( May 19, 2008) Ashley got the chance to ask former Will & Grace star Eric McCormack a few questions about his latest project. McCormack starred in the A&E miniseries The Andromeda Strain.

McCormack plays Jack Nash, a maverick reporter and drug addict who witnesses the spread and aftermath of an unknown virus while a group of scientists hides underground attempting to find a cure.

The actor said he felt the script, based on Michael Crichton's 1969 sci-fi thriller, was current and a smart update from the 1971 film. Although he had seen the movie many years ago, he said he did not read the book prior to the shoot.

"I thought the script was already really really good, and there wasn't the sens e of going into it saying, 'Wow, I'll fix that on the day,'" McCormack said. "It was really strong."

The actor also said he found his character relatable.

"I think, for me, you get so used to, as actors, playing doctors and lawyers and cops, and really there's not that much we have in common with them," McCormack said. "Their work is so much more dangerous and important and complicated, whereas with Nash, being someone who is in front of the camera, being someone who with a slightly different gene, rather than an actor I might have been an on-camera reporter - I definitely related to him.

What I liked is… I think he's on camera for the glory of it. He's a selfish, pompous ass a little bit, in a Geraldo Rivera way, but I think he also, through the story, discovers there was another reason."

For McCormack, filming was a slightly odd experience since he was in a talented ensemble cast, but he rarely had scenes with the fellow actors. The majority of his shooting took place in Canada, and he was able to do a little bit of stunt work, which he called some of his favorite moments on the set.

"A lot of the stunt stuff - when the helicopter went down, it was a stunt dangle, and I also got to leap out of the helicopter and run when it explodes," he said. "I didn't get to do a lot of that on Will & Grace."

McCormack's characters have run the gamut from gay lawyer Will Truman to drug-addict Jack Nash. The actor spoke a little bit about how he chooses roles and projects.

"For me the main thing I'm looking for - and I'm sure I'm not alone in this - is I want a story that surprises me and I want dialogue that is smart.

For something like a miniseries, you're committing to six weeks, two months of your life, and it better be something that you look forward to every day."

Next up for the actor? He's working on a series for TNT with Tom Cavanaugh called Truth in Advertising.

"We shot the pilot last October, right after I shot Andromeda Strain, and we're going to start doing 12 episodes in the fall," he said. "I think it's going to air on TNT after The Closer in January."

For now, you can check out McCormack in A&E's The Andromeda Strain!