A University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) alumna has made it big on the sitcom of a former "Friend."

Andrea Anders, �97, is a member of the cast of NBC�s "Joey," a spin off of "Friends" in which Joey Tribbiani has moved from New York to Los Angeles to make his way as an actor. Anders plays lawyer Alex Garrett, Joey�s next door neighbor and possible love interest. The show runs Thursdays at 7 p.m.

"I�m having the time of my life," said Anders while taking a break from filming on the former "Friends" stage at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, Calif., where they are now shooting the show�s sixth episode. "This role has been fantastic. Cast members are really enjoying each other�s company and having a good time."

This is Anders first regular television role. Previously, she appeared as Elaine Robinson in the Broadway production of "The Graduate" and had a small part in the movie, "The Stepford Wives." She filmed two television pilots and had recurring roles on the HBO series "Oz," CBS�s "The Guiding Light" and ABC�s "One Life to Live." She also guest starred on NBC�s "Law and Order" and Fox�s "Tru Calling" and has worked at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the Arena Stage in Washington D.C.

Anders credits her experiences at UWSP with helping her become an actress. "UWSP was a great place to learn and grow. I really value how I was able to transition into an artist while I was transitioning into adulthood."

According to Professor Emeritus Art Hopper, former chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, Anders "was an outstanding student with the talent, drive and confidence to make it in what is a very tough business."

While at UWSP, Anders had roles in "I Hate Hamlet," "Black Comedy," "Steel Magnolias," "The Taming of the Shrew," and "Lend Me a Tenor."

Her advice to fellow theatre students is "really work your connections." Her agent in New York is a friend of a friend of her mother�s, who told her that everyone has a novel to sell and that "you need to find what you have to sell yourself."

Anders also recommends going to graduate school. She earned a master�s degree in theatre from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2001, which brought her many roles when she moved to New York City after graduation.

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