Staying In

Autumn Reeser has one question for the executive producers of her new show, No Ordinary Family: “Do I ever get superpowers or am I relegated to no jumping or flying or running fast?”

In the series, which premieres Sept. 28 on ABC, Reeser plays Katie Andrews, a lab assistant who works for Stephanie Powell, Julie Benz’ stressed out scientist and wife and mother of two. After a trip to South America, Stephanie and her brood – husband Jim (Michael Chiklis), a police sketch artist, and two kids (Kay Panabaker and Jimmy Bennett) – develop special abilities, and Katie goes from coworker to confidante when Stephanie decides to confide in her. While Reeser’s character is one of the few on the series who is powerless, she does have a superpower in mind.

“I would want to fly. I’m going to lobby for that,” she said in an interview with Staying In. Just don’t give her the power to morph into other people. “In theory, that sounds cool, but as far as actually acting it goes, you wouldn’t get to work as much. That wouldn’t be as fun.”

With a superhero concept, The Shield‘s Michael Chiklis in the lead role and ABC’s go-to guy Greg Berlanti behind the scenes, Reeser felt confident that this was one pilot that was going to get picked up. And she wanted to be a part of it.

“It was a character that I felt very comfortable with immediately when I read it,” she said of the audition process. “I felt very comfortable adding in my own flavor to it. I always felt confident with the choices that I made with her. I thought they suited this kind of geek chic scientist girl.”

That comfort stems from a knack for playing smart, funny, socially awkward heroines like Katie and her The O.C. character Taylor Townsend.

“I apparently do that well. What does that say about me?” she said with a laugh.

Whatever it says is less important than the fact that it works.

“Apparently, I was the first person to audition for the part, Dave [Semel, executive producer] told me,” she said, adding, “It was very lucky for me to find a character that was right for me and a pilot I liked that was also successful and picked up to series. That’s the holy grail right there. I feel crazy lucky right now.”

Now comes the hard work. With production having gotten underway just a day before our chat, Reeser’s days are now full of camera tests, wardrobe fittings, photo shoots, table reads and reshoots.

“It’s such a big production,” Reeser said. “It’s got so many special effects and so many people involved to make it all work. They’re putting a lot of money into it.”

No doubt there are many long days and nights ahead for the cast, so it’s a good thing they get along so well. If the cast’s twitter pictures weren’t enough evidence that they’re enjoying each other’s company, Reeser added that she and Panabaker “get along like gangbusters. We just went out to the theater” to see In the Heights.

As only the second person to be cast in the pilot — “Michael Chiklis was attached from the very beginning and then I was the next person to sign on,” she noted – Reeser couldn’t believe her luck as the cast was filled out.

“It just kept getting better. What?! Michael Chiklis?! Julie Benz?! What?!” she couldn’t help but exclaim. “It was kind of like a nice surprise when each person kept getting added.”

But as big of a fan of Julie Benz’ as she might be, Reeser has a shameful secret to admit: “I’m working with Julie and I haven’t even seen the last season of ‘Dexter.’ I feel bad.”

Check out the No Ordinary Family screening and panel at Comic-Con this Saturday, July 24:

3:15-4:15 ABC’s No Ordinary Family: Exclusive Premiere— This is No Ordinary Panel! Michael Chiklis (The Shield),  Julie Benz (Dexter), and executive producers Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern), Jon Harmon Feldman (Tru Calling), and David Semel (Heroes) present an exclusive screening of the new ABC series No Ordinary Family. After the screening, join them for a Q&A session and find out more about the superpowers that made this family go from ordinary to extraordinary overnight! Plus, everyone in the room will receive a surprise (Hint: It’s to the right.). Room 6A