It's Christmastime in L Word

Dear friends!

Since every year I created an Advent calendar for all TLW Fans. It will start on December 1th. Now you can take a little look to the L Word Christmascastle in 2009.

I hope the Christmastime is a little bit romantically and easier with a reunion with our L Ladies. No day passed in the last month that I don't thought about our favorite girls and I think you all have the same experiences.

So I wish you a lot of fun in the next weeks and a wonderful Christmastime with our ladies!

If you have any questions or problems or wishes: tlwmaster@tlw-family.net

Jennifer's photo book

The official book's website has been launched.



includes never-before-seen photos, cast commentary, and the ephemera that composed our daily lives on the show - bits of scripts, callsheets, production memos. Also a series of large format prints and limited edition prints will also be available of select photos from the book.

"During the six years we were shooting The L Word, I kept a photographic journal of the cast and crew, born out of a profound desire to create a bulwark against my rapidly eroding memory. It was an era of my life I was eager to preserve: I wanted to remember the cast, the readthrus, the dinners, the rehearsals - everything. I took pictures and saved my scripts, callsheets, and memos and organized them every year. I used them for reference as the seasons moved on, but frankly I held onto them because I knew I would get a kick out of looking at them as the years passed. Mostly, I wanted to remember the joy, because no matter where the storylines went, we always managed to have fun.

Years ago, I started a tradition of making of making a photo book, to give as a gift to the cast and crew, after completing projects that were near and dear to my heart. As I started working on my cast-and-crew present for The L Word, I realized this wouldn't be like the others. The L Word was about the power of storytelling. And it was particularly unique because there were two streams of stories being told. Clearly we were telling your stories, but in some way we were telling our stories - the story of a group of colleagues who became friends while endeavoring to make something worthwhile. Somewhere along the line there was a kind of convergence. Somewhere underneath the plotlines of The L Word ran our own stories of friendship and struggle. These photographs evoke the various bonds and battles we as a cast endured.

The L Word as a series was, at its core, about community and that played out behind the scenes as the cast formed its own community. But the series also was about all of you who made our collective journey possible. That is why I wanted to make the book available to fans of the show.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Beals"

The book will be available in December 2009.

Food for thought

by Los Angeles Confidential at 08.10.2009

Actress Marlee Matlin has teamed up with the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank to fight hunger in our city

ONE IN EIGHT Los Angeles County residents is at risk of going hungry. When I was made aware of that statistic earlier this year, I was immediately taken aback. How could so many people in my own backyard be in dire need of food while others live so lavishly? As our country and city continue to face economic turmoil and with joblessness on the rise, I knew I had to do something to draw attention to this growing crisis.

After connecting with CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank Michael Flood and his hard-working team—who dedicate countless hours to eradicating hunger in Los Angeles County—I learned much more about our community’s escalating problem. The numbers were mind-blowing. Last year the Foodbank distributed more than 42 million pounds of food to pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and programs serving low-income children, families, seniors and other individuals in need. Furthermore, there was a 35 percent increase in demand from people seeking aid from local food pantries in the first quarter of 2009 alone, and that number is expected to rise dramatically by year’s end.

In June my daughter Sara and I spent an afternoon at the Foodbank. While on site, we were given the opportunity to package food for senior citizens in need. It was an immensely rewarding experience and one we will never forget. I have since become a member of the Foodbank’s Entertainment Council, a newly established group of influencers whose goal is to encourage others in the entertainment industry to donate their time, money and talent in support of the Foodbank’s efforts.

As we near the holidays, the Foodbank’s Season for Sharing programs make it easy for people to lend their support. Let’s make this special time of year even more special—not just for us and the people in our own lives, but for the countless families, children and senior citizens who do not have the money for a warm, nourishing meal. Visit lafightshunger.org

Interview with Jennifer Beals

by Matthews's Place at 06.10.2009

Jennifer Beals was born in December 1963 in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in the city. With a life-long desire for acting, Beals first appeared in small high school plays and even got an uncredited bit part in My Bodyguard (1980) in 1980. After graduation, she enrolled in college at Yale University, studying American literature. She appeared in her first starring role in the movie Flashdance (1983) while still a freshman at Yale. While at Yale, she also starred in Franc Roddam's The Bride (1985). After graduation from Yale, Beals married independent filmmaker Alexandre Rockwell in the mid-80s, and has appeared in several of his films. Most notably, she starred in his In the Soup (1992), which won the 1992 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Deauville Film Festival.??Beals continued to find acting work in various movies and TV productions through the 1990s, in lead and supporting roles. Her most recent and notable role came in early 2004 with her appearing as a regular on the Showtime TV-cable series "The L Word" (2004) playing a lesbian art gallery manager named "Bette Porter".

MP (Matthew's Place): This is MatthewsPlace
J (Jennifer Beals): Yes! Hi! It's Jennifer Beals.

MP: Hi Jennifer. How are you?
J: Hi. I'm sorry, I went for a run and completely lost track of time.

MP: [laughing] No, it's not a problem. I'm glad we finally nailed down some time.
J: Yes. Me too, me too.

MP: So … I bring regards from Judy [Shepard]as well. She wanted me to say hello.
J: I'm bowing low.

MP:[laughing] Well, our conversation today is going to go on our website for young people called Matthew'sPlace.com …
J: Okay.

MP: … and really the purpose of the site and Judy's vision was for it to be a place where young people can come gather information that could help them lead healthy, productive, hate-free lives. So we like to have conversations with people who are advocates and allies for equality to sort of help young people see the world is a safe place for them. … So I just wanted to start out by asking you if there was ever a time in your life when you felt like you were marginalized for something that made you different?
J: If I ever felt like I was marginalized for something that made me different…

MP: Maybe picked on or bullied or anything of that nature?
J: Umm, not when I was a girl funny enough, like anything [that] made me feel different?

