“We filmed the pilot a year and a half ago, and went through as series of setbacks and delays,” Newton, 33, says over the phone from Atlanta, where her husband Chris Diamantopoulos is playing Moe in the Farrelly Brothers new “Three Stooges” movie.

One of the stars, Jordana Spiro, had to go back to her old series, “My Boys.” The show runner, Cindy Chupack, quit for personal reasons. Once unveiled as the lynchpin to NBC’s fall season last year, it was bumped to midseason when Newton also became pregnant with her first child.

“These kinds of delays happen to a show. There’s not a show where these kinds of things don’t happen, when a show doesn’t go through a lot of changes,” Newton says. “But not often does it all happen to one show.”

Newton’s condition meant her character had to be entirely rewritten.

“Originally my character was going to be a virgin,” Newton says. “When I became pregnant, they wrote in that I was a surrogate mother for my sister. But I have to say when we got our heads together, it made the character so much more interesting,” she adds. “If the show had more time to explore the characters, how she related with her sister after the birth would have been the kind of relationship I don’t think has been on TV before.”

That won’t happen, since “Love Bites” was cancelled earlier this month.

“It was a short and sweet run, but one everyone who was involved with it would be very proud of,” Newton says. There won’t be a series finale tying up all the series threads on Thursday, Newton says. “This is what was great and complicated about the show. Every episode stood alone, and it was never meant to have an arc throughout show with a culmination.”

Being in an anthology show, with Greg Grunberg and Constance Zimmer the only recurring characters, she was surrounded by guest stars each week. Among them were Jeffrey Tambor, Sheryl Hines, Donald Faison, Christopher Gorham, Krista Allen, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Michelle Trachtenberg, Laura Prepon, Kurtwood Smith, Ken Jeong and Jaime King.

“It was unique every week,” Newton says. “I never worked with the same person twice. It was a huge difference from ‘Ugly Betty,’ where I worked with Michael Urie every day for four years. It was a great acting experience.”

And even if the show wasn’t a hit, it did connect with some viewers who enjoyed romantic comedy anthologies.

“What I have learned time and time again is that you can’t predict how a show will connect with people, and how a network will handle it. You just have to be proud of your work and whether two people see it or 200 people or 20 million people, if it connects with someone, with ‘Ugly Betty’ or different shows, it’s all you can do.”

Newton came to “Love Bites” immediately after her successful run as the brittle secretary Amanda Tanen on “Ugly Betty.” At the time, she says, “I was definitely looking for something very different than Amanda. Something very grounded and real – not that Amanda wasn’t real. But I was looking for something more relatable. I loved being able to play a character who was more similar to myself and in such a different style of writing. ‘Ugly Betty’ was very arch, and this was more grounded.” While waiting for “Love Bites” to air, Newton shot a pilot for CBS. “It was a multi-camera sitcom and I never did that,” she says. “What made it neat performing before a live audience. It was an incredible experience and I had such a great time doing it. “Homegrown” also starred Gerald McRaney. “I’m disappointed it didn’t get picked up,” she says, “But I discovered I loved that form of television.” Newton’s unsure of her next project, but she’s encouraged by what she’s seeing.

“I’m reading some really great scripts,” she says. “With the success of ‘Bridesmaids,’ and so many female comedies on TV, there is a lot of great material out there. With Tina Fey and Amy Poehler such great leading women, it’s the kind of thing you didn’t see five years ago. So I’m really hopeful.” In the meantime, she’s been enjoying spending time with her son and her husband on the set of slapstick “Stooges,” which wraps this week in Atlanta. “I go to the set every day,” she says. “He has bruises all over his body.”

She’s had time, too, to come back to Connecticut to visit family.

“I just spent 10 days at Evergreen Woods Retirement Community in Branford, where my 8 month old was the hit of the place,” she says. If the residents were also excited about a TV star in their midst, she says, “they didn’t say anything about it.”

Annie was supposed to be a virgin. How was that going to play out, originally, before your pregnancy changed the course?
I don’t think that could have played out for long. There’s not a lot of room. It would have become all about who she’s going to lose her virginity to, and then when that happens, it would be over. We used some of that idea for Cassie [played by Krysten Ritter], who pretends she’s a virgin. But happily, my pregnancy opened up the character of Annie. And I was ginormous shooting that pilot, because we had to redo it. I was eight-and-a-half months pregnant; I was about to pop! And yet, Annie doesn’t think of herself as pregnant. “I’m not really a future mom. I can still date!” This of course gets her into these awkward, horrible situations. She’s the total opposite of what you think a pregnant woman is.

How will the show change once Annie gives birth?
You will see Annie have that baby — well, you won’t see it, but you will see the storyline conclude. And if there’s a second season, you’ll get to see how that changes Annie’s life. She thought it wasn’t a big deal to be her sister’s surrogate, but it gave her a purpose. And although she didn’t think she would, she now loves this baby. But this isn’t treated like a cliffhanger. That’s what’s unique about this series: The arcs are short enough and the scenes are long enough that nothing is ever left unresolved.

In the middle of all the drama that went down with the show — the cutback on the order of episodes, the mid-season bump — you signed on for a CBS pilot. To use a dating metaphor: Were you in an open relationship with NBC?
[Laughs] It is like dating other people.

Which could be great if that’s what you wanted, but also shows a lack a commitment on their part. Were you happy that you were free to pursue other shows or frustrated?
NBC allowed me to pursue other options because I think, at a certain point, they weren’t overly committed [to Love Bites]. I don’t know if frustrating was the right word for how I felt, but I’ve learned shows take many different routes to getting on air, and I can’t control the results. Everyone involved is very proud of our work on Love Bites, however it played out. We’re happy people. I know some people were frustrated, but I’ve learned I can’t control the results, no matter how hard I try. Before Ugly Betty, I was just doing commercial work the week before, and then suddenly the next week, I was on a pilot. Some shows just hit right away. Some don’t. All I can do is look for things that are fun and inspiring.

