"What's your favorite scary movie?"

That haunting phrase from Scream is the beginning of actress Mikaela Hoover's usual shower recital--instead of singing karaoke hits while shampooing her hair, she quotes lines from the legendary horror flick that happens to be her all-time favorite.

The quirky actress, 30, caught the attention of Guardians of the Galaxy director and writer James Gunn when she couldn't remember her lines and had to improvise at the audition--revealing her natural goofiness.

"He's one of my best friends now and it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for improv," Hoover told Enstars over the phone last week. "[Improv] makes things more authentic, gives more energy!"

After Hoover took an improv class at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, she realized how much the spontaneous skill shines in comedy. During her roles on Happy Endings and The League, she remembered the funniest moments were created almost magically when the comedians and actors just improvised.

The set of the CBS comedy, How I Met Your Mother, was one of Hoover's favorites--she was that kooky baby-talking girl on season six who seduced an ice-cream-scarfing Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) with: "Who's your mommy."

"I do have a higher voice. It limits me for a lot of roles but it does help me for comedy," giggled Hoover who also appeared in Anger Management then Two and a Half Men.

The 5-foot-1 actress usually plays a ditzy role but she never judges the character, she's just willing to be silly.

Her friendship with James Gunn is also full of inside jokes and nonstop laughter, and Hoover describes the BFF-relationship as a major part of feeling at home in Los Angeles.

She's from a small town in Washington and has dreamed of acting since childhood. Her acting debut was reenacting the Little Mermaid for her family, tackling all of the memorable voices. Hoover eventually went on to do fun projects with Gunn including: Super and Guardians of the Galaxy.

"It's a great film, it's very touching and beautiful. I'm so proud of James. I cried six times!" said Hoover who also found it surreal to work with Glenn Close and John C. Reilly on Guardians of the Galaxy.

But Wes Craven will forever have her heart, since it was Hoover's goal to someday meet the mastermind behind Scream; and she finally did.

"Apparently I blacked out and cried after meeting him," laughed Hoover who would love to do more scary film roles because of her obsession with the genre.

She recently worked on a short horror film Hide and Seek; she loved running and didn't mind the escaping-victim bruises. She craves that feeling-scared adrenaline boost, almost as much as McDonald's.

The Big Mac is her soul food and sometimes she alternates with pineapple pizza with extra ranch--but there's always a side of the Investigation Discovery television network in her diet.

"I'm a homebody and I can out-eat anyone. It's my favorite hobby," said Hoover.

Hoover will also appear in Zombie Basement, a web series based on passing the time during a Zombie Apocalypse, which stars The Office's Angela Kinsey and Ashley Fink from Glee. The series focuses on friends who host an online show from their basement to save themselves, and anyone who's not the living dead, from boredom. This comedic spin on a zombie-takeover will premiere in the fall.

In the meantime, Hoover's looking into another horror film, which she wasn't allowed to name at the time. The villain may not be a Ghostface killer who likes to chat on the phone, but she's excited to see if she gets the call.

Tags: Mikaela Hoover Guardians Of The Galaxy Zombie Basement