MP:Yes.
J: I had read, or my mother had read, enough Greek myths to me to instill in me that any difference could also be something that was incredibly powerful and that you searched for that thing that made you different -- that thing that made you special, which therefore was the thing that made you powerful. Not in a sense of, necessarily, strength, but in your ability to transform things. So there was magic in being different. But I have to say the only time I felt marginalized was as a woman on-set sometimes and obviously not on "The L Word."

MP: And how did that manifest?
J: It manifested in not being included in discussions that all the male actors were being included in.

MP:Has that shifted, would you say? Or…
J: No. [laughing]

MP: … would you say it's still an issue women in Hollywood face?
J: It depends on the group, obviously. I mean, there are some men who are more restrictive, and there are others who are more inclusive. And luckily I've primarily worked with people who are incredibly inclusive, like the Hughes brothers. Working on "The Book of Eli" was an amazing experience and I felt valued and respected and trusted …

MP: Okay.
J: There have been other experiences where I was definantly … diminished. I think it was because I was a woman and they didn't respect a woman's point of view.

MP: Okay. What would you say your time on "The L Word" taught you?
J: Oh my gosh, so many things, so many things I learned from "The L Word." I think … the one I live with the most often is the importance of authenticity. You know, being on the show, so often we would get letters or people would come to visit the set … you know, there was one couple in particular that I think of who had been together as a couple for, gosh, I don't know, 30 years, but who were still closeted as a couple until they saw "The L Word" and it somehow gave them courage to come out. And when they came out there were no deep, dark ramifications -- there was just a sense of freedom. But listening to their story and many other stories like theirs I realized it was incumbent upon all of us to live as authentically as we possibly can. Not just for our own sake but for the sake of everyone else as well, because we don't do anyone a favor by … hiding our candle under the bed.

MP: Right, right.
J: Let it out.

MP: So what does living authentically -- how does that manifest in your own life?
J: Well really listening to my point of view and if I am on a set ,say, that doesn't really value a woman's point of view, regardless of how they feel, continuing to give my point of view and try to find a way to be heard and not diminishing myself because other people are diminishing me. Because that, I think, is the worst temptation --that, you know, you judge yourself by how others are judging you, and to fall into that trap is to walk into the realm of self-annihilation. Which is not a good place to be, obviously …

MP: [laughing] Did you have any reservations about taking the role and being involved in the show, and that maybe you might be pigeon-holed as an actor?
J: No, no, not at all. I was really just so thrilled to have a wonderful part that was complicated and rich, and was very excited to play someone who wasn't also always nice or right or, you know … that was lovely too.

MP: Uh huh.
J: And it was a nice change to work with all women for a while.

MP: And as a part of that experience and your experience in the entertainment industry, how important would you say it is to include positive LGBT images in today's society, in today's modern pop culture, as opposed to the stereotypical view of what a gay or lesbian person is?
J: I think it's incredibly important, but I think it's just as important to tell the truth of the story. You know, I don't think it's helpful to anyone to … for example, say that every LGBT person is wonderful and perfect and without flaw and … lets all ring the bells to perfection. I think it's much more helpful to tell the story as truthfully as you can, and with all of its complications, because that's also when people recognize themselves, and that's when people who are not part of the LGBT community will recognize themselves within that character. And then [they] hopefully empathize and maybe there'll be some kind of shift.

MP: Right, right.
J: So … I think it's important to be positive, but I think it's most important to be positively truthful, to this.

MP: Ah, okay. Well, and you have been such a strong ally voice in the fight for equality. Why, in your opinion do you think that ally voice is such an important voice that needs to be heard?
J: Well I think everybody's voice needs to be heard. I don't think of my voice as being particularly special or unique, but … I have learned during the course of the show to speak up and to be heard and to be seen and to say what you think. And … in a polite way, you don't need to be rude. Which, you know, is the danger of the Internet with the way people throw around invectives, it can be a little harsh. I don't think that kind of dialogue, well it's not dialogue, needs to happen. I don't think it's very helpful, but I do think it's really important to say what you think and to make sure that everybody is invited to speak at the table, you know, that everyone is included in the discussion.

MP:And how can we do that?
J: Well I think the most important thing first of all is to live as authentically as you can and that will come naturally. I think it flows from knowing who you are and embracing who you are and then it becomes a celebration of who you are, hopefully.

MP: Okay.
J: And then communities are formed around that idea and the community gets larger and larger. And then, I mean it starts from the individual and then smaller communities are formed and then larger communities are formed perhaps just in that one group. And then all of a sudden that reaches out to a larger extension to humanity, if you know what I mean.

MP: Uh huh.
J: It's important I think at a certain juncture to be informed about what's going on. I mean there's so many ways you can do it. Self-expression is obviously important, to me anyway, you know, being able to tell your story, even if you just write it down for yourself. And then maybe you share it with one person, or several people, but you express yourself. And then there's another realm of being informed politically. Which is incredibly complicated because the ground seems to shift constantly. You know, just looking at the trajectory of the Matthew Shepard Act is so complex and maddening and really, really frustrating to me. I mean I just long for the day when I can go and, you know, dance on the bar with Judy Shepard in celebration, that's what my fantasy is.

MP: [Laughter] Well that's looking like it may be sooner rather than later.
J: I mean you just want to burst into tears you get so excited about it.

MP: Well it does, and it's been Judy's mission for almost the last 11 years.
J: Oh, I know.

MP: It's this bill and things don't happen quickly.
J: No they don't and the politics of what to attach it to, I mean who would have thought to attach it to a defense bill?

MP: Right, right. Well and for us it seems that people tend to be very scared or frightened of issues particularly around the LGBT community. And that's a question that we're always asking ourselves is, why is this an issue that people, that tends to polarize people so much? What are your thoughts as to why?
J: Well I think it polarizes a certain generation. I don't think it polarizes a younger generation. I don't see that.

