night Shift," SOAPnet's first serialized drama.

Baker, who is 27, stars as hospital newbie Jolene Crowell. She's prone to gossip, attracted to a resident mobster and the object of a computer geek's affection.

"You'll find out about her family, past life and other things I can't quite reveal yet," Baker said by phone from Los Angeles.

She appeared three or four times on the ABC soap "General Hospital," familiarizing viewers with her character before "Night Shift" premiered July 12. The program airs at 11 p.m. Thursdays. "Night Shift" itself is a "GH" spin-off of sorts, though plots won't intersect. "Night Shift's" story lines also will wrap up at the end of each one-hour episode.

"The pace is very fast," Baker said. "It feels like you're watching sort of a combination between 'General Hospital' and 'Grey's Anatomy.' "

Veteran actor Billy Dee Williams lends the show star power. He plays Toussaint Dubois, a mysterious hospital worker who passes along wisdom to the hospital staff.

"He's so cool," Baker said. "I just remember the first time walking on set. I'm just like, 'Should I talk to him? Should I call him Billy Dee, Mr. Williams?'

"For him to be on the show, we're really, really thrilled about it."

But Baker is no rookie. She's appeared on TV series, including "One Tree Hill" and "Surface," and TV movies such as ABC Family's "Hello, Sister, Goodbye Life," alongside Lacey Chabert and Wendie Malick, and CBS' "The Dead Will Tell," featuring Anne Heche and Eva Longoria.

Baker also starred in "Palmetto Pointe," a short-lived teen drama that shot its pilot and two episodes in Charleston in 2005.

Baker, whose parents, Dr. F. Keels Baker and Laura Baker, and sister, Candy Lowman, still live in Mount Pleasant, graduated from Wando High School in 1997. She honed her chops in the school's Show Choir, appearing in such productions as "Smokey Joe's Cafe" and "Cabaret." She also attended Seacoast Church, taking part in several Easter plays.

At the University of South Carolina, she studied business marketing, likely setting her apart from other prospective actors.

"I wanted to continue acting and singing, but wanted to have something concrete behind me if it didn't work out," Baker said.

She arrived in Los Angeles about 18 months ago, eventually nabbing her "Night Shift" role. The show wraps up shooting in August. Seven episodes have been filmed with six more to be shot.

Baker and the cast have their fingers crossed concerning a second season.

"You move to L.A., and you always have the dream of just being a consistent, working actor," Baker said. "So when I actually landed this part, it was like a dream come true."