Actually, there are starting (as in very few) actors and actresses who are not "rakes with breasts" showing up on US Television that aren't the comic relief. One is well known, (sorry, don't know how to spell her name) but she's on "The Practice", plays a lawyer on that show.
Another is the actress that plays the character "Marcie" on One Life to Live (a Soap Opera). Her character has some insecurities, about her weight and many other things that a typical college student might worry about, but at the same time, comes across with alot of feelings of self worth and confidence. She even managed to get a good looking boyfriend through being a good friend to him, sticking by him, and, well you know, on soaps men and women who are friends must hook up eventually
[img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]