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Will & Grace star Megan Mullally has revealed she would rather act in a small play than accept a role in a poor-quality TV show.
The actress - who played Karen in the hit comedy - is currently appearing as lead Beverley in Adam Bock's play The Receptionist at the Los Angeles Odyssey Theatre.
Beverley is a frumpy, elderly woman who works in an office, with Mullally saying that she was excited about taking on the role.
She told the Los Angeles Times: "I'm interested in storytelling and I like the challenge of a character that's significantly different from the way I am in real life.
"I'm not interested in celebrity culture at all and I would much rather do something like this, a little Equity-waiver play, than do some high-profile television show that's not good. And I can because I can pay my rent, because I've got the luxury."
Mullally said that when going through the script, she was touched by Beverley's loyalty to her co-workers.
She stated: "When I read this, I just felt an affinity with the character. I just knew what I would like to do with it emotionally.
"I just knew I had to change my appearance completely. I'm 50, but I don't think the way I look with regular make-up and my regular hair would have worked for this at all."
Mullally added: "I knew I wanted to do black eyeliner with white on top. Anything bright, I had to take out of my face and just do a lot of age. It was really, really fun."
The actress went on to say that Beverley's character has developed since she first started playing her.
"I think there's a lot of mystery to the process of creating a character. I know that sounds horrible, and I hate actors who pronounce things like that, but I do think that it's true. I just let the character let me know who she wanted to be. That's what happened with Karen when I did Will & Grace."