MP:Very much so.
J: Yeah, I think it polarizes an older generation who perhaps is not as well educated, in a funny way.

MP: Uh huh.
J: And those people will be gone soon, and life will be different.

MP: [Laughs] Well you know and that's the message that we spread and that Judy spreads, that this generation gets it and when this generation starts taking office, things are going to change a little quicker than they are now.
J: I hope so. I certainly hope so.

MP: And, you know, thinking about young people in particular, and one of the reasons that MatthewsPlace is in existence is [for] that young person in rural Iowa that thinks that there really isn't anyone out there that feels like them, and maybe doesn't think that they have a place in the world. Any thoughts or advice that you might give to someone who is in an environment where they're not seeing positive images?
J: I would want them to know that their community is much larger than the neighborhood in which they live. That the world does not end at that town. That there is a bigger world out there and if they need to leave to go find a more immediate community that will sustain them, then that's what they need to do. But the first thing is for them to cultivate kindness for themselves and acceptance for themselves, and that the world is much larger. And especially with the Internet. In a moment's time you can get on and speak to people who are like you, or understand you or who can support you or can at least argue with you, understanding who you are and what interests you have. But you can build a different community because of the Internet.

MP: Well and then, thinking about you as an actor, is there anything that actors can do in selecting projects that would help them increase positive representation of people that are traditionally marginalized by the mainstream media? Does that make sense?
J: Well I would encourage those people to write.

MP: Oh, okay.
J: You know, there's not another television series that I know of that deals primarily with the LGBT community.

MP: Right.
J: I mean, I would encourage people to write. Writing.

MP: So create the type of shows, or entertainment that…
J: You want to create the show that -- you know, be the future that you want to see.

MP: Right. Well I have a quote, I know your time is precious so I don't want to keep you too long.
J: Oh but this, Judy Shepard is precious. She's more precious than my time. Believe me.

MP: [Laughs] Well and I have to say to you that we are very excited to sort of have you as part of our Foundation family, so please know that we mean that deeply.
J: Well thank you. I just also want you to know that I'm creating a book based on the photographs that I've taken primarily during the six years that I was on the L Word and making kind of a photographic journal in a way. And I'll be selling that to benefit charity and one of the charities that I will benefit will be the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

MP: Oh well thank you very much, and I will let Judy know that when I chat with her.
J: Okay, great.

MP: And she's also having a book coming out on September 3rd, that I'll get you a copy of.
J: Oh, I would love that. Thank you.

MP: It's the first time she's told her story.
J: I would love to read it.

MP: I'll send it to you. Penguin is publishing it so we're quite excited about it. Well and to sort of wrap up, there was a quote that you gave to a Chicago newspaper back in 2003 that sort of for me, sums up a lot of what we've been talking about today and I'm going to read this to you. And this is what the newspaper quoted you as saying: "They talk about the fact that history is written by the victors, but if you can make yourself victorious by writing your own history and supplying your own images, then you've done yourself and the world a great service."
J: Yes, absolutely.

MP: And I think that sums up sort of what we've been talking about and I just wanted to know if you might have any comments on that quote and where you were coming from if you have a recollection of saying it.
J: I do have a recollection of saying it, and I've said it often and in various forms because I think that story telling is a very powerful tool. We tell stories to each other all the time. It's how we come to know the world. It's how, in some ways, that we come to know aspects of ourselves, and how we tell each other about ourselves. So by writing our stories, by writing our history, we let people know who we are, we communicate with one another, and we make sure that we are included in the continuum. And we benefit everyone else, it's just, I mean I just can't stress enough how it's to benefit everyone else. Particularly those people who are not like you, who need to hear the story. Who don't know the story, and they need to know the story so that they understand.

MP: Well and you know Judy and myself when I talk to high school kids I always say, how are people going to know how to support you, if you don't tell them.
J: Right.

MP: How are people going to know what you're life is like if you don't share it with them?
J: And also, how do you even know what your own life is like truly until you start expressing it in some way. You discover so many things about your own life just by writing. Things that you don't know that just come out through the unconscious. And you pick up on yourself as well.

MP: Right. No, I completely agree and I want to thank you for sharing some time with us.
J: Thank you and give Judy a big hug for me please.

MP: I will, thank you Jennifer.
J: All right, take care.

MP: Okay, bye-bye.

"The Real L Word" looks for lesbians like in that other "L Word"

by Dorothy Snarker from afterellen.com

Hey, lesbians, wanna be on TV? Actually, do you wanna get real on TV? Well, more accurately, wanna get as real as you can get in Los Angeles in a production by The L Word impresario Ilene Chaiken on TV? See, there’s always a catch.

So what are Chaiken and her elves looking for? Per the casting call: “A group of real-life, high-profile, left coast lesbians” who are based in or moving to L.A. and are “every bit as glamorous, fashionable, fabulous and even as cutthroat as their celebrated-but-fictional counterparts.”

Or, as they put it “proof the The L Word exists in real life.”

Um, since they seem to want to create a de facto seventh season, could they bring back Dana? We miss her terribly.

You can read the rest over of the item over at Boxed Lunch. Or you can take this handy questionnaire based on the actual casting call’s criteria. Please remember to fill out your answers in No. 2 pencil. And no cheating off the test of the cute girl in front of you.

Do you want to be on “groundbreaking television?”
If yes, are you sure you don’t want to apply for Mad Men instead?

Do you have “the power of Bette?”
If yes, call me.

Do you have “the mojo of Shane?”
If yes, you’re way too busy to call me.

Do you and your partner want “to adopt?”
If yes, consider keeping this private moment private because the lesbian-seeking-baby storyline — while important — is way overexposed.

