But Natasha Henstridge, one of the stars of “Eli,” knows what it’s like to get your hopes up about a well-regarded show only to see them dashed.

It happened two years ago, somewhat inexplicably, to ABC’s “Commander In Chief” on which Natasha was cast as Donald Sutherland’s partner-in-crime against the U.S. President played by Geena Davis.

“It was such a great show, really well-written,” she said of “Commander.” “People even say it may have cleared the way for Hillary Clinton.”

“Commander” started off as the hottest new show of the 2005-06 fall season but creative differences, lengthy hiatuses and network politics led to cancellation after just one season.

The actress feels like lightning has struck again with “Eli.” She is cast as about Taylor Weathersby, the type-A wife of the show’s title character played by Jonny Lee Miller. Eli is a successful attorney suffering from an inoperable brain aneurysm that causes him to have bizarre illusions.

“I sat in the bathtub - I read all my scripts there - and I was absolutely enthralled and felt the same way as when I read ‘Commander In Chief,’” she said. “It’s just a dream job for me, there’s a lot of drama going on in the script. She’s the kind of person who’s planned and plotted everything her whole life and this throws a wrench in the spokes.”

There will be plenty of opportunity for viewers to get to know the characters on “Stone” since all 13 episodes ordered were completed before the writer’s strike brought most shows to a premature halt.
Natasha, 33, rose to fame in the feature film “Species” in the mid-90s and appeared in its two sequels. The mother of two young children is now a lot more choosy about what projects to accept.

“I made a lot of decisions in my career based on really ridiculous things,” she admitted. “I was growing up and needed the experiences in life. But I didn’t always make the best career choices. I’d ask, ‘Where is that film? Brazil! Sounds great.’ I don’t really have regrets. You come into your own when you’re ready.”