'Ugly Betty' star was nearly dropped

Michael Urie has revealed that he was almost dropped from Ugly Betty after the pilot episode.

The actor, who plays PA Marc St. James in the show, told the Manchester Evening News that show producers originally planned for on-screen boss Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) to sack his character in the early stages of the series.

However, the 28-year-old, who has just finished work on movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua, added that they realised the comedic potential between Wilhelmina and the long-suffering PA.

Urie said: "She would tell me to stand closer and suggest funny things for us to do together. Oh, and she had this funny thing where she'd bark my name, so in the end they couldn't cut me out of the scenes!"