Do “all the bouncers in WeHo know your name?”
If yes, you can reach the Betty Ford Center at (800) 434-7365.

Do you want to come out of the closet to “help others by sharing your journey?”
If yes, you should know that you rarely start making out immediately with someone as hot as Marina. (What? I’m just being helpful.)

Do you carry a card that reads “power lesbian?”
If yes, it doesn’t count if you made it yourself and got it laminated at Kinko’s.

If you qualify, Magical Elves wants to hear from you at casting@magicalelves.com (include a photo).

Are you interested? Are they really looking to fill the exact same roles as the fictional series? Oh, Ilene, Ilene. You’re just bound and determined to wring every last drop of blood from the letter “L,” aren’t you?

LAUREL HOLLOMAN- Original Sketch Bark 10th Anniversary on ebay

by LaurelHolloman.net

To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Bark, an organization to protect and restore Mt. Hood’s National Forest, asked their most prominent fans to draw a sketch of the mountain and its wildest features. Laurel donated one of her drawings , you can bid for it on ebay.

SheWired Exclusive: Laurel Holloman Talks Life After the 'The L Word'

by Lesley Goldberg | Article Date: 09/22/2009 11:36 AM

When Showtime’s groundbreaking lesbian series The L Word aired its final episode in March, Bette and Tina were on the verge of growing their family and moving to the East Coast. Now that a potential spinoff series has been nixed and a reality series — The Real L Word: Los Angeles — has been greenlighted, SheWired thought it was about time to sit down with one of the most beloved characters on the drama — Laurel Holloman — to talk about reality TV, what her next role is, what she would have happen for Bette and Tina as well as what show she’d most like to appear on next.

SheWired: What do you think about the new L Word reality series Ilene Chaiken is doing with Showtime?

Laurel Holloman: I think it’s great. Any way that they can keep everything going, I think if Ilene comes up with some great ideas to keep it going, honestly I think it’ll be refreshing to see a reality “L Word” instead of the glossed-over, high-heeled makeup one. Because every day I go to work and I hear things like, “All my friends in the community, we never wear shoes like this.” I fought to wear boots the whole first season. What I say is do the reality show and bring it on. I think it’s great the show is there and you have to embrace it by putting it out and hope it opens up doors. And if it opens the door for a reality show then it has served its purpose. It (The L Word) was groundbreaking; it was phenomenal. It was a gift to be on it. I feel really lucky.

SW: Do you miss the show since it wrapped?

LH: Yeah, I miss the girls. But there are a lot of girls that I keep in touch with. I talk to Erin Daniels and Rachel Shelley almost every day, they both just had children — Erin had a little boy and Rachel had a little girl — and I just talked to Jennifer (Beals) a couple weeks ago. It’s just like a family. I saw Kate Moennig a couple weeks ago. I just feel like we’ll all sort of run into each other in some capacity. Because some people are closer than others and we all sort of gravitate toward each other in some way. I’d like to see a movie to be honest. I hope that the reality show goes and I hope that there’s some sort of movie afterward.

SW: What are you working on right now?

LH: I just did an episode of Castle for ABC and I want to guest-spot on what ever is there and what character fits, but it’s hard for a series regular. I really want it to be the right thing. I realize now that you can go with a show and it can literally grow for six years and you want it to be the right thing. I feel like I was given this wonderful gift so I want the next thing I do to be special. But in this economy, it’s a really hard time to try to navigate what to do next. I also have a 5-year-old daughter and an 18-month-old daughter, so I have to figure out how to juggle it.

SW: Jennifer is doing Lie to Me and Kate is doing Three Rivers …

LH: I just actually read for a Three Rivers spot, but I didn’t get it. I was excited because I thought, “This would be so cool to be with Kate but in a different scenario.” It was the first time I realized that it’s very possible that all of us can end up in a different situation together and the sad thing is that you get out there and you realize that it’s still a very male-dominated industry and it’s still really frustration. I really take a lot of pleasure in seeing a lot of the directors that we worked with (on The L Word) that are still working. I just ran into Jamie Babbit and I’m really tight with Angela Robinson and Alex (Kondracke) and I actually share a nanny with Angela and Alex. I realize that there will probably be other things for everybody. You have to let The L Word die down a little bit and then slowly navigate what ever comes next. I’ll be really interested in the reality show though.

SW: Ilene had the spinoff — The Farm — with Leisha Hailey at Showtime but they passed on it. Do you know what happened there?

LH: I don’t know a lot about it. I just know there were a lot of talented actresses on it — I think Melissa Leo, who is one of my favorite actresses ever, Laurie Metcalf is really good and Framke Janssen did something and Leisha was always to me the sun that we all revolved around. I just don’t know if it was fully realized and it’s a hard climate to try and sell a spinoff in because there are so many great shows that aren’t going to get picked up at all. I think it was really great that Ilene got that caliber of actresses to come work on her spinoff. I think that was a really good group of actresses.

SW: Did Ilene approach you at all about the spinoff?

LH: Honestly, not me or Jennifer. I think if you were to do a spinoff with Tina, you have to spinoff with Bette. I just don’t think they know what to do with Tina and Bette. That’s the movie! That’s not a TV show, that’s a movie!

SW: If you were going to write the movie of the story of Tina and Bette, what would happen?

LH: Awwww. They have another baby. Or adopt. I’ve adopted a child, so I’m a really big fan of adoption. I’d like to see them do that. There’s this beautiful thing that happened at the end (of the series) where they both were fully realized, where Bette became more relaxed and less controlling and Tina became more assertive and you see this really beautiful balance and you see that you can be in a partnership for a long period of time and still love each other and love the changes. I think they had to have the changes and the forgiveness; there were lots of things for Tina to forgive Bette, and Bette had to forgive Tina for being an asshole, too. That’s growth. That’s love through partnership. When I talk about the show, I really start to miss it.

