Katrina Bowden on ‘Public Morals’ and stripping down for her call girl role

By Alisandra Puliti

It has been two years since Katrina Bowden was running around the halls of 30 Rock. Now, she has stepped out onto the streets (literally!) of Manhattan as Fortune, a 1960s high-end call girl, in the new TNT drama Public Morals. And with this new role, she routinely has to shimmy out of her vintage dresses (sometimes leaving the backs unzipped while filming since they are so tight) or sequined numbers (that leave a trail of sparkles in her wake) for scenes in her undergarments. “There’s nothing too risqué, but it’s a little nerve-wracking if you don’t know if you will be in your underwear or not,” the 26-year-old tells HELLO!.

Katrina says her character Fortune is 'sweet and serious' Photo: Getty Images

Luckily, her love for fitness — if in NYC she is a regular at Flywheel, Barry’s Bootcamp and Tone House when not training for her second marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society — keeps her ready when given short notice to prepare. “I really like working out,” says the New Jersey native, who isn’t into quick fixes when it comes to diet and exercise. “You can’t really change anything in a week. You lose water weight so I’ll cut out wine or extra carbs and do crunches every day.”

As for her husband of two years, musician Ben Jorgensen, he approves of his wife playing a prostitute. “He read my lines with me before I auditioned so he knew,” she says. “I think it was funnier when I told my parents!” Neither her parents nor Ben needs to worry though. “I’m just not cool with nudity for myself. I just don’t think it’s necessary,” she shares. “I think the same message can be made without having to get naked. That’s my personal view on it.”

Katrina with show creator Ed Burns on set Photo: Public Morals/TNT

The actress started her career on the daytime soap One Life to Live and became a star a few years later on 30 Rock playing Cerie, the sexy but inept assistant. The NBC comedy ended in 2013, but the New York City resident says she constantly runs into her co-stars. “I see Alec [Baldwin] a lot because he is my neighbor so we catch up that way,” she continues. “That will always be such a big part of my life.”

Katrina is now enjoying being part of a drama (the show is written and produced by her co-star Ed Burns, based loosely on his own experience with a cop as a dad) and playing a multi-faceted character. “I thought she was so interesting,” the actress says of Fortune. “She is sweet and serious; she has a little more depth to her. You don’t really know if she is lying or not, but you like her at the same time.”

Looks like Katrina really hit the jackpot with this role!

Public Morals airs on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. EST on TNT.

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