Christine Baranski, the unsung hero of summer smash hit MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE, spoke exclusively to iVillage.co.uk's Gavin Conway about her special relationship with Meryl Streep and Julie Walters, the best four days of her life and James Bond in spandex!

The Emmy Award-winning Baranski forms one part of a formidable female triumvirate in the musical romp, playing the sassy Tanya, a seventies party girl, who returns to a fictional Greek island idyll to be re-united with childhood partners in crime Donna (Meryl Streep) and Rosie (Julie Walters).

As all and sundry prepare for the wedding of Donna's daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the arrival of Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) on the island turns everyone's world upside down, prompting scenes of hilarity, melodrama and riotous fun - befitting of a film based on the toe-tapping classics of ABBA...

There's clearly a great on-screen chemistry between you, Meryl Streep and Julie Walters, as there is between the three leading men. How important was achieving that chemistry when making this particular kind of film?

Christine Baranski: We actually talked about it very early on. I remember having conversations with Meryl and Julie and we all agreed that, with this material, it had to look like it was just 'happening' for the first time, that at any moment we could just start cutting up or goofing off.

While respecting the script, the best we could do was just make it totally (pause) - I hate the word 'fun', it's so over-used it's like 'love', it's one of those words...Fortunately, though, we were genuinely having tremendous fun!

I think it's fair to say that audiences are going to see Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth as they've never seen them before. Was that element of doing something slightly removed from the norm something that attracted you to the film?

Christine Baranski: I always love to get the chance to sing and dance, in any context. I think it's just a great form of expression. I wish I'd done more singing and dancing in my career.

I did study dance when I was little and I have done some musicals, like Sweeney Todd quite recently, and I'm really glad I did because it was wonderful prep for this movie. Because, let's face it, when you're up on the big screen it's so much bigger than your actual personality and you need as much confidence as you can possible have.

Your personal 'solo slot' in the movie involves you dancing on a beautiful Greek island beach, surrounded by 30 or so semi-naked young male dancers. Was that a tough day on set for you?

Christine Baranski: (Laughs) I did it for four days - they were the happiest four days of my life! It was very hard work but I remember saying 'there's no other woman who has my job today' (more laughter)!

Julie Walters is a true national treasure here in the UK. What was it like working with her so closely?

Christine Baranski: Julie and I had a lot of fun together because we had scenes together before we met up with Meryl's character and she's just a total joy. She's genuinely, genuinely funny.

She is a national treasure but you'd never know it by talking to her because she's just like the lady next door, she's so accessible. And really, it was the same with Meryl - here she is, our great goddess actress - but she's also so down to earth. We really had a good thing going on together.

I could probably speak to every woman I know, tell them that there is a musical film based on the songs of ABBA, and that would be enough to convince them to watch it. I would imagine most gay men wouldn't take much convincing either. But what would you say to the average UK bloke on the street to persuade him to watch this movie?

Christine Baranski: Hey! Just say James Bond in spandex! This macho guy, on a Greek island, just having a blast - and just what a sense of humour he must have and what good sports all the guys are.

And, you know, the other thing is it's really about men and women and fathers and daughters. And what I love about the film is that, in a way, you could say it's about 'girl power' except the women in the movie aren't angry with men.

They've actually had fabulous love affairs, the men come back, there's a sense of forgiveness, there's a sense of humour about it all. The movie's just a celebration of life and of one's past and it's lovely to see women of any age - particularly middle aged women - who are not angry and embittered.

Even Tanya with her past with men - she still loves men! And she has a great sense of humour about the young man who is pursuing her.

MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE is released in cinemas from July 10