SW: Now, without The L Word, there’s so little representation of gays and lesbians on TV. Why do you think that is?

LH: Well, part of it is, you get into the thing where you get into the thinking of are we doing this because it’s trendy or are we doing this because it’s representative of what people want to see right now, and I think it’s representative of what people want to see. I think there’s a lot of great television writers out there right now — and I’m going to say this because I’ve worked with a lot of them — and they’re trying to write more great TV, but what the problem is is that there’s so much reality television programming that it’s turning everything into like The Hills. I’m sorry, but it’s not deserving. If there’s an L Word reality show, I feel like there’s an audience for it because we proved that there’s an audience. It doesn’t have to be in my mind a genre show. It has to just be a show about what’s going on in the world right now. I mean my daughter goes to kindergarten right now and her best friend has two moms and her other best friend is African-American. I mean, this is the school my daughter goes to. This is the world we live in right now, so why is it so marginalized right now? That’s what I have trouble with. I don’t want to get too much on a soapbox, but I wonder if the conversation that you and I are having right now — will somebody be having it in 20 years or will it just be like this is what entertainment is, this is what people want to watch; that we get to watch on TV reflections of ourselves.

SW: Would you ever be interested in writing?

LH: I just got an hour lecture on how I should start writing. I have a lot of writers around me, a lot of my friends are writers, my brother is a writer — he’s a novelist — and I still come from an independent film background. I mean, before The L Word that was really the bulk of what I did, so I’d like to think that I’d like to be involved with writing movies. But to be really honest with you, the climate that I see right now, I feel pretty cynical about the ability to get something produced right now. Right now I& rsquo;m just trying to find really good characters on TV so I can pave my way in that area.

SW: If you were going to pick any show on TV to have a regular character on, what show would you pick and why?

LH: I would love to be part of Mad Men. True Blood. I think Alan Ball is really creative. I’m also Southern and I was on Angel (for eight episodes) so I would appreciate the vampire thing. And when you watch it, everybody knows he’s writing about so much more. It’s just a beautiful show. I know Sam Trammell, we were friends in New York doing theater together and I just feel like that’s just a wonderful show. I turned it on and was just like, “Yeah, this is what needs to be out there.” I like the message that it sends. So True Blood. Or In Treatment … I also think Weeds is a great show.

The baby boom goes on! - Congratulations, Rachel !

by rachelshelleyonline.com/

Rachel gave birth

to a beautiful bouncing baby girl on Tuesday, 8th September 2009.

Her daugher was born at 57 minutes past midnight, some 2 weeks late!

May all her desires be fulfilled
except for one...
so she'll always have
something to strive for.

Congratulations Rachel!!!

Congratulations, Angela!

Angela Robinson and her partner Alex Kondracke have a little baby.
Alex is the birth mother.

They say that the west wind brings diligence,
east wind – wisdom,
north – courage
and south – peace.
Let all these winds deliver what they carry to your baby.

Congratulations from the tlwmaster!

A Star is born - Welcome little Ely in this wonderful world!

Erin Daniels gave a birth to a son
Ely Dashiel Uettwiller
on 1th August 2009.
Erin is married with Chris Uettwiller
since 4th April 2009.

'L Word' is now a reality

by Michael Schneider, Mon., Aug. 31, 2009, 8:00pm PT

Showtime to revive show as reality series

Showtime is reviving "The L Word" -- but this time as a reality series.

Pay cabler has greenlit nine episodes of "The Real L Word: Los Angeles," from "L Word" creator Ilene Chaiken and reality producers Magical Elves ("Top Chef").

Show will follow six lesbians in Los Angeles as they go about their lives -- a lesbian answer to Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise. Project is dependent on casting, the net said; if all goes as planned, "The Real L Word" would debut sometime next year.

"The L Word," which ran for six seasons on Showtime, wrapped up earlier this year. Series, which starred Jennifer Beals, Mia Kirshner and Laurel Holloman, among others, centered on a fictional group of women, both gay and straight, in Los Angeles.

"Even though we concluded our sixth season of 'The L Word' on Showtime this past March, I believe we are not nearly finished telling our 'L Word' stories," Chaiken said. "Showtime has yet again come forward to continue with us this mission to entertain and enlighten and bring more 'L' to the world."

Chaiken, who exec produced "L Word," will also EP "The Real L Word," along with Magical Elves' Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz.

"We love to tell authentic stories about complex characters and feel like this is an area that has yet to be explored in reality television," Lipsitz said.

"Real L Word" is the latest in a string of series orders for Showtime, which last week greenlit the Laura Linney starrer "The C Word." Cabler also has "Oliver Stone's Secret History of America" on tap.

"The Real L Word" is the second spinoff for Chaiken. The exec producer was behind the scripted spinoff "The Farm," which starred "The L Word's" Leisha Hailey. That project wasn't picked up to series, however.

Added Cutforth: "We're ready to take on the challenge of living up to the groundbreaking drama of the original 'L-Word'."

Interview with Mia Kirshner

by Dara Nai, Senior Writer, August 20, 2009 from afterellen

Who killed Jenny Schecter? A mere five months ago, that was the burning question on lesbian lips in living rooms and local bars from Los Angeles to Little Falls, New Jersey.

Mia Kirshner (Miss Conception, The Black Dahlia, 24) — the astonishing actor who played Jenny, and managed to find the humanity in a character known for uttering, "Adele, the appliqué on the back of your jeans was declared an abomination by the Geneva Convention," and other psychotic bon mots — is in fact a thoughtful woman who'd rather spend time with her friends than bask in the spotlight of Hollywood.

After a record six years as Showtime's longest running original series, The L Word finally ended in March, putting our love-to-hate relationship with Jenny Schecter to rest, not to mention relieving us of those annoying alliterations.

