Actress Christensen lovin' 'Parenthood' role

Erika Christensen says she has never played a character as uptight as Julia Braverman-Graham on "Parenthood."

"So naturally, I'm lovin' it," says the 27-year-old actress, who recently visited Tampa to plug the NBC series.

NBC dispatched her because the Tuesday night dramedy does well in the ratings here. But Christensen, who is a Scientologist, already is a frequent visitor to the Bay area.

Over lunch at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, she talked about working in the series based on a popular 1980s comedy film.

She's part of an ensemble cast that includes Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Monica Potter, Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia, Dax Shepard, Joy Bryant, Sam Jaeger, Sarah Ramos, Mae Whitman, Miles Heizer, Savannah Rae and Max Burkholder.

She plays overachiever Julia, a corporate lawyer with a stay-at-home husband, Joel (Jaeger), and a daughter, Sydney (Rae), who has bonded with daddy, not mommy.

"Julia wants it all, and she wants everything to be perfect," Christensen says. "And that's so not me. For one thing, I am single and I'm more laid-back; also, she wears great outfits, and I'm a jeans and T-shirt gal."

Julia frets over Sydney and her attachment to Joel. On last week's episode, Sydney got in trouble at school for obsessing on a ball that she fashioned out of rubber bands. Fearing that Sydney might have Asperger's syndrome like her cousin Max (Burkholder), Julia has the child tested.

It turns out that Sydney is gifted, which is going to bring new pressures to Julia.

Autism is part of the storyline as Julia's brother and sister-in-law, Adam and Kristina Braverman (Krause and Potter), learn how to manage Max's behavioral issues. Producer Jason Katims ("Friday Night Lights") has a son with Asperger's.

During the interview, a waiter recognizes Christensen but can't place her. She was memorable in the drug war epic "Traffic" and was in "Flight Plan" with Jodie Foster, "The Upside of Anger" (her favorite) with Kevin Costner, "The Banger Sisters" with Susan Sarandon and Goldie Hawn and "The Perfect Score" with Scarlett Johansson.

But it is her stalker role in "Swimfan" that he remembers. "I get that a lot," Christensen says. "That role really made an impression."

Now that "Parenthood" has been renewed for a second season, she can look forward to seeing her character develop.

"The more Julia tries to pull away from her work, the more she gets roped in," she says. "Now they are holding a promotion over her head, so she will have to make some decisions about what has priority in her life.

"I get a kick out of the way the writers have been embarrassing her with all kinds of awkward moments," she says.

"Parenthood" continues at 10 tonight.

ONLINE AUDITION: Got talent? Submit a video to youtube.com/agt and you might end up on NBC's "America's Got Talent."

Singers, dancers, jugglers, comics or whatever can audition online. Submissions will be accepted through June 23, according to the site. The field will be narrowed to 40 acts, and fans can vote on the best. A dozen finalists will perform on a special live show. "America's Got Talent" returns to NBC on June 1.

RENEWED: TNT has booked a third season of its critically acclaimed drama "Southland," which was dropped last year by NBC. The network has ordered 10 episodes slated to begin airing in January.

TUNE IN TONIGHT

"NCIS," at 8 on CBS

Gibbs and Special Agent T.C. Fornell (Joe Spano, "NYPD Blue") try to uncover the truth when a polygraph specialist's night job takes a dangerous turn that leads to murder.