The good folks at BuddyTV recently sat down with Pushing Daisies star Kristin Chenoweth. Here are highlights from the interview:

How were you first approached for the role of Olive Snook? What were your first reactions to the pilot script?
I was approached by Barry Sonnenfeld and Bryan Fuller about the show. The role of Olive spoke to me because she’s a bit of the underdog. I rarely get to sink my teeth into those parts.

Obviously, the pilot script had to be incredible, but did you have any worries about how they would pull it off? Was it difficult to visualize the world of Pushing Daisies from what was on the page?
I knew Barry would be the star of the show. That combined with his specific style and uniqueness would make the show special. Its his vision and the writing that make the show.

It didn’t take long for audiences to get to watch you sing (the second episode). Was this a pre-requisite for your character? Or, did it happen once you were cast they knew they had a Tony winner in the role?
The singing thing was a surprise to me. Bryan felt like putting it out there right away since many people were already writing in asking when I might sing. I get a kick out of singing on a show where it could actually make sense that someone sings. It was by no means a pre-requisite for me to take the part. I usually don’t think singing on TV is a great idea but it certainly works in our world.

Read the full interview here.

Here’s a quick Kristen Chenoweth note to pass along:

The Pushing Daisies star will be a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live Monday night, October 16. We’ll be tuning in for sure.

We now continue with the interview we started yesterday, courtesy of the Televisionary. Let’s hear from Pushing Daisies co-stars Chi McBride and Kristin Chenoweth…

Q: You’ve become known for your dramatic work in such series as Boston Public and The Nine, so what is it like playing a more comedic character?
McBride: I actually started out in comedy in series like The John Larroquette Show and Married with Children and didn’t get to do drama until [David E.] Kelley. In this business, you get pigeonholed and have to educate and re-educate people about what you can do. I went out for a part in Undercover Brother and had people say that Chi’s not funny. What drew me to [Pushing Daisies] was a single line of Emerson’s: “You couldn’t have just scooted back?”

The part is closer to me, he’s always got a smart line. I read a lot of mindless, vacuous scripts and wanted to do a smart TV comedy like Seinfeld or Frasier. It’s a no-brainer opportunity to show another side of you.

Q: What excites you most about the series?
McBride: I really love the cast; I couldn’t pick a favorite. I have great chemistry with Lee Pace and love the chemistry we share. Emerson is a guy with questionable morals. His main goals are to make money and go home. Lee’s character is more empathetic but distant due to his power to bring the dead back to life; he’s damaged and looks to Emerson as a father figure.

I really like the way [Bryan Fuller] juxtaposes the way Emerson looks at life with the way Ned does. I knew what this series could be when I read the script and, as soon as I saw Barry [Sonnenfeld] in the room, I knew what it would become. It turned out even better than I imagined.

Q: What’s Emerson’s back story?
McBride: I had lunch with Bryan [Fuller] and pitched an idea of why Emerson became a private investigator. All of the elements of Emerson’s dark/sardonic nature are a cover for something. I told Bryan why I thought Emerson was the way he was and Bryan loved it. The [Pushing Daisies] comic actually deals a little bit with Emerson’s story.

And here is what Kristin Chenoweth had to say…

Q: Will you be singing on Pushing Daisies?
Chenoweth: I don’t want to sing just because it’s gratuitous and expected. But I WILL be singing. It’s a sad moment and it involves the dog. Olive just can’t understand why she can’t get the guy and she’s a girl who always gets the guy.

Q: What’s it like working with the rest of the cast?
Chenoweth: The dynamic between Anna and Lee is awesome. Usually there’s a sour grape in the bunch but there just isn’t here.

Q: Do you feel that ABC is behind the series?
Chenoweth: We’re very nervous about being the prom queen, we all just want to do our thing. We’re very excited about the show. I’ve been the recipient of when the network really is behind the show and when they’re not and ABC is definitely behind this show. I did a show a few years ago called Kristin on NBC and they canceled it after four episodes and replaced it with Fear Factor. At the time I said that Fear Factor would never last. Shows what I know.

Here’s some breaking news. Literally.

E! Online has confirmed that Kristin Chenoweth, the beloved Broadway superstar who is a series regular on ABC’s much buzzed about new series Pushing Daisies, slipped and fell at home down a concrete staircase and fractured a few ribs.

Sources say the actress is recovering and is even determined not miss a minute of the show’s production schedule.

However, producers have insisted on moving around a few scenes in order to give her as much rest as possible.

We wish her a speedy recovery!

If you had a pick a voice for an animated movie, Kristin Chenoweth would be among the best.

With that in mid, the folks at Disney have selected this Tony Award-winner as one of the characters in the upcoming cartoon film, Tinker Bell.

Before landing the role of Olive on Pushing Daisies, Chenoweth had performed in various musicals, concerts and Broadway productions. Anyone with the soundtrack to Wicked is aware of how well this beauty can carry a tune.

In Tinker Bell, she’ll be providing the voice of Rosetta, while Brittany Murphy portrays the title tole. Look forward to a 2008 release of the movie.