What many people don't know is, all that time, Mia was also focused on humanitarian issues, and in October, 2008, she published her first book, I Live Here, a collection of "visually stunning" narratives told through journals, stories and images, by refugees and displaced people from around the world.

The normally press-shy actress talked to AfterEllen.com and opened up about working on The L Word, her reaction when she found out Jenny was dead, and furthering her efforts for I Live Here with an upcoming fundraiser that will include L Word cast members Jennifer Beals, Laurel Holloman and Rose Rollins.

AfterEllen.com: Now that The L Word is over, can you tell us what your overall experience was like?
Mia Kirshner: It's hard to talk about an overall experience, because each year was so different. But looking back now that a few months have passed since it ended, I miss seeing the girls. They were really fun to work with. I miss that dorm atmosphere that happened on the set. I miss giggling with them. I think in retrospect, in spite of some of the weirdness with the storylines, particularly with my character, it was wonderful. Showtime gave us a lot of freedom, and I realize how rare that is, and how lucky we were to have those jobs.

AE: How was it to work with so many women and so few men? That's a rare thing.
MK: It is a rare thing. When I first started the show, I was worried about it because in high school, there were packs of girls that reminded me of packs of wolves. I always felt like a group dynamics [can get] nasty. I remember in the pilot, I kept to myself. But now, I can only say it was a really wonderful experience – on the social side of it and the creative freedom that we had.

Working with all women is a great thing. Women talk more about how they're feeling, what they'd like from each other, and what they don't like. It can be a more sympathetic environment, if that makes any sense.

AE: You were all doing something groundbreaking, a show about lesbians, and going through it together. Did that help?
MK: We never thought of it like that. I didn't at the time. And we had all had our own experiences in the gay community, with women, whatever. Not all of us, but some of us. It wasn't a big deal. And we were shooting in Vancouver, so we were in a little bubble.

AE: So, being cut off from Hollywood fostered a little esprit de corp?
MK: Yeah, it was nice. We had dinner in each other's homes. Leisha [Hailey] and I lived together the first year. It was a special, special time.

AE: Who were you closest to in the cast? Who do you miss the most?
MK: I would say I was close to Leisha. Kate [Moennig] and I hung out a lot. But it was always group stuff. Leisha, certainly, because I lived with her the first year and the second year. We got to know each other very well.

Rose Rollins is definitely one of my best friends. I speak to her every single day. I love her very, very much. And I would say Jennifer [Beals], as well.

AE: So, that notion that women don't support each other, or try to keep each other down — you didn't see any of that?
MK: No, absolutely not. I didn't. Also, I was working on I Live Here, the whole time I was in Vancouver, so I had other things I was thinking about. I was focusing my energy on the book. I wasn't that involved in the politics.

AE: Did you like the way the series ended?
MK: No. No. No, I didn't. But what can I say? We had so much freedom on The L Word, I think we became used to being able to have our say, and being heard on the show. But that's not normal. That's definitely a privilege that [creator and executive producer,] Ilene [Chaiken] and [executive producer,] Rose Lam gave to the cast.

Therefore, when things went down the way they did, it was surprising not to be asked, "Are you OK with this? What do you think of this?"

But they don't have to do that. We were lucky to have jobs.

AE: What did you think when you got the script and found out Jenny was dead?
MK: I remember so clearly being so shocked at my own reaction. We were shooting the scene where Niki [played by Kate French] is trying to seduce [laughs] – I call everyone by their real name – Alexandra Hedison's character at the club. We had just come back from lunch and finally, I had heard. There was all this speculation about what was happening, and it was really toward the end of the show. I remember being really upset by it, and being surprised by how upset I was.

There was the logical mind, where I was like: "This is just a character. You're lucky that you worked so long, and it gave you opportunity to do so much." But there was another part of me that was so sad because I tried to find the best in Jenny, in order to play her.

I agree with most of what people say about her, but here was a girl, if I can defend Jenny, who at the end of the day, seemed bi-polar to me. And an artist in search of herself. I never wanted Jenny to be a hero. I admired Ilene for making her a complicated, often unlikable character, but perhaps a truthful character that pushed people's button.

But especially [during] Prop 8, what does this say about a show that was supposed to be about friendship? I guess I was just sad that there was no redemption on that end.

AE: Did any of the writers or producers tell you they knew who killed Jenny?
MK: No. I'm not sure who did it, or why. Well, "why" is clear, but it's still remains murky to me and I'm OK with that.

AE: Who do you think did it? Some people speculated Jenny killed herself.
MK: I don't know. When you see this character you've worked so hard on, for so long, just become a stereotype of a lunatic, I was very sad about that. I haven't done a lot of press for the show because I don't want it to be misinterpreted that I'm trashing the show. These are my own feelings about someone in search of herself, becoming something I thought she wasn't. The work that had been valuable to me and my experience.

And I said to the girls as I was leaving on my last shot, that I had never known a greater group of people since I was in grade school.

AE: Were you comfortable doing all those nude scenes and sex scenes?
MK: [laughs] Really? Are you asking me that?

AE: Yeah. Sorry.
MK: Uh, I don't know. For me, it's a job.

AE: Fair enough. OK, moving on. Did you ever get confronted by angry fans that couldn't separate you from your character?
MK: It happened once at a club. We were at a gay club in Vancouver and one girl came up to me and said, "I hope you die."

AE: Whoa.
MK: Yeah. I asked her to come outside with me, and I was like, "Listen, why are you at this club tonight?" And she said, "I'm here to have a good time." And I said, "So am I. Do you have a job?" And she said, "Yeah." And I said, "Why do you work?" And she said, "To make money." And I said, "That's why I work, and that's why I have a job and I need to make money. And that's what I do. So when you say, 'I hope you die,' I assume you're talking about my character, and not me. And it's not nice. It's not me, it's my job and it's what I do to pay my bills. And I just ask you to have a little kindness."

