Neve Campbell takes risks as an actress, but she doesn't consider same-sex smooches one of 'em anymore. As the femme fatale star of When Will I Be Loved (opening Friday in limited release), she shares a kiss (and much more) with a blond gal pal played by Joelle Carter (TV's Wonderland).

"This is like the sixth time I've had a kissing scene with a woman on film," she laughingly tells TV Guide Online, reminding us of her lip-lock with Olivia D'Abo on Party of Five and her poolside buss with Denise Richards in Wild Things, among others. "I don't know if there are many Hollywood actresses who haven't kissed a woman on camera."

True enough. Still, Campbell leaves few taboos (or costars!) untasted in Loved, which offers a different twist on the Indecent Proposal theme. Here's the familiar sitch: Neve's sleazy boyfriend is offered a small fortune by a wealthy businessman (Sopranos star Dominic Chianese) in exchange for an "introduction" to the lady. That's when things get freaky.

"Once this proposition is made to her, she realizes [her beau] is not what she'd hoped for and that he's underestimating her intelligence," the 30-year-old thesp says. "So she turns on him. I'm kinda bad! It's totally fun."

Campbell bares all for her art in Loved, which opens with a rather provocative peep at her, um, really enjoying herself during a shower. (Picture a Clairol Herbal Essences moment gone overboard.) "I've had the no-nudity clause in my film contracts in the past because I felt some scenes were for box-office draw and nothing else," she says. "This film is about my character's sexual exploration and her power and curiosity, so it made sense. I questioned it a bit, but I'm an actor and it seemed good for the film. I'm older and more comfortable with myself now, and I'm not as concerned with other people's opinions."

Given the liberty she's enjoyed on the big screen, Campbell isn't looking to do another TV series anytime soon. "At the moment, it's films," she says. "Party of Five was great for me, obviously, but it's a lot of work. You have 16-hour days nine months a year and it's hard to have any kind of career beyond that. I like doing different stuff and challenging myself. When you're playing one character, it gets a little tedious."

The staff changes keep coming at ER's County General. In fact, this fall, the NBC hospital drama will have more bodies checking in and out than a real emergency room!

Let's recap: Greene succumbed to a brain tumor two years ago, and Romano got crushed by a helicopter last season. This fall, Greene's widow, Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston), will also be gone after a few episodes. "She'll leave in a smart, real way," says executive producer Dee Johnson, who adds that ER simply couldn't think of what else to do with the beleaguered Corday. Meanwhile, hunky Goran Visnjic — who plays love doctor Luka Kovac — has been making noises about leaving the series for a film career. So where does all this leave us?

For starters, expect big story lines for twentysomething actresses Parminder Nagra (Neela) and Linda Cardellini (Nurse Sam Taggert), who'll return to the hospital after quickie exits at the end of last season. As fans know, Neela gave up that residency at her alma mater in Michigan. (Like she was ever really gonna stay there....) Sam comes back, despite having gone into hiding from her troubled ex.

Speaking of the junior league, Once and Again cutie Shane West is this year's hot young thing. New cast member West plays Ray Barnett, a "rock and roll" medical intern whose charm takes him a long way. Expect him to do a lot of head-butting with the other doctors, though we'd much rather see some smooching!

In other news, Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) survives a bad case of road rage and a deadly dip in the river; Abby (Maura Tierney) makes the mental shift from caring nurse to arrogant doctor; Lewis (Sherri Stringfeld) comes back from maternity leave and Weaver's (Laura Innes) child-custody case is finally resolved.

Let's not forget about the show's longest-lasting survivor, Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle). This season, Carter — that lucky devil — will have two romantic interests on his hands. He'll try to work out his relationship with Kem (Thandie Newton), the beautiful African AIDS worker who bore his stillborn child. But he'll also be attracted to a hospital social worker named Wendall, played by Central Park West's Madchen Amick in a recurring role. "She's a triathlete, tough and drawn to the same social causes as Carter," says Johnson. "It seems like a perfect match."

TV Guide Online: Is it true what they say — that you should avoid working with kids and animals?
Taye Diggs: It was challenging just because they are children. They're finicky and they're twins. But in our case it ended up working out okay because one twin was always asleep and the other was always awake and crying. So we just interchanged them.

TVGO: Have you been upstaged by the baby?
Diggs: I don't think you can be. I'm of the school where you just let the baby be a baby. However the baby's acting, that's just where the scene goes because chances are, in real life, that's what would happen anyway. So I'm always looking forward to the baby having real moments because it just brings that sense of reality to the show.

TVGO: Ah, so that's how you got the real tears!
Diggs: Exactly.

TVGO: Taye, how would you handle inheriting a baby?
Diggs: I'd be great. I'm the oldest in my family and I took care of all my brothers and sisters. I love children and I love just chillin' with my wife's nephews. We play, read stories, go to the park. My wife [Tony-winning actress Idina Menzel] and I are talking about kids right now.

TVGO: How many children would you and Idina like to have?
Diggs: Definitely more than one. And maybe we'll adopt, along with having our own.

TVGO: What do you imagine will be the hardest thing about being a father?
Diggs: Just letting go. I won't be able to watch the child while it's in school, when she gets to college. I don't want to be the type of parent that worries too much. But I can't imagine not worrying

TVGO: So you'll be a dad who cries on the first day of kindergarten?
Diggs: Definitely.