TV Tango: Before you started filming HOLLYWOOD EXES, which of the other women did you know?

Mayte Garcia: I knew Nicole [Murphy]. She was pregnant with one of her babies and I was married [to Prince]. She was very quiet. We would run into each other because Eddie was a fan of Prince's music, and he would come to the concerts where I would see her.

I knew Jessica [Canseco] from a friend of a friend. The rest of the other women I didn't know.

TV Tango: How long have you known Nicole?

Mayte Garcia: Oh, man. I was married, so since 1996 or 1997.

TV Tango: How did Andrea Kelly get introduced into this group?

Mayte Garcia: Nicole knew Andrea; they had been friends for a while.

I know that they approached Andrea, and she's just so amazing. She's a real character -- I just knew when I looked her up on YouTube. There's one thing of her, and just from the way she spoke I could tell she was the sweetest person with the biggest character. She's got an amazing personality.

I met her when we started shooting, and our bond was pretty instant since we're so similar.

TV Tango: And who did Sheree know?

Mayte Garcia: Sheree [the ex-wife of Will Smith] and Nicole used to go to birthday parties together because Eddie and Will Smith were friends. So they know each other.

TV Tango: With which of the EXES do you have the most confontational relationship?

Mayte Garcia: Oh, goodness. I think kind of all of us. In our pasts -- at least from my experiences -- I didn't really speak up for myself and give my opinions. But now that I'm older, I make it a point to [speak up] if I feel something or if I disagree or if I feel a certain way. The older I get, I'm like, "You know what? I have to tell you something. I hope you take it the right way because it's coming from an honest place." I try to do it like that. I'm definitely more mature about it.

I'd say that if we all have an issue, we kind of discuss it. Sometimes we agree to disagree. I'd say all of us.

TV Tango: Based on the clips, I expected you to say Jessica.

Mayte Garcia: I had an issue with Jessica and we went through it, and we were adult enough and mature enough to sit down and talk about it and understand where both of our emotions and feelings were coming from. And then you move on. This show is organic. It's real.

I'm a very forgiving person, and I know that I always try to find the good in people. That's what I do.

TV Tango: Who's the ring leader of the group?

Mayte Garcia: I'd have to say 'Mother Hen' Sheree. It's kind of a mixture because Sheree is like the mother hen, even though she doesn't like being called that.

And then Andrea -- her vocabulary, her expressions, her words. She'll say exactly what I want to say so eloquently. I'm like, "Wow, you said it."

Then Nicole. I call her Switzerland because she gets along with everybody. She has no beef with anybody.

And then me. They call me 'nice.' Just this morning [last Friday on their press junket of ACCESS HOLLYWOOD and more], everybody keeps calling me nice. They're like, "You're so nice. You're so nice. You're so sweet." And then Andrea was like, "Uh-uh, you're like a quiet storm." So I guess I'm the Quiet Storm.

TV Tango: Who's the group's comedienne?

Mayte Garcia: Andrea, for sure. You're going to laugh so hard at the stuff she says. Both men and women will laugh at her because she's a fool.

TV Tango: Speaking of Andrea and comedic moments, how did you get her on that plane for the group's trip to Napa?

Mayte Garcia: Alcohol. [Laughing] I was like, "Come on, just have a Bloody Mary, have this. Keep drinking. Keep drinking." And she got on the plane and she was crying for real. It was a fun trip.

TV Tango: What's your favorite Napa winery?

Mayte Garcia: You can't have a favorite in Napa. Really? The one that we went to, Raymond, they treated us like the biggest VIPs. It was red carpet all the way. It was so nice, but I mean any vineyard up there -- I love all cabs and Napa wine. All of it.

TV Tango: Did HOLLYWOOD EXES capture how much you love animals?

Mayte Garcia: Yes, they did.

Actually, they didn't get me driving. I have this thing -- it's not narcolepsy; it's narcarlepsy -- where in the car, after 20 minutes, I fall asleep no matter what's happening. If I'm alone, I have to pull over and take a nap. I don't know what it is. I've been to the doctor, but we can't figure out what it is. But anyways...

