How Hilary Farr Brought Her Theater Background To Love It Or List It

During her Vulture interview, Hilary Farr admitted that she had gotten a bit bored with HGTV's streamlined process for "Love It or List It," especially since she was used to working in theater. Prior to auditioning for the show in 2008, she did have a design company but also experience acting. "I was a little too theatrical for a camera then, though, so I had to learn to really dial it back a bit," she divulged.

It's important to note that while HGTV may have a formula for Farr and her co-star David Visentin, they don't read word for word from a script. "We do not have a scripted show. It really pisses me off when people say, 'Oh, it's all scripted.' No, actually, it's off the cuff. Being an actress, I understand timing, though, so I think that's a skill set that made doing the show a degree easier for sure," she explained. In addition to her improv and timing know-how, Farr had to figure out creative fixes for numerous problems, ranging from space considerations to budget constraints.

The interior designer confessed that cancer was truly a wake-up call for her. Speaking to People, she admitted, "I'm now very aware of really wanting to take joy out of every day, and that's one of the reasons that it was time to leave 'Love It or List It' because it was becoming too easy ... I was in a rut."