This January, Leverage returns with six new episodes starting where they left off with the introduction of Jeri Ryan’s character Tara. The actress who is best known for her role as Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager is filling in for Gina Bellman who left the show to have a baby. On screen, Tara is filling the grifter shoes of Sophie who has gone off to Europe in order to sort out her feelings for Nate.In honor of the show’s return, Jeri Ryan sat down with reporters to talk about being the new kid on the block, her love of TV and the most adventurous thing she’s ever done. Listen in.What was it like stepping into Leverage mid-way through the series?Jeri: I grew up as an Army brat, we always moved around, I was always the new kid. So this is kind of old hat for me. I joke that I’m the designated pinch hitter for TV series because Shark is the only show that I’ve ever been with from the very beginning, from the pilot. My first series was Dark Sky that was added in the middle of that season. Boston Public I was added Season 2, Star Trek Season 4. So this was, you know, it’s nothing new for me to walk in, in the middle of a thing.How did the cast respond to having a new member of the team?Jeri: They’re so warm and funny and just a bunch of goof balls. And so it’s amazing that we actually got anything accomplished ever because all we did was sit around and laugh at each other. You know, this is a group that’s very tightly knit and they’ve been together for a year and a half at that point already. And, you know, obviously you can’t replace a character. You can’t – and we weren’t looking to. This was, you know, a temporary substitute while she was going on maternity leave.