Nightcap: How Ali Wentworth scored her A-list guest stars in season 2

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Art imitates life for Ali Wentworth, who plays talent booker Staci Cole on Pop TV’s fictitious late-night show Nightcap. The actress and series creator spills on going to great lengths to snag A-list guests for season 2 of her train-wreck comedy.

Julianna Margulies: “I cornered her at a dinner,” explains Wentworth of how she convinced the Good Wife star to play a furiously high-maintenance version of herself. “She’s such a good dramatic actress; there were moments when she really scared me.”

Alec and Hilaria Baldwin: Over Thanksgiving football, Wentworth approached Baldwin about working with him and his wife. That chat blossomed into a story line about a three-way gone awry due to Hilaria’s seductive yoga moves (see a clip of that above). “She basically has her crotch in my face.”

David Hasselhoff: “He’s such a symbol of the ’80s, and he really is that guy,” gushes Wentworth. “He’s tan and ripped and just, ‘I’m here to give you the best show I can.’ He’s Mr. Showbiz.”

Debra Messing: “After a successful appearance in season 1, Messing reached out for round 2. Shares Wentworth: “She said, ‘I want to come back, and I already have an idea �� what if Staci and I get colonics together?’ We ended up building a whole episode around it!”

Dr. Oz: “On realizing that Nightcap was in the same building as The Dr. Oz Show, Wentworth had to cast the doc. “He becomes Staci’s confidant,” she says. “I had to stop the crew from getting free medical advice — everyone was like, ‘So I have this swollen knee…’”

Julianne Moore: “Knowing Moore is an outspoken advocate for gun safety, Wentworth wrote a scenario in which a star gets shot (via crossbow) by a security guard, with the Oscar winner in mind. “I should’ve written a lesbian scene for us,” she admits. ”I just want to kiss her.”

Nightcap season 2 premieres tonight at 8 p.m. E.T. on Pop TV.