'I Love A Character With Some Darkness': Willa Fitzgerald On USA Network's 'Dare Me' & 'House Of Cards'

(CBS Local)-- Cheerleading TV shows are pretty popular these days.

"Cheer" on Netflix is creating a ton of buzz and USA Network's drama "Dare Me' gives the audience the opportunity to move past the facade of a small town and dive into the cutthroat world of high school cheerleading. The series stars Willa Fitzgerlad, who plays Coach Collette French, and the actor loves having the chance to explore this fascinating world.

"It's been really exciting. I obviously love the show and love the script," said Fitzgerald said in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "I got it and I was immediately drawn to it. It's been so exciting to see everyone's reaction to the show. People are also excited about the show. It magically didn't need to be tailored. The story encompasses so many different parts of the journey of growing up."

FULL INTERVIEW:

While the high school characters are going through major changes, Fitzgerald's character goes through a journey of her own.

"This woman is having a second coming of age after having a child," said Fitzgerald. "Because of the way the show spans multiple worlds and multiple stages of life, it ends up being relevant for a lot of different people who find it. I loved Collette. I love a character with some pretty essential darkness. I read the pilot script really quickly and then I said there's not a lot I know about this character. That's what draws me in as an actor."

In addition to "Dare Me," Fitzgerald also played a key role in the later seasons of Netflix's "House Of Cards" as the younger version of Robin Wright's character Claire Underwood. This job pushed Fitzgerald into a space she'd never been in.

"I loved doing that and I'm obsessed with Robin Wright," said Fitzgerald. "I think she's fantastic and I love all of her work on the show. I had never done that before. I had never played a younger version of a character who had already been around for such a long time. I was a little bit daunted by it. It was just a few scenes, but I respect Robin as an actor so much. I took it very seriously and watched as much of House Of Cards as I could get through before we started shooting."