Krysten Ritter: Death Becomes Rory Gilmore's Gal Pal

From one of Julia Robert's students in Mona Lisa Smile to one of Rory's best Yale pals on Gilmore Girls, Krysten Ritter is working with the best in the business and getting so much exposure, you can catch her on TV more than once a week. Taking a break from Gilmore's bright-eyed Lucy, Ritter plays another coed tonight on Fox's 'Til Death (8 pm/ET), starring Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett. And when you're done laughing up her comedy spot, check out her other Fox appearance this week on Justice (Friday at 8 pm/ET). Speaking with TVGuide.com, Ritter detailed those roles and more, and also shared her shocking Veronica Mars theory.

TVGuide.com: You're very busy! Gilmore Girls is on break, but you have guest spots on 'Til Death and Justice. Tell me about those roles.
Krysten Ritter: On 'Til Death, I'm playing the daughter of Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher — they're my favorite TV parents so far. I come home for the holiday during a college break. And on Justice, I play this woman who kidnaps a baby because she thinks that it's being abused. So two very, very different roles. I'm very excited that they're both airing the same week. I feel like I'm taking over the television.

TVGuide.com: Will you return to 'Til Death since you're a member of the Stark family, or is it just this one episode?
Ritter: No, no, no, I'm coming back. I'm not sure exactly for how many [episodes], but quite a few. And then hopefully the show will get picked up again.

TVGuide.com: Does Brad Garrett crack jokes on the set?
Ritter: [Laughs] He doesn't stop. And I didn't really know he was such an accomplished stand-up comedian; I guess I only knew him from Everybody Loves Raymond....

TVGuide.com: Yeah, he still reminds me of Robert.
Ritter: He's actually doing something quite different [with 'Til Death], which is awesome, but it's hard not to [think of him as Robert], because Raymond was such a great show and it was on for such a long time. But he's hysterical. All day long he's doing stand-up, nobody's working.... It's like a fairy tale.

TVGuide.com: How was it switching over to Justice and working with that cast?
Ritter: It was a different style of working than comedy, because you have to bring so much emotion to it. But I had been doing a lot of comedy lately, so it was a welcome change. Victor Garber is awesome. I knew him from Titanic and [from being] the dad on Alias, and he was the sweetest guy.

TVGuide.com: Well, you have definitely stirred the pot at Yale on Gilmore Girls. Lucy is peppy and full of life. Do you relate to her?
Ritter: You know, I really like her boots. [Laughs] I actually got to take them home! [As for] if I relate to her... I don't really know how to answer that, to be honest.

TVGuide.com: Do you feel like you slip into the role easily?
Ritter: When I auditioned, the main requirement for that show is to talk really fast, and when I did it, they're like, "OK, great. Faster!" I was like, "What? Are you kidding me?" It's very challenging in its own right, because a lot of the dialogue is also non sequitur, so you're all over the place and going a mile a minute. Lauren Graham (Lorelai) does it beautifully.

TVGuide.com: It just flows right out of her mouth!
Ritter: I know. When I got my first script, I was like, "Well, this is all going to get cut out anyway," and then my manager, who also represents Alexis [Bledel] (Rory), was like, "Krysten, every single word is going to be on the show." I was like, "Really? I don't see how it's possible!" It's only because they talk that fast!

TVGuide.com: Do you know anybody who actually talks that fast?
Ritter: No!

TVGuide.com: I have one friend who actually does, and I have to ask her three times what she's saying.
Ritter: I have a friend who's an actress and she talks really fast, but not Gilmore Girls fast. I think it definitely sets the show apart and maybe has a lot to do with why the show's successful.

TVGuide.com: I talked to Wayne Wilcox a few weeks ago, and he was very sweet! It's so funny how your character calls him "Boyfriend" instead of by his name, Marty. How's the chemistry on set?
Ritter: I love him, I think he's wonderful. I was actually just reading for a Broadway play yesterday at the Roundabout [Theatre], where he's performing [in Suddenly Last Summer] right now, and when I got there, they were like, "Oh, we were going to have Wayne come over! Your 'Boyfriend'!"

TVGuide.com: In the last episode, it was revealed that Rory and Marty know each other. Will he and Lucy call it quits? Will Lucy and Rory make up soon?
Ritter: You can't ask me these questions when I don't know if I'm allowed to tell! I think Lucy needed a little time to process; [Rory and Marty] both have a lot of explaining to do. In my opinion, Lucy was really the victim, and I don't think she overreacted — I would have jumped to the same conclusion. But yes, I think they will be friends. I don't know if she and Marty will work it out, because it's kind of a jerky thing that he did. They seemed so cute together and like they were so much in love, so it's kind of hard to tell. If it were me, I'd be like, "Hit the road, Jack."

TVGuide.com: As for Veronica Mars, even though your character Gia's dad is dead and that story line is gone, is there any chance you could return to Neptune?
Ritter: I hope so. Now that I'm on Gilmore Girls, it's the same night and the same [CW] network, and it does cause a bit of a problem. Personally, I hope that if I have some time off from Gilmore Girls, they will have me back on Veronica Mars. [Executive producer] Rob Thomas and I really hit it off, my relationship was great with that show, and I really want to go back. Maybe I need to call them and tell them that! [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: What did you think of the way the bus-crash mystery turned out last season? Were you surprised by who the killer was?
Ritter: Yes. I have a theory that I was supposed to be the killer. Nobody's confirmed it one way or the other, but I got a pilot and couldn't do the season finale. That happens a lot with recurring characters — if they're not available you have to write them out.

TVGuide.com: What was it like having Steve Guttenberg for a dad?
Ritter: You know what? He's rad! I really liked him. There's a lot of sitting around in the makeup trailer gabbing, and he was a really cool dude. He was genuine and charismatic, and he's got these great stories about the industry and auditioning. I felt like it was really relatable stuff. I really liked the days that I was working with him.

TVGuide.com: What else is on your plate?
Ritter: I have quite a bit going on, being bicoastal. I'm hoping I can stay home for a couple of weeks before I start 'Til Death again, but I've also got a couple of things up my sleeve in the writing and development area. I've actually just sold my first pilot script this month, so once they lock down the deal and do all the negotiations, I will have a writing deadline. So that will be a big project and a huge weight on my shoulders for a little while.

TVGuide.com: Can you tell us what it's about and for which network?
Ritter: It's loosely based on my experience being from the farm and being scouted as a model, and my experience living in the models' apartments, actually. I'm pretty psyched about it! Since the deal's not done, I probably shouldn't say [the network]. I guess I can give you a hint — they aired episodes of My So-Called Life, which is my favorite show.

TVGuide.com: I loved that show. I'm so sad that it's gone.
Ritter: Me, too. But I feel like because it's so small and it's this cult thing, it's almost better, like Arrested Development. I was going to say that My So-Called Life is the best show ever, but I'm starting to think that Dexter is. It's amazing, my favorite thing ever.

Send your comments on this Q&A to online_insider@tvguide.com.