By Emily Feimster There have been many times when Sprague Grayden has come close to hanging up her Hollywood hat, but just when she's ready to call it quits, opportunity comes a'knocking. She got that call loud and clear this past year when she was offered the part of Heather Lisinski, opposite Skeet Ulrich, in "Jericho." As the show has become a steady success for CBS, her star has continued to rise.

"I've had moments where I've thought, 'Maybe I should go to grad school?' but every time I started to think that, a job has come along. I've done five shows in five years so I'm incredibly lucky," boasts Grayden, whose first name alone makes her stand out among the pack.

Yes, she's proud to be bearing the maiden name of her mother. It's certainly no surprise that a girl with such a big name found her way into a big business at a young age.

Grayden was actually five years old when she got her first taste of stardom, even if it was at a family friend's house in their small town in Massachusetts. Hey, you gotta start somewhere!

"My parents are actually both public school teachers so they had no idea about the entertainment world. They had friends, who happened to be in marketing in Boston, and I was at a dinner party with them, and I was dancing around in the middle of the dinner party looking for attention as usual. My parents' friends said, 'You know, Sprague could be doing commercials and making money for college.' My mom said, 'That is a terrible idea,' and my dad said, 'That is a fantastic idea!'" Guess father knows best!

After much consideration, young Grayden got the go-ahead from mom. "They both sat me down and said, 'What do you want to do?' she recalls. "The greatest thing about my career all along is that my parents were always saying you only do this if you want to and it's fun. I said, 'I want to do it. I want to be on TV.'"

Soon Grayden began booking commercials out of Boston, but it wouldn't be long before mom and dad developed reservations. "There was a point in my life when I was flying to New York every weekend for auditions, but my parents put a stop to that when I was like eight." Of course her parents were concerned about her not having a normal childhood. "I was very, very upset."

However, things would find a way of working out when Grayden got back into acting after graduating from Barnard College at Columbia University. "Now I am incredibly grateful for my parents' decision because now I'm a part of this crazy business, but I've been able to do it all on my own terms. I have that great college education behind me, which means if I'm not having fun I can quit," she points out. "It's been a relief because I've been able to be very picky about the work I've done."

Some of her more memorable work includes guest spots on "Joan of Arcadia," "Six Feet Under," and "Over There." Of course Grayden knew she was in for a big treat after reading the pilot for "Jericho."

"It's definitely a subject matter that hasn't been tackled in this form," she claims. "It's not a show about the fear of a bomb. It's more a show about community and how community comes together. It's really about hope. It's also separate from some of the other mystery shows because, yes, it's about an extreme circumstance, but it's about a realistic reaction to it. We're not fighting any monsters."

Now that the show doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, Grayden says she's stopped thinking about what's next. "Originally all I ever wanted to be was a working actor. Somewhere along the line I even got to be choosey about the work I did, which is a huge blessing, because not many people get to do that," she reminds. "People started asking me what my goals were again and I'm like, 'But I've done my goals' so I've had to re-evaluate. I would of course like to go into film and theatre. Right now I just keep looking for where the part is, whether it be in TV, film, or theatre." No matter where her path will lead, she's certainly making the most of her journey. "It's a fantastic life. I'm really enjoying it."