Michelle Trachtenberg is in tonight’s episode, and she makes banana bread for a guy, which freaks him out. Would it have scared him as much if she baked cookies?
I feel like when there are over five ingredients, it suggests commitment. Rice Krispies Treats would have been a better gift for someone you just started dating; those clearly don’t take a lot of time. Although I made bread for Chris [Diamantopoulos], and now he’s my husband. Michelle’s so funny in this, so we’re going to see more of her. She’s coming back.

You met your husband on the New York City subway? Usually when guys hit on you in the subway, it’s not cute, it’s creepy.
It could have been creepy and weird, and when my son gets older, I’m going to tell him, “Don’t talk to girls on the subway!” But Chris walked by, and we noticed each other at the same time, we were looking at each other in a way that was an invitation to talk, so we started chit-chatting. And years later, well …

What’s it like watching him on set as Moe in The Three Stooges?
With all the stunts, falls, and kicks, he’s coming home every day bruised and battered. When our son, who is six months old, first saw him in the wig, he was terrified! But then he quickly figured out it was his dad. [The baby] loves being on set. I just hold him, and Sofia Vergara comes over and makes him laugh. Everyone plays with him. And my son gets to watch the Stooges! I can’t think of a better way to entertain him. There’s just something about watching Moe poke Larry in the eye that never stops being funny.

Do you feel like you still have unfinished business with Ugly Betty?
I could have played Amanda until she was a 90-year-old receptionist. [Laughs] And she would still feel like she was a supermodel. Playing her was so much about the mannerisms. But Annie is a real person, and that was an adjustment. It took a while to let go of Amanda so I could play a normal person.

TVLINE | Given that Love Bites was shelved for so long, was there ever a time that you were worried the show may never make it to air?
You know, I’ve learned through experience that you can’t ever predict what’s going to happen with any show. When I signed on to Ugly Betty, I just prayed that I wouldn’t get fired after the pilot, and four years later, I was still doing it. So, I’m really learning that you can just do your best work, and where the show goes from there is beyond your control.

TVLINE | What were your thoughts on all of the behind-the-scenes drama we kept hearing about? [TNT compelled My Boys star Jordana Spiro to vacate a lead role, original showrunner Cindy Chupack stepped down, the episode order got slashed....]
That’s what was so incredible about this experience — all of these things were going on, but it was actually the most well-run and organized show that I’ve ever worked on. It was really this incredibly pleasant experience. All of [Love Bites'] setbacks tend to happen individually on every show, but we just had a bunch of things happen around the same time. The impression of what was going on made it sound much more chaotic than it actually was. Every step along the way, people just went with the flow.

TVLINE | Love Bites is an “anthology series” — can you break it down in layman’s terms for prospective fans?
Love Bites is actually a bunch of vignettes put together — and that’s the most confusing and the most exciting part of the show. [Laughs] Every episode will have three separate stories that are linked thematically. Some of the characters are linked at times, but it’s really a chance to see three mini-episodes within one.

TVLINE | Love Bites has great guest stars each week. Was there anyone you were particular excited to work with? Or anyone you had a great time playing off of?
Someone that I’ve known about for a long time but had never worked with is Michelle Trachtenberg (Gossip Girl) and she made me laugh so hard every single day. I could not wait to get back to work when she and I were shooting together. She is really funny and I’d love to work with her in the future. Also, Jessica St. Clair (Worst Week) plays my sister and I really do feel like we’re sisters. I think maybe we are and we just don’t know it. [Laughs] I have to play her sister again in the future. It just made so much sense somehow.

TVLINE | How about a favorite moment in the series for fans to look forward to?
There is a moment in the second episode that I loved. Michelle’s character bakes banana bread for a guy as a token of affection, and it backfires horribly. I will say that when I first met my husband, I baked him lasagna and it did not backfire… because we’re now married. [Laughs] But it’s embarrassing that there’s an entire episode about why you should not bake anything for someone you have a crush on, when that’s all I did. I really think that’s how I won my husband’s heart over.

TVLINE | How are you feeling today, knowing that fans are finally going to see Love Bites? Are you proud of the finished product?
Everyone involved in Love Bites worked so hard — there’s really great writing, fantastic acting and the directors were incredible — so I’m really happy people will finally have a chance to see it. I think people are going to respond really well to the show.

TVLINE | Best case scenario: Love Bites is very well received and it takes the summer programming cake. Is there any talk of where things stand moving forward with the series?
As every person involved in Love Bites has learned, anything can happen! [Laughs] Of course, I would love to be part of this series again in the future, so I’m open to wherever the road leads.

Becki Newton has said that she enjoyed working with Lindsay Lohan and Victoria Beckham when they appeared on Ugly Betty.

The actress told DS that reports attacking Lohan’s work ethic were not worthy of comment.

Newton said: “Lindsay Lohan was sweet and she was great. She was such a professional because she’s being doing this for so long.

“People mistook developments that were happening in the scenes with her character as real life. When you watch the show, all of the stories will make perfect sense!”

Regarding Beckham, she added: “It’s amazing when Victoria Beckham shows up and says she loves the show! It’s very surreal. I was impressed with how polite and gracious she was.

“She wrote little thank you notes to every single cast member and I still have the note she left me! She was actually very willing to make fun of herself, which I really appreciated.”

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Source: Terra

Note: Becki speaking Spanish!