AE: What did she say to that?
MK: She seemed kind of shocked and taken aback. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable but I really wanted to make the distinction it's a job; a lucky job to have. But she was pretty rude and unkind.

AE: Did you experience a lot of that?
MK: No, I think out of all the cast members on the show, I keep an extremely low profile and I don't go out that much. So, I'm not really exposed to that kind of stuff. I know it's a boring answer.

AE: Hey, if I were playing a character everyone hated, I'd keep a low profile, too.
MK: You'd keep a low profile? No, it wasn't that. I keep a low profile because when I'm not at work, I just want to hang out with my family and friends. I guess I'm not ambitious about what actors are supposed to do.

AE: You're not missing anything. Which was your favorite Sounder?
MK: Sounder. Oh, I hated that stuff. I really just don't know what to say.

AE: What stuff? You mean like the storyline about putting a dog down just to get back at someone?
MK: Yeah. I just didn't understand why. I didn't see what that said about the character. Not that Jenny wasn't mean – she was – but there was a point where I was like, "Whoa. This is not something I'm [personally] comfortable with." But it's what [Ilene] needed to express and that was my job.

AE: Have you heard anything about an L Word movie?
MK: I have no idea. No idea.

AE: If they do one, I can't see how to make Jenny undead. Maybe a prequel?
MK: I don't know. And it wasn't a long time ago, but the show feels like a long time ago. A lot of stuff has happened.

AE: Well, your book came out and now you're really concentrating on the I Live Here project.
MK: After I came back from Malawi, my writing partner, James MacKinnon, and I decided that we wanted to start a program in the juvenile prison there. So we spent a couple of years doing research and that's really what my spare time is devoted to.

If you think of the book as the right hand — the education part of it — then the project is the left hand. You see what some problems are around the world, and then you do things in a concrete way and you fix them.

AE: What crime could a young child commit that would send them to prison?
MK: I would say over half of them are there because of crimes related to poverty, such as stealing food. Many are being held without a proper trial, many of the kids are orphans. Their parents died from AIDS-related illnesses. They're locked in their cells, they're overcrowded. There's one bucket to use the bathroom.

I've been asked, "Why Malawi?" and my answer is, "Why not?" When you see human rights being violated, you have to say something and do something about it. Period.

I don't want to pretend to be an expert on the subject and have the ultimate answers, but there's an attitude that because they live in another country and we live here, they don't affect us. I think it's important to look at the world as a body. And if one part of the body is sick, and not treated, than disease will spread to the rest of the body. It's preventative. That's what I Live Here is trying to do, in its small, humble way.

AE: Your book, I Live Here, uses storytelling as a powerful tool to raise awareness.
MK: Yeah, it's their stories. That's the premise of the book: that stories can change the world. And you give people who often wouldn't be given a chance to speak for themselves, to write about their lives. So I think having people speak for themselves is very powerful.

AE: I read that your father was a displaced person.
MK: My dad was born in a refugee camp after World War II and went through a series of camps. My grandmother on my father's side lost her husband and her son. They were killed, I think. We don't know what happened to them. And that's why I think it's important to archive what happens to people who survive violence and trauma.

AE: Without a record or anyone bearing witness, crimes are lost to time.
MK: I think so. I also think, on a very personal level, if you're asked what or how you feel, and what you want, it makes you feel valued. And if you feel valued, it makes you stronger.

AE: Have you met anyone during the making of the book that really inspired you?
MK: The kids in the Malawi prison. Certainly, at first glance, these kids didn't seem to be hardened criminals. These kids wanted to write and draw. And what came out of their writing was their hope and their humility, and their lack of anger. Many others would be very anger at the fact that their parents had passed away, that they were extremely poor, and that they were in jail and hadn't been charged. It was an inspiring thing. So, I realize how f---ing lucky I was to have a job. I have nothing to complain about.

AE: Well, we're spoiled Americans.
MK: I'm Canadian!

AE: Oops, I forgot. Well, there's a certain cynicism when it comes to going out into the Third World and looking around. It even gets parodied.
MK: I think if you're trying to do a something, then that's a good, great start. It shouldn't be mocked. There's value in everything. It's better than doing nothing, I think. At the end of the day, before someone mocks anything, look at the work, get the facts before anyone forms a judgment.

AE: What's the next phase for I Live Here?
MK: Well, there's the fundraiser on August 22 in Santa Monica. I really really hope people come out for this one. Jennifer Beals, Laurel Holloman and Rose Rollins are all scheduled to be there with me.

AE: An L Word mini-reunion sounds like reason enough to me. Especially for a good cause.
MK: And we're going to debut a huge multi-media installation about the journey in making I Live Here. Then, I go to Malawi at the end of the month to set up the program. We're also doing something called the Ambassador Program, a student curriculum based on issues covered in the book.

AE: It's very ambitious, for a grassroots campaign.
MK: And people are responding. There's a woman named Debra Latourette who wrote to us and held her own backyard fundraiser. She raised over $1,000. How cool is that? Just a total stranger, doing that.

AE: Now I feel bad about asking you about those sex scenes and why Jenny is dead.
MK: And I don't want to seem like I was complaining. Who cares what I felt? I was a f---ing actor with a job.

AE: You don't sound like a complainer at all. But I get it. In Hollywood, it's safer to be nice to everyone.
MK: I'd rather tell the truth.

AE: I think it's OK if we raise awareness for good causes and care about what you ate for breakfast, because you're a celesbian.
MK: [laughs] I know. But at the end of the day, that's really what the bottom line is for me: the real world.

AE: So, what did you eat for breakfast?
MK: [laughs] You know what I'm saying.

