Jenna Elfman probably is best known for playing the wacky Dharma on the TV show “Dharma and Greg.” She also starred with Brendan Fraser in the movie “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” which is out on DVD March 2. Elfman, 32, began her career as a dancer (she’s a classically trained ballerina), then started doing commercials. She lives in California. We spoke with her recently in New York.
Did you always want to be an actress?
I always knew I was going to end up entertaining people. I told my mom when I was about 5 years old that I was going to grow up and be really famous and entertain people.
What was your favorite character that you’ve played?
I’ve had fun in all the movies I’ve done, but I’d have to say Dharma. I loved playing her. That character made people happy.
We liked you in “Looney Tunes: Back in Action.” In one scene you had to wrestle a huge robot dog. Was it a real robot?
No. It was computer-animated, so like with all the Looney Tunes characters we had to make believe he was really there. When I was swinging around, there was a huge contraption with these metal jaws, sort of like the dog’s jaws, and a bunch of big men pulled them back and forth with a pulley. That’s what jerked me around during the scene. So the movement was real, but the dog wasn’t.
Did you do a lot of your own stunts in “Back in Action?”
I did most of them. There are some that I couldn’t do, otherwise, I would have gotten really injured.
Do you prefer doing comedy or drama?
So far I’ve done mostly comedies, and I have to say I really like them. It’s fun to make people laugh; it makes me feel really good. Being able to laugh in life is really important because there’s a lot of yucky things out there. You have to laugh to keep your sanity.
What was your favorite TV show when you were a kid?
I loved “I Love Lucy” and “The Facts of Life.”
What are your hobbies?
I like to play with my dogs (two pugs), watch movies, exercise. I listen to music a lot, going to live concerts and hanging out with my husband. He’s my best friend. We have a lot of fun together.
What is your favorite music to listen to?
I love classical, Mozart is my favorite, but more often the blues is my favorite. You have to be in the mood for classical music, but the blues I can listen to any day.
How do you cut your peanut butter sandwiches, diagonally or horizontally?
Diagonally, of course! And always crunchy peanut butter too.
