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The Pretender 2001
TNT, Monday, Jan. 22, 8 to 10 p.m. ET (Premiere)
Repeats (all times ET): Monday, Jan. 22, 10 p.m. to midnight; Friday, Feb. 2, 10 p.m. to midnight; Monday, Feb. 5, 10 p.m. to midnight

The Pretender's Miss Parker is back on her quest to capture childhood friend Jarod (Michael T. Weiss), and she's still hoping for some answers.

Despite a rabid cult following, the smartly executed action-fantasy series was canceled by NBC last spring. The first of two TNT movies, The Pretender 2001, reunites all the regular cast and picks up where the show left off. As Jarod continues to search for his parents, whom he was wrested from as a child, Miss Parker is intent on learning about her mother, who died when she was young.

But don't expect much resolution to unanswered questions and unresolved storylines in the first movie — Miss Parker still doesn't get a first name (the creators had previously teased it was going to be "Andrea") — although it does include flashbacks explaining how Jarod escaped.

Parker, however, promises the follow-up movie, slated to air in May, not only offers answers but also a long-awaited treat for fans: She and co-star Weiss share lots of screen time.

"[Michael and I] really had a ball. I think both of us were a little surprised at how much we liked each other and liked working with each other," says Parker, 31, who believes her character is very much in love with the target of her quest. "Why else would she want to hurt him so badly?" she adds with a devilish laugh.

Certainly no one could accuse Parker the character or Parker the actress of being timid and retiring. Miss Parker saw lots of high-stakes action during the four seasons she spent in her Fugitive-style pursuit of Jarod, a genius escapee from The Centre, the research organization run by Miss Parker's father that tried to exploit Jarod's intelligence for their own purposes. And the actress leads an equally active life offstage, with leisure pursuits that include stunt driving and target shooting.

"I love going to the gun range and poppin' off a few rounds," Parker says with gusto. "I got turned on to it through my work. Occasionally a character pulls a gun or pulls to an abrupt stop [in a car], and I feel it's my responsibility as an actor to be prepared for the many parts that will come my way. Now I can't stop myself."

Not that the assertive, impetuous Miss Parker always need a weapon against opponents. If her forceful demeanor isn't enough to shake them up, her physical strength frequently can. Check out what she does to her twin brother's thumb in the first movie.

"And he deserves it. He's creepy, that one," quips the leggy, high-cheek-boned actress, whose antagonistic character has won the hearts of fans.

The pain Miss Parker's dysfunctional family life has caused her may be one reason why viewers embrace her with the same enthusiasm as the heroic Jarod may be the pain her dysfunctional family life has caused. Certainly the character mellowed when she fell in love — though eventually he was murdered — but you wouldn't call her a benevolent creature.

"I thought there would be a great deal more disdain, or at least some level of discomfort," says Parker of her character. "Maybe people can understand that level of impatience and that demand for excellence. That's really what she's about."

Not to mention that Miss Parker possesses strength, poise and a cool veneer. The actress describes her alter ego as especially liberating for females. "Whether right or wrong, Miss Parker doesn't apologize for who she is, and there's something very freeing about that."

Now that Andrea Parker is free from the constraints of a weekly series, she doesn't claim to have any specific career goals. "I wanna do it all, baby," says the California native and former San Francisco ballet dancer.

With a bevy of sitcom credits to her name, including a small part on the celebrated "Contest" episode of Seinfeld, and recurring roles on JAG and ER, Parker is hoping to land a pilot.

"I don't have any preconceived ideas about what I want to do except that I want to work with really talented people. Where that will lead me I don't know, but I'm really excited about it."