Though his emotional range had already been saluted by acting's most prestigious institutions, Justin Kirk quickly realized that Showtime's suburban-mom-turned-pot-dealer show Weeds would be a different type of challenge. "It seems like my character is a venue for our writers to express all their worst instincts," admits Kirk, who, as Andy Botwin, announced his arrival on the dark comedy last season by taking a few bong hits and posing as his teenage nephew on IM to have cybersex with the boy's 15-year-old deaf girlfriend. Sure, it sounds kind of lecherous, but we swear it was really funny when it happened.... Did we mention that he's been nominated for famous awards?

The Washington-bred actor was so sure of his calling that he attended high school at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis and later enrolled in New York City's Circle in the Square Theatre School, which helped him score frequent Broadway roles after graduation. With a few theater awards under his belt, he broke through on TV as a delusional AIDS patient in the 2003 HBO miniseries Angels in America, garnering an Emmy nomination.

So, from serious work to stoner antics? Well, perhaps you have the wrong impression of Weeds. The show ramps up its delicate balance of comedy and drama this season, as Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker), mother of two, continues to expand her weed-selling operation, possibly to the detriment of her family. Everybody Loves Raymond, this ain't. "Showtime and HBO have changed everything in terms of what a TV series is," says Kirk. "And it's not just about profanity or nudity, it's an expansion of creativity. They don't answer to anyone."

Even Kirk's character, who rollicked through the first season with a devilish grin, faces new experiences as he looks after his nephews and avoids the draft by studying to become a rabbi. Still, the 37-year-old actor, who remains coy about his own cheeba-smoking proclivities, is in no danger of losing the show's stoned fans: "The other day I was at the gas station and a guy was like, ‘You're on that show Weeds! That's so great! I'm high right now!'"
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