Megan Hilty: 'Smash' Star Overcame Self Doubt to Hold Her Own in the Spotlight (EXCLUSIVE)

Congrats on the record deal! What can you tell me about the new CD?

It's not going to by a typical musical theater album. Far from it. All the stuff is sort of like throwback pop, Amy Winehouse, Adele -- but my own voice in that genre. It's not musical theater, not "Smash," not anything that I've ever really done before. It's me.

Since you're just starting the recording process, you still have time to set up some duets for the album. Who would you love to sing with?

I'd really love to sing with Harry Connick Jr. With what we're doing, I feel like that might really fit! We did talk about actually doing a duet on this album. We haven't figured out what it would be, or who it would be with, but that might be a possibility. I don't know if Harry would be a possibility. I'd love to do a duet with a woman, too. I feel like those are few and far between, so I think it'd be really cool to have a lady sing with me.

I never really thought about that, but you're right! What "ladies only" duet is your favorite?

My karaoke duet is "No More Tears," by The Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer. That's my go-to duet with my girlfriends.

Your character Ivy on "Smash" has had some real ups and downs this season. What would you like to see happen to her in Season Two?

I need for Ivy to get it together a little bit. I think she needs a good comeback, and maybe a really great boyfriend. A really good guy that she probably doesn't know how to deal with because she's always been with people who manipulate her a little bit.

What actor would you love cast as your boyfriend?

I'm not gonna go there. Then I'll get in trouble, somebody will say something about it, how I have a crush on somebody. I don't know ... somebody fun, somebody that we can have a good time with. We have a really great time on set. We only want people that are going to come and have a good time.



I heard that you and your "Smash" co-star Kat McPhee have become good friends. What kinds of New York adventures do you have together?

We actually go on adventures when we're filming. When we're on location we sneak off and go shopping. We like to watch the shows together, too. At least when we were in the same city we did. We both find it excruciatingly painful to watch ourselves. It's better to sit with each other, have a glass of wine, and scream at ourselves on TV. It's awful. I don't know why I do that to myself.

Who would you say is closest on the "Smash" set?

I don't know -- maybe me and Kat are a clique. I've taught her how to do this awful thing called off-key singing. I do it all the time. I think it's really annoying when singers go around singing for real. I make up terrible songs with terrible lyrics and terrible melodies. We do it together and make it painful for everybody on the set.

Coming from Broadway, where gossip columns usually leave you alone, it must be tough to have your personal life scrutinized now that you're on a popular TV show. How do you deal?

It's hilarious. [I've heard] that I was dating somebody. Crazy, madness. What can you do? People are going to say what they're going to say. If I respond to any of it, what a waste of energy.

Are you ever tempted to respond, like say on Twitter?

That's something that I've had to learn to deal with with Twitter. I actively don't search myself on Google. I'm not a glutton for punishment. I know what that will lead to. But with Twitter, people will say whatever they want, and I will see it. I've had all kinds of nasty things said about my weight, acting. Everything you can imagine. In some of them, I'm so tempted to respond, not be mean and put them in their place, but kill them with kindness. I did that with one person and I was like, "You know what, why am I giving any attention, energy to this?" There are all of these wonderful things that other people are saying and I'm not focusing on them, not saying anything to them but I'm focusing on this nasty person who's just focused on really awful things to say. Once, I gave into temptation and I'll never do it again.

You're pretty much a New Yorker at this point, but think back to your first day here ... getting off that bus from Pittsburgh to join the cast of "Wicked." What do you know now that you would've told yourself then?

Just to be easier on myself. I was so hard on myself. I set so many expectations for myself that were so unrealistic. I was terrified. I was in this new city, huge city, huge job, a couple of friends. I was really hard on myself for a long time. Now, I would tell myself, "It's okay."

How did you learn to make peace with yourself?

It took a long time. Actually, one of the stage managers [at "Wicked"] pulled me aside and was like, "You have to stop watching the show. You have to let go of what [co-star] Jennifer is doing, the idea of what [former cast member] Kristen did." Because of that I had to sit down with the script again, and I was like, "Okay, I can't be as funny, charming as these two ladies, especially in these places, but maybe if I can make it funny here, if I can bring something else to it in a different spot." I really had to go back and treat it like any other script that I worked on in school. I had to just suck it up and go out there and do it. That's the thing about theater, you just have to go and do it.

We love your blonde bombshell look. What are some products you can't live without?

Concealer -- Yves Saint Laurent concealer. Chanel mascara. I am a product whore. I love makeup, love trying out new things. Those are my two go-tos.

We know you're a girl about town, so what exciting things do you have planned for this weekend?

What am I doing? Probably sitting on the couch with my dogs at some point. Two Jack Russell Terriers. They're my children. That's what I'm looking forward to.

Listen to the entire "Music of 'Smash'" CD by clicking here.