Chelsea Handler is here to make audiences laugh

The meteoric rise of Chelsea Handler continues as the life of the Ill-say-what-I-want cable talk-show host gets turned into the new NBC comedy Are You There, Chelsea?

Based on Handlers three books: Are You There Vodka? Its Me, Chelsea, My Horizontal Life, and Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang, Bang, the new series stars the comedian, who will portray her very Christian, new-mom, older sister. The part of Chelsea Handler will be played by That 70s Show graduate Laura Prepon.

Handler says the odd casting is just a matter of her being tired of playing herself.

Its fun to just kind of dress shlumpy and have a completely different appearance and have a completely different attitude. Its nice to play against someone whos playing me. Its very antithetical to Chelsea. So its kind of a really fun role, Handler says.

Along with appearing on the show, Handlers one of the executive producers. This new gig goes along with Handler continuing to host her E! talk show Chelsea Lately and appearing on the behind-the-scenes series After Lately.

Having fun

Everything Handler does is linked by her desires to make people laugh.

I like to laugh. Its kind of escapism. I like to make people laugh. And I kind of like people just to have to not think about anything, Handler says. Being able to kind of give that feeling in whatever medium it falls under whether its cable or network or stand-up or books or whatever, I just kind of like to leave people feeling whatever theyve done isnt nearly as bad as what Ive done.

Handlers always been willing to talk or write about the bad things shes done. Its part of the process for her of dealing with the highs and lows shes experienced in her life .

Theres no comedian doing more than her these days, but she says she still has moments when shes not completely sure that she deserves all the success.

Her comedy is a way of dealing with those darker moments. Even with those n! agging c oncerns, Handler would not change a thing if she could live her life over again.

She says she would do it all over and do it the same way. Because a lot of good things come from it.