David Alan Basche is two-timing Kim Raver—with Debra Messing.

Currently starring on NBC’s “Lipstick Jungle,” Basche debuts on USA’s “The Starter Wife” beginning at 8 p.m. Friday. What a jerk—in both roles.

On “Lipstick Jungle,” Basche plays Mike Harness, the troublesome boss at Bonfire magazine, where Kim Raver’s Nico is editor. Beginning Friday, Basche stars as self-absorbed Kenny Kagan, the ex-hubby of Debra Messing’s Molly Kagan, aka “The Starter Wife.”

“It’s been great to do both shows with powerful women because it’s just becoming more and more like real life,” Basche said during a recent conference call. “Thank God there are more and more powerful, smart women that have come into my life—including Debra. And, you know, I don’t have a problem with that. I love it.”

“And I think that’s mostly how men learn is from being around strong, smart, powerful women.”

It’s a very diplomatic statement, which was probably wise. Basche was doing the interview with Messing, who as executive producer of “The Starter Wife” is also his boss.

“I get to whip people like David into shape and tell them to go get me coffee,” Messing joked, causing Basche to chime in.

“Two sugars, low-fat milk.”

“That’s right,” Messing continued. “He knows. He’s got it down.”

Messing isn’t the only woman Basche has to keep happy at work—and at home. He’s married to actress Alysia Reiner, who reprises her role as Cindy, another starter wife who now works at her kids’ expensive private school so they can attend.

“What can I tell you?” said Basche, who will soon be a father with Reiner. “To work around well-spoken, incredibly intelligent, beautiful women all day on both coasts, you know, is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.”

All kidding aside, one of the problems with Basche’s addition to “The Starter Wife” is that he’s taking over his role from “House” regular Peter Jacobson, who played Kenny Kagan in the 2007 mini-series. Messing said they were lucky to get Basche.

“Kenny is so specific and so outrageous and so fun. And by far the hardest character to cast out of everybody—to find someone who was capable of doing the comedy and … also just a really brilliant actor,” Messing said. “We figured, OK, if we’re lucky enough to find somebody, then the audience will get over it in one episode.”

Messing found her man in Basche, who said he’s having a great time playing Kenny.

“As much fun as I’m having on ‘Lipstick Jungle’ as Mike Harness, it’s somewhat limited. And Kenny is completely unlimited,” he said, ticking off a list of Mike’s personality types: misogynistic, power hungry, greedy, borderline abusive.

“I find Kenny to be much more interesting than that because he’s all those things,” Basche continued. “But if I’m lucky at the end of the day he’s also somehow strangely likeable.”

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