Covert Affairs' Piper Perabo: "The Level of Action is Really Intense"

It's hard enough adjusting to any new job, let alone a top-secret trainee position within the CIA. In Covert Affairs, a new spy series on USA (Tuesday 10/9c), Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) is pulled out of training and sent on a mission — with no clue as to why she was chosen. The 33-year-old Perabo spoke with TVGuide.com about wanting to do the action-heavy show and how affairs of another sort (read: of the heart) become "quite the problem" on Annie's team.

TVGuide:com: Why were you drawn to Covert Affairs?
Piper Perabo: One of the things I liked about it was it being produced by Doug Liman [Bourne Identity], so the level of action this show has is really intense. Also, it's a very character-driven piece, so it's a combination of well-written characters and high action in a drama. It's very Alias or 24, which are the kind of shows that I like.

TVGuide.com: We get a hint at Annie's background in the first episode. Will that be further explored?
Perabo: Annie is in CIA training when she's pulled out for a mission. They don't tell her why, so Annie is constantly learning on the fly. It makes it really exciting to play.

TVGuide.com: How will Annie's secret job affect her personal life?
Perabo: It's definitely going to cause tension. I went to Langley and spent time with real CIA agents who are my age and that's one of the really interesting components of the show — having this high-intensity job and having to keep it a secret from your family. It's the conflict that real agents go through.

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TVGuide.com: Will each episode be stand-alone?
Perabo: Each episode has its own case, but you're following the long story of each of the characters.

TVGuide.com: Annie's coworker Auggie (Christopher Gorham) is quite the ladies' man.
Perabo: That's an understatement.

TVGuide.com: With two of the agents (Arthur and Joan) married, does get complicated?
Perabo: Love affairs on the team become quite a problem.

Watch a preview of Covert Affairs.