‘Ms. Match’ Star Anja Savcic Teases the Self-Love Story at the Heart of New Rom-Com (Exclusive)

Athena Carter may be a dating professional, but she’s certainly no romance pro! Ahead of the Sunday, July 16 premiere of E!’s new romantic comedy, Ms. Match, Anja Savcic opened up to PopCulture.com about her leading lady character, and the romance awaiting her once she stops focusing so much on the love lives of her clients and starts focusing on her own.

Following a particularly tough breakup with her college boyfriend, aspiring screenwriter Athena makes the move to Los Angeles to jumpstart her career, but five years later, she finds herself no closer to her personal and professional goals. Single and working for a dating company that teaches people how to date better, Athena has become so comfortable with her dating consultant alias “Amy” that she no longer knows how to date as Athena.

“Basically, she has all the right answers when it comes to helping other people, but not so much when it comes to herself,” Savcic told PopCulture. “I think there’s a confidence in a lot of aspects of her life, but then she has insecurity in others.” It’s something the actress can relate to, and also part of the “human condition,” which makes Athena even more of a character viewers can see in themselves. “Trying to be confident in things that you’re not comfortable with is sort of a lifelong journey,” Savcic continued. “And I think everyone can relate to that aspect of Athena.”

A huge fan of rom-coms herself, Savcic told PopCulture it was a blast to jump into the same genre as some of her favorites, which include Music and Lyrics and When Harry Met Sally. From meet-cutes to stories of a second chance at love and friends-turned-lovers, the Big Sky actress is a huge fan of all the things that make a romantic comedy a rom-com. “I love all of the rom-com tropes because it’s what makes rom-coms, rom-coms,” she explained. “And I think the more earnest and the more cheesy that they are, the more they’re leaned into, the better.”

Watching Ms. Match, Savcic hopes the audience will take a message away about self-confidence and following your dreams. “I think they’ll learn that you have to believe in yourself, and that love comes when you least expect it,” she said. “You’ve got to focus on yourself, loving yourself and your own goals, and then that’s kind of when all the other wonderful things come to you too.” Ms. Match premieres Sunday, July 16 at 9 p.m. on E!