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The upcoming MTV comedy "Loosely Exactly Nicole" is loosely exactly based on the life of star Nicole Byer.

The weirdest part is that some of the least believable parts of the scripted comedy are, in fact, pretty much spot on. Even the part when Byer, who's African-American, is told by a casting director to "do it blacker" during an audition.

It's been part of her stand-up comedy act; it's part of the new show, which is scheduled to premiere Sept. 5.

"I've had one casting director who was literally, like, 'I need you to be as black as possible,'" said Byer, formerly of "The Girl Code." "And then she was, like, 'If you go too black, I'll bring you back.'

"And I was, like — what does that mean? Like, if I pull out a knife and like shank you, like is that too far?"

The casting process is appalling. It's disgusting. It's racist. And, after interviewing actors for more 25 years, it's clear that this sort of thing happens all the time. Not just with African American actors, but with actors of all ethnicities.

Byer said she's had to deal with casting directors who were somewhat more subtle than the "do-it-blacker" individual, casting directors who use "code words."

"They'll be, like, 'Can you be more urban?' 'Can you have more edge?' 'Can you sass it up?'," Byer said.

Her experience is far from unique in Hollywood. What makes it a bit different is that she's using that sort of thing in "Loosely Exactly Nicole" — and, at least in the episode screened for critics, she uses it to great effect.

That episode is frequently laugh-out-loud funny.

In person, talking to critics, the real Nicole Byer seems just like the Nicole Byer she plays in the show. She has incredible energy; she's instantly likable; she's very funny; and she's more than a little bit naughty.

And she got her own show on MTV because she's persistent.

"The show came about because I kept being like, 'Give me a scripted show. I'm not going away. Give it to me,'" Byer said. "And then they said, 'Sure.'"

Well, that part is clearly more "loosely" than it is "exactly." But you could almost believe that Byer simply bulldozed her way into starring in her own series. She said that, growing up in New Jersey, she was quite simply determined to be a star.

"I wanted to be a Broadway actress, but I can't sing or dance," Byer said. "Also, I'm too young to be like a mother in a black play, so I've got to get a little older before I win that Tony.

"And then my mother was, like, 'You're funny.'"

When she was in college studying acting, "We would do dramatic scenes where people would laugh," Byer said. "So I was, like, 'I guess I should start doing comedy.'"

It's worked out rather well. Her comedy has been a big part of "Girl Code" since that show premiered in 2013. But "Girl Code" is unscripted; "Loosely Exactly Nicole" is a scripted show.

"Loosely Exactly Nicole" is not just about Byer's life as an aspiring actress, it's about her life. Her friends. Her family. Her love life.

It's the classic formula of turning pain into humor.

"Life is fun," Byer said. "I have made a lot of mistakes, and they're funny. So I'm happy to share them."

Including all those auditions that featured some version of "do it blacker."

"In the beginning," she said, "It was every audition I went on.

"But look at me now!"

Scott D. Pierce covers TV for The Salt Lake Tribune. Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce.