Nerd alert

For many gay fans of Betty, Henry represents that librarian fantasy--like outside the confines of Meade Publications, he's pretty wild. I think there's some truth to that. Henry's a passionate guy-- he works and plays with equal passion.

That's a diplomatic answer. [Laughs] Yeah, I try.

Why does Henry walk like a robot? You know, that's really funny. I made up this backstory where I imagined one of the reasons Henry is so attracted to Betty is that he too was made fun of a lot as a kid. And I imagined [he was teased] because he had severe scoliosis and had to wear a brace--that's why he has such an erect posture.

You're married, you have two kids, and you live in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Do you see yourself as a family guy? Yeah, but it's all been very gradual. It's only upon looking back that I think, My God, only 10 years ago I didn't have any kids--I didn't even have a dog.

What's that we hear about Freddy Rodriguez (Six Feet Under) joining the show as a love interest for Betty? Should we be worried about you? If you're asking if I should be worried about my job, then the answer is no [laughs]. I'm not worried about Henry leaving the show anytime soon, but Freddy is definitely coming to spice things up.

Who would win in a Betty grudge match--Walter, Daniel, or Henry? Well, Eric [Mabius] is a pretty big guy, so Daniel would probably win. But if we're taking all things into account, if it's a meeting of the minds, then Henry definitely comes out ahead. I'd also say so on personality, not to mention dashing good looks.

Ugly Betty's second season premieres September 27, 2007 on ABC.