I drove in the morning with two Red Bulls and one of my dogs and the loudest music in the car to Bakersfield, which is about an hour and 15 minutes away, to rescue a dog. The dog was pregnant, and I got her here. I was doing a shoot for PETA and she was giving birth. I was FaceTiming while I was doing the PETA shoot. I think you're going to see just how much I love animals in this show.

TV Tango: And what about your dog rescue organization?

Mayte Garcia: That's the reason why I started it. I always wanted to do it, and I just trusted my gut. I'm trying to join forces right now because it's going to take a little bit to get all my foundation stuff together. But I have a website, MaytesRescue.org. The reason why I [started it was that I] was so upset when I rescued this dog, and the rescue lady said, "Oh my god, I'm so happy you rescued her because she doesn't photograph well. We weren't going to rescue her." She's a dark dog, and I noticed all these shelters had a lot of dark dogs. I think if you take the time -- just do five seconds of video -- the person can see the dog's personality and not just a picture. That's what I'm really trying to push now.

TV Tango: Do you focus on any breed or any mutt that can be rescued?

Mayte Garcia: Any dog that can be rescued. I was shocked at the amount and the quality of dogs.

A lot of them are foreclosures. That's what broke my heart. These dogs just lost their family because they lost their home. It just kills me. It's heartbreaking. I'm going to try to do what I can.

TV Tango: I love the EXES clip of your mom's reaction when you say you're "finally getting naked for the camera." How hard was that for you to admit to her?

Mayte Garcia: [Laughing before I could even finish the question] Oh, I'm glad the camera was there to document it because it was genuine and it was real. I did not tell her what we were doing.

It was hard, but I know she supports me with everything. When you see why I did it, then it's understandable. I'm honored to have done it, and I'd do it again -- for that cause.

TV Tango: You say you want to date a regular guy, how is your search for a soulmate going?

Mayte Garcia: I've now approached the term, "I'm not looking," because  I guess when you're not looking, you're going to find him? So I'm going to work on saying it and I'm going to work on doing it, because I've been on a couple dates and [big sigh]..we'll see. We'll see [laughing].

It's really hard in Los Angeles. It's a challenge, but I still have hope. I'm optimistic about meeting somebody. There's always somebody for somebody, and I believe that it will happen.

TV Tango: Besides giving advice about your Prince keepsakes, what else did the matchmaker on the EXES suggest that you do?

Mayte Garcia: Some things made sense. Sometimes I didn't think it meant anything, but talking about it on the show and with the girls, it did. I don't want to give it away, but some things she was right and some things she's a little "meh."

TV Tango: If a guy wanted to win your heart with food, what should he bring?

Mayte Garcia: I love cheese. I love cheese and wine. Pasta! Oh, gosh.

TV Tango: What about cheese puffs?

Mayte Garcia: You know, that is my weakness.

TV Tango: So if a guy comes to your door with a dog and a bag of cheese puffs, your his?

Mayte Garcia: Oh, he's mine. [laughing] He's done!

Yes, I love cheese puffs. And that's the thing, whenever I go on long trips I get a whole bag -- and I don't share. Well, I'd get two bags, but one bag's mine! [laughing]

TV Tango: Speaking of your love life, do you still speak with Prince?

Mayte Garcia: You know what, I spoke with him a couple of years ago. I just wanted to reconnect.

He's here [in Los Angeles], and for some reason people feel like they need to tell me that he's playing at The Forum or that he's at this club. I ask them to not tell me because I wouldn't want to tell them when their ex-husbands or ex-boyfriends are.

But it's a small town and I'm going to run into him; so I reached out to him a couple of years ago. I just wanted to clear the air and let him know that I'm OK and that I hope he's OK and that he'll always be somebody special in my life. He was really shocked and happy.

Mayte Garcia: If I see him now, I'll say "Hi!" and not be like, "Oh my god, he's here. What do I do, you know?" I don't want that; it's wasted energy, and I don't like having that in my life.

