Portia's Law

Watch out for the sexiest lawyer from "Ally McBeal," Portia de Rossi. When she gets something into her head, she just has to do it.

By Maureen Healy (Shape Magazine)

What's the fastest way to get a man's attention? Take off your clothes. It worked for the usually butoned-up attorney Nelle Porter when she dropped her Armani duds to woo circumspect co-worker John Cage on TVs "Ally McBeal

Lucky Nelle, she gets to show off the stunning body of 26-year-old Portia de Rossi, the actress and former real-life law student who portrays her in the series (and whose practically illegal form graces this month's cover of Shape).

Ironically, the Australian native's original passion wasn't to act; it was to do the job of the character she now plays on television. Despite spending her teen years modeling and doing theater and commercial work, the one-time straight-A University of Melbourne student explains, "It didn't even occur to me to pursue a career in acting. I was studious and enjoyed the law."

Although de Rossi may have only recently become a familiar face in Hollywood, she's been showing up on big and small screens since her 1994 movie debut in the Australian film "Sirens." She has also appeared in the film "Scream 2" and on TV shows "Veronica's Closet" and "Nick Freno, Licensed Teacher." After "Sirens," she says, practicing law was no longer top priority. "I got this sense of freedom, and acting became like an addiction from that minute on," she says. "And when I get something into my head, I just have to do it."

Now that we know where her head is at, where'd that awesome body come from? "A natural compulsion to get out my energy, says de Rossi, who stays in shape with regular runs around her Santa Monica, Calif., neighborhood and classical ballet classes four times a week. "I found all these muscles I didn't know I had!"

Back to Nelle and the troubled John Cage. Doesn't it seem rather incongruous that sexy, headstrong Nelle is the character attracted to the law office's romantic outcast? Not at all, says de Rossi. "He's emotional It's rare for men to even admit having emotions, so it's really endearing that he's constantly referring to what he's feeling," she says. "I barely know any person who does that, much less a man."

Are Portia and Nelle alike? "She's older and more conservative than me. But Nelle is ambitious, and I am, too. Plus, I love to wear Armani suits."

Look for de Rossi this summer in "Stigmata" with Patricia Arquette and next winter in "The Invisibles" alongside ex-"Party of Five" actor Michael Goorjian (Justin).

Portia's Laws Of Physiques:

"I got on a hit TV show and thought, 'The first thing I have to do is get a trainer and a nutritionist.' It seemed stanard," says Portia de Rossi. "I learned a lot, but the routine didn't suit my lifestyle. I'd get lazy and go off the diet the nutritionist set for me. And I thought about exercise and eating all the time."

De Rossi realized instincts about physical fitness worked much better for her. So here's how she enacted new legislation.

On Health and physical fitness:

"The key to feeling good for me is to not be obsessed with diet and exercise. What I did learn from my trainer, though, is that muscle tone, strenght and flexibility are important."

On Classical Ballet

"The whole process with the trainer led me back to ballet [she studied from ages 6 to 14]. I love it so much, and now instead of just worrying about what my muscles are doing, I'm worrying about how graceful I am and whether I can hold my positions."

On All Those New Muscles She's Found:

"I'm so much stronger and I feel more fit. It's so great."