~ Beyond-Bickering Bones FC: Celebrating 100 Epi ~ - Page 6

Allentown couldn't ask for a better ambassador than Michaela Conlin.

A few weeks ago, when she ran into fellow Allentonian Amanda Seyfried at an autism benefit in Los Angeles, the two actresses compared notes on growing up in the Lehigh Valley. And on the set of her Fox TV show ''Bones,'' Conlin and her Philadelphia-reared co-star David Boreanz often tease each other about their hometowns, particularly when Boreanz's father, former Philly weatherman Dave Roberts, stops by for a visit.

''I told David's father I used to live in Allentown, and that I always watched him on TV,'' says Conlin. ''I was actually a little star-struck. I was such a fan.''

Usually, the fan thing works the other way for Conlin. After starring on ''Bones'' for five seasons as computer whiz Angela Montenegro, the actress is recognized by viewers almost everywhere she goes, including such far-flung places as France and Turkey.

''I just got stopped in the supermarket three times, which is so weird,'' she says. ''You want to be nice but you're also trying to buy your groceries.''

Conlin's fan encounters are happening with a lot more frequency these days. ''Bones'' has become one of Fox-TV's biggest hits. The series about a team of high-tech crime-solvers, led by Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (Boreanz), has worked its way up the Nielsen charts.

The show, broadcast at 8 p.m. Thursdays, routinely finishes within the week's top 10 rated programs. The DVDs, including the fourth season set which dropped on Oct. 6, perform so well that Fox has already renewed ''Bones'' for a sixth season.

Conlin is second-billed behind Deschanel/Boreanz and is often called upon to provide a dose of comic relief. ''I love my character because she's such a hoot,'' says Conlin. ''She's very funny, very irreverent, very ballsy. She's much more open and out there than I am. I'm much more conservative than she is.

''Sometimes, I go to work and think, 'Oh, my gosh, I can't believe I have to say these things to another human being.'

''But I really like how she just comes out with what she thinks. There's not a lot of editing on her part. She's very honest. She's a little confused in the love department, which is very realistic. [Her problems] feel real.''

As far as the show's creator Hart Hanson is concerned, Conlin is ''absolutely vital'' to the show's success. ''The character of Angela is warm and human and wise and has a lot of life experiences. That makes her the perfect foil and best friend for the character of Brennan.

''Also, Michaela's beauty and warmth makes her incredibly sympathetic to the audience. The audience tends to agree with Angela and we use that in every single episode.''

Fans of the series will be happy to hear that offscreen as well as on, Conlin and Deschanel are good buddies. ''I adore Emily; she's fantastic,'' says Conlin. ''She's such a professional. She works her tail off unbelievably long hours and never complains.''

For Conlin, the fifth season of ''Bones'' holds a number of twists and turns, most of which involve her complicated relationship with fellow crime-solver, Dr. Jack Hodgins (TJ Thyne).

''Last season, Angela and Hodgins, who were together for two seasons, broke up,'' notes Conlin. ''So now, Angela is back to being single. That's interesting to play. I thought that Angela and Hodgins might get back together but now I'm hearing we might not. It changes every day.''

Ask Conlin to script her dream episode of ''Bones'' and she says it would probably involve a story line about Angela's mysterious mother. ''I've been bugging the [producers] to bring in Angela's mom because we've already seen her dad [played by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top],'' says Conlin.

Raised in South Whitehall Township, Conlin has always liked to perform. Her accountant-mom, Denise, and contractor dad, Fran -- both of whom still live in the Lehigh Valley -- always encouraged her aspirations. ''They never freaked out; they're both so cool,'' says Michaela. ''They never once said, 'Maybe you should try something else.' ''

Conlin made her stage debut as a youngster in a Muhlenberg College production of ''The King and I'' and was soon appearing in productions at Civic Theatre and Parkland High School, where she graduated in 1996. Conlin says ''there was no question'' she'd go on to study theater at New York University. Next came the big move to Los Angeles.

''I moved out with my boyfriend, who I'm still with, and we had $400 and two lawn chairs to our name,'' says the actress. ''We bought a TV, which we put on the floor. It was depressing but also exciting at the same time.''

Conlin quickly booked two series, ''The M.D.s'' and ''The D.A.,'' both of which came and went in a flash. When she tried out for ''Bones,'' it was one of three scripts that landed on her agent's desk at the same time.

''I remember telling my agent that I really wanted to play Angela because she was the most interesting character of the bunch,'' she explains. ''That was a good choice.''

Summing up Conlin's appeal, Hanson says, ''Michaela combines endearing qualities of vulnerability and accessibility. She is the girl next door if the girl next door is perfect.''

Conlin admits that her ethnicity -- she's part Asian, part Irish -- is a challenge for some short-sighted casting agents. ''I can't go in for period pieces or family dramas,'' she says. ''It can be limiting ... But I actually find that TV is a lot more receptive to [ethnic] actors than movies are.''

Through the years, Conlin has managed to shoot a handful of flicks during her time off from the show. She played Idina Menzel's best friend in the Disney fantasy ''Enchanted'' and appeared in ''Open Window,'' a drama co-starring Robin Tunney.

But working on ''Bones'' for more than 10 months of the year limits Conlin's opportunities to land film roles. ''When I only have eight weeks off, I like to go home to Allentown and see my folks; I don't want to be off shooting a horror movie in Bulgaria.''

Conlin estimates she gets back to the Lehigh Valley at least twice a year, once in the spring and again in the winter. ''It's tough on me because I miss my parents so much,'' she says. ''I can't see them but they can see me on the show. My mom will call and say, 'Your hair is so long now.' ''

Los Angeles is where Conlin lives but the Lehigh Valley still feels like home. ''I miss the ease of things in Allentown,'' she says. ''Just something as simple as parking your car. Allentown is gentler on your system. I miss the seasons and the snow. I miss my oldest friend who lives in Allentown with her two kids.''

Keeping grounded is no problem for Conlin. ''My family wouldn't let me [get a big head],'' she notes. ''When I go home, I'm only allowed to talk about work for a few minutes and then we're on to something else.''

While Michaela calls her mom ''an awesome cook,'' she says one of the highlights of coming back home is visiting the Brass Rail for a cheesesteak or two.

''My dad always picks me up at the airport and we head straight to the Brass Rail,'' she says. ''When I'm flying across the country, I'm literally thinking of those cheesesteaks.''

Amy Longsdorf is a freelance writer.

Jodi Duckett, editor

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