TV Tango: What's your most memorable performance as a dancer?

Mayte Garcia: One would be dancing on THAT'S INCREDIBLE when I was eight-years-old with Cathy Lee Crosby, John Davidson and Fran Tarkenton. Oh my god! You know, you're a kid watching the show, and then all of a sudden you're on set doing it -- and they're there [video link]. That was surreal for me, and really really made me want to work more and doing that dance, that art form. I loved it.

Mayte Garcia: And then, of course, the first time I got on stage with Prince, and looking over and seeing this genius playing and me dancing to his music as a ballerina, belly dancer, and all the kinds of dances. Just looking over and seeing him, and looking out at the crowd. That is serious energy and some serious -- I can't even explain the feeling it is to give that between an audience and an artist. It was amazing.

TV Tango: Was that the time you finally felt like you made it?

Mayte Garcia: For me, actually, no. I felt like I made it when I got my contract to dance in Egypt and my ballet contract to dance in Germany. Since I was three-years-old, I had been doing all forms of dance, and to reach such a goal at 16 was pretty amazing to me. And then you think, "OK, this is it," and then you go and dance with Prince. It's a different thing, though. It was a mixture. It was a blend of dance styles with Prince. It was strictly belly dance in Egypt, and Germany was strictly ballet. So kind of different peaks for me. I have a couple of them, and I cherish them. I definitely don't take them for granted, and I didn't at the time either.

TV Tango: As a choreographer, which famous student made you most proud?

Mayte Garcia: I would have to say Britney [Spears for a music video and the MTV Video Music Awards]. Honestly, whenever I teach a class and I see these women performing, moving the way I was just moving and adding their own flair to it with a smile on their faces, that is just so much fun. I'd have to say Britney on the popular level, and the fact that people will do that choreography in front of me and I'm so proud because it's so my move. [laughing] If you see my dance style, you go, "Oh yeah, that's me!" And I'll have that for my future and my grandkids, saying "That's me. That's my dancing!" That's something that I cherish.

TV Tango: What's your typical fitness routine?

Mayte Garcia: I still love dancing, and I'll go and take a ballet class here and there. But I do realize the older you get, your brain thinks your body can do what it can't do anymore.

I'm up for a movie right now with William Levy [an alum of DANCING WITH THE STARS], and it's consisting of dance; so I'm going to start doing some more hardcore dancing to get strong again.

But I love cardio. I love pilates. I love yoga, ballet. Kind of anything -- if there's good music, I'm good, because I like to escape. For me, moving and movement is a great escape. And sweating is such a good cleansing thing.

TV Tango: Does that mean you prefer a bootcamp to yoga?

Mayte Garcia: Yes, yoga for me -- I understand it and I love the zen feeling, but I get the same feeling doing a ballet class. For me, it takes so much strength to show that fluidity and gracefulness that yoga is the same way, but you're just staying in a position. I love the movement of dance.

TV Tango: What can you tell me about the series THE CHISME CLUB, which recently premiered on the Tr3s?

Mayte Garcia: You know what, I've always seen those shows, and I just love the fact that we can kid around and give our opinions and stuff like that. It's light-hearted and fun, with sketches and funny graphics. Of course, it's in Latin. It's on MTV Tr3s, which is a Latin channel with an English base.

Also, it's close to my heart. My sister's wife works for Tr3s -- she's the head of production. They're family, and I love doing stuff like that.

TV Tango: What's on your DVR?

Mayte Garcia: Honestly, this reality show has taken three months of my life. We're wrapping Saturday [now two days ago], and I need to catch up.

I love SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, CHOPPED and MASTERCHEF -- I saw that a couple of days ago, and I'm so excited that it's back. I love cooking stuff, dancing, music stuff.

For drama, since I'm an actress, I love SUITS. It's just so well-written and fun. It's legal, but it's emotional. It's not so much vocabulary -- I get it, you know, and I enjoy it.