‘DC’s Stargirl’: Amy Smart Teases What’s Next in Barbara’s “Unlikely” Friendship With Paula

Over three seasons of super-heroics on The CW’s DC’s Stargirl, Barbara Whitmore (Amy Smart) has been the steady hand, the one keeping even while heroes and villains are fighting around her. But on the currently running Season 3, that all changes, as she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Paula (Joy Osmanski), the woman who has tried to kill her several times.

“What’s so fun is because she’s literally scared to death of Paula in Season 1 and 2,” Smart told Decider. “And come Season 3, Paula is making such a concerted effort in showing these new, true colors of who she is. And it’s very endearing to Barbara and the intimidation starts to fall away. They actually find so much in common with each other.”

Beyond that, Barbara has some big plotlines coming up involving her workplace, her adopted son, and the return of Joel McHale’s Starman. Read on for Smart’s thoughts on that, and much more:

Decider: I talked to Brec about this a few weeks ago, but just broadly speaking, what was it like returning for Season 3?

Amy Smart: Season 3 was actually maybe my favorite season so far. Because at this point, the first season was amazing and so fun and new, establishing our characters. And then COVID … Second season was just fun, but it was very guarded and more serious. And there’s so much more to be concerned about. And that was definitely dominating and energy in that season. Going back to Season 3, there was levity to it and fun. And the idea that Season 2 was definitely darker and had this sort of ominous, scary element to it. Season 3 is more fun, more comical, and the sort of feeling of it sort of is Knives Out. It’s a whodunit murder mystery.

I was wondering if that levity you felt came from the murder mystery structure in particular.

Yes. I definitely think it did, as well as the structure of the theme of “frenemies.” So you have all these super villains that have come back, trying to redeem themselves and find allies in the heroes. And the comedy that comes from that was so much fun to play.

The past two seasons, Barbara’s always had these very different men focused on her. In Season 1, you had Icicle. In Season 2, you had The Shade. What’s it like to have a season where the two men in her life, Pat and Sylvester, are much more focused on each other?

It’s a different dynamic because he moves in and that completely shifts the whole family dynamic. What I love about it is he’s this wild card of the season, where Joel himself is so funny, is so spontaneous and off-the cuff and … He and Luke opposite each other, I mean, it was so funny. And I think with Barbara, definitely the challenge for her to see where her trust lies with having Sylvester living with them.

There’s a scene from the end of the episode where Pat and Barbara are chastising Courtney and Sylvester. Feels like you’d expect the situation to be almost Courtney’s two dads, when it’s a little more like Barbara and Pat have three kids now. Did you get that feeling on set?

Yes. There was that because there is an element of both Pat and Barbara talking to Sylvester, and giving him boundaries, which is what you do with kids. And I think there is a level of maybe healthy jealousy with Barbara, having her husband being really drawn to Sylvester and it’s almost … She’s never known their relationship. So he’s out having fun. And she’s kind of like, “Hey, he’s left me for … ” No, there’s so many different dynamics at play, but I think it’s fun because on one hand, her daughter has this comrade who’s come back and who’s showing her the ropes in a new way. And this old dynamic with Pat and Starman comes back. So it’s really just shaking up the nest.

Well, like you’re saying, Courtney is off with Starman, and then later off in the season with some other folks that I won’t mention for spoiler reasons. And then Mikey is off doing his whole Thunderbolt thing, while Pat is doing regular JSA things. So with everybody out and about, where does that leave Barbara’s role on the team?

Barbara finally makes a really good friend. And it comes from the most unlikely source, which is Paula. And what’s so fun is because she’s literally scared to death of Paula in Season 1 and 2. And come Season 3, Paula is making such a concerted effort in showing these new, true colors of who she is. And it’s very endearing to Barbara and the intimidation starts to fall away. They actually find so much in common with each other.

I did love the move in this episode of both of them being terrible at making German chocolate cake. In real life, how are you as a baker?

I bake every once in a while. I’m definitely a better cook than I’m a baker. I’m in the kitchen daily, but as far as a baker, I’m okay. I can make some muffins.

We meet a new character in this episode, Tim, who is not exactly Barbara’s boss, but sort of acting as the nightmare boss anyway. What was it like playing this storyline?

Oh my gosh. So Tim comes in with this swinging attitude and ego and just throws a wrench in all of the plans in all of what’s happening. I love his character. It’s so funny and obnoxious. What it does for Barbara and what I like about this season for Barbara is that she’s confronted with different storylines that make her find her strength in who she is. And so she’s poked and prodded in different ways to find her own inner superhero and what makes her unique and powerful in herself. Tim is a good person that prods her into finding her voice more.

It was nice this episode to see the American Dream bustling again. But I do have a logistical question, which is: what is Barbara’s actual job at the American Dream? And what does the company do now?

Well, they still help rebuild communities. And that’s, I think one of the cornerstones of the American Dream, it’s just Icicle’s not in charge, Jordan’s not in charge anymore, but they’re still working on a community level to keep building the towns and finding other towns that need help as well.

Gotcha. I admit I was a little disappointed that The Shade leaves this episode, at least for a little while, and we didn’t get to see any scenes with you and Jonathan Cake, which were so much fun in Season 2. Are there any coming up later in the season?

Yeah. There is some coming up. He definitely doesn’t disappear, so there’s more to come with him.

All right. And before I let you go, what else can you tease about Barbara throughout the rest of the season? Where will we see her go in terms of her emotional arc?

Well, this is a real solidifying relationship this season with her and Mike. And being the stepmom that she is, there’s that sort of fine line between being his mother and being a stepmother, wherever that boundary is. I think that because his mom’s not in his life, Barbara has become his mother. And so there’s that closeness that I think starts to grow, and be questioned about. And also, how being a single parent, not having the other parent around, how has that fallen? How much do parents beat themselves up about how they parent and if they’ve done an okay job? Her and Pat, Barbara and Pat start to really talk about that and how that shaped their kids’ lives.

And so with Barbara and Mike, that relationship continues to blossom through this season. And then she also, again, finds an unlikely close friend in this season that you realize she needs more than anything. She’s been this cornerstone in the family’s life and holding down the fort and being the backbone on some level, but she needs her own support and her own friendship. So that was a really fun part. And also because it’s Paula, and Paula is hilarious and her awkwardness is being a human. So just to see that dynamic play was so much fun.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

DC’s Stargirl airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.