Interview with Janina Gavankar

By B&TF from l-word.com

Part I: Comic-Con, Twitter and the Internet

I met with Janina at a little place called Body Factory that sells healthy drinks and smoothies. I got an “SOB” drink with oranges, bananas, strawberries and some organic healthy malt that makes the drink…well, healthy. Janina admitted that this place is one of her favorites and she’s addicted to smoothies. We went outside to have an interview and the fun began.

B&TF: Okay, so here’s my first interview with Janina Gavankar in the series “The L Word cast members – what are they doing now.”

Janina Gavankar: What am I doing right now? Right now I’m having a Body factory smoothie.

B&TF: What kind?

JG: The green one? (laughing) It’s good.

B&TF: What’s in it and why do you like it?

JG: Hm… green things? Well, they don’t actually tell you what’s in it, which is a bit suspect, but it’s yummy. There's pineapple… well that's not green but…(laughing).

B&TF: I’m having SOB. It’s an acquired taste but if you’re drinking it really fast and don’t pay attention to what’s in it, you’ll be fine (both laughing and slurping). Okay, let’s begin then. So you just came from San Diego Comic-Con…

JG: Oh, Comic-Con, how I love thee. This was the first Comic-Con I’ve been to. The first thing I did was a panel. I did a voice-over work on this massive project called Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey. It’s very cool because it was combining science fact with science fiction and using it in an educational animated movie. They were taking all these data that NASA’s releasing, all of the mappings of Saturn and all these different planets. It has a crazy cast. It has both of the people who played Darth Vader [James Earl Jones and Hayden Christensen], both of the Captain Kirks [William Shatner and Chris Pine], it has serious sci-fi royalty. It will be shown in IMAX Theaters, museums and such. So I did the panel and it was in ballroom 20. I don’t know if it has 3,000 or 4,000 seats but it was standing room only and it was in-saaaane. It was such a cool first Comic-Con experience for a geek.

B&TF: I saw some pictures that you posted on your twitter and there were so many people, crazy crowded. Is it always like that?

JG: Yep.

B&TF: So what’s usually happening at the Comic-Con? Do they have booths there? Do fans just meet other fans? Explain Comic-Con for people like me who’ve never been there.

JG: There are so many different aspects to it. The main floor is filled with booths like many other conventions. It has comic books sellers, video games, toys. Major studios have booths like Fox and Sci-Fi channel so they can promote their new projects. There is a huge atrium filled for autograph signings, and there are panels with speakers from different projects.

B&TF: I did see a line-up for different artists who were supposed to show up there, like the authors of different comic books and some famous people whose sci-fi or animated movies were presented. I saw an interview with Denzel Washington about his new movie, Book of Eli.

JG: Right, right.

B&TF: Did you see him there?

JG: No, I didn’t see him there but I saw many other people. Sigourney Weaver… It was intense; it was a great experience to be able to be part of the panel before I even let myself stretch my fan girl wings and fly (laughing).

B&TF: What’s your favorite animation, comic book or sci-fi movie?

JG: Battlestar Galactica is my favorite show.

B&TF: I liked it a lot, too.

JG: Alex [Kondracke] and Angela [Robinson], writers on The L Word, they were the ones who told me, “You have to watch Battlestar.” They are the ones who got me completely addicted to it. Edward James Olmos and Colonel Tigh [Michael Hogan] were there. I was standing there paralyzed in an “Oh my God,” state, like a total geek.

B&TF: You are just like the rest of us fans.

JG: Yes, absolutely. That’s the thing. I’m an actor but I completely allow myself to be a fan of certain things.

B&TF: You yourself have been in several sort of a sci-fi/space TV series, like Dollhouse, Stargate Atlantis. What attracts you to this kind of shows?

JG: I probably have a sensibility and unsaid understanding between me and the world of geekery that lands me these gigs.

B&TF: Do you search for them or they get offered to you?

JG: No, they just kind of show up and I do too.

B&TF: Dollhouse…they were supposed to show an unaired episode at the Comic-Con with you in it…

JG: I watched it, it was amazing.

B&TF: Wasn’t it supposed to be some sort of secret finale?

JG: Joss Whedon screened it at his panel and it was the first time I saw it, actually. It was the coolest Dollhouse episode of the whole season.

B&TF: It wasn’t shown on TV.

JG: Nope. I know I'm biased, but it's seriously the best episode of the season.

B&TF: But it’s going to be on the DVD.

JG: Yes and I think they are airing it in the UK because Jo, one of the volunteers from the Blackpool Convention, told me about it. Seriously, they tell me all the things I’m going to be in before I know it (laughing). They tell me details about my projects before I know about them.

B&TF: You can find a lot of things on the Internet these days, which brings me to twitter. All of a sudden it became so popular, especially among the celebrities. What do you really think about twitter and why do you think it’s so popular?

JG: Ok, I’ve been twittering since 2007 and I’ve known about it forever. Actually, I was one of the first actors who started twittering. It's kinda cool, because they use to send out these emails to everyone because it was so small at that time. It was a newsletter that said “Look who’s twittering: Ms. Dewey.” So I was doing it before everyone and their mother started doing it. I’m like a twitter O.G. (laughing).

B&TF: Why do you think it’s so appealing, especially to celebrities?

JG: Well, the celebrities get to promote their projects and have a direct line of communication to their fan. For me, I started twittering just to be able to remember what I did yesterday and I want to remember cool little moments. When you live life really fast and fully you can’t remember everything; I certainly can’t (laughing).

B&TF: Sometimes it’s kind of hard to get into it and it’s not for everyone.

JG: Well it's an opt-in experience. Twitter and social networks and the whole ever-changing universe of the Internet… You make it what you want it to be. It’s a completely individual experience. I’ve plenty of actor friends who have tried twitter because they feel like they are supposed to be doing it and I tell them, “You do not have to do any of it. If it doesn’t fit into your life, if it does not feel valuable to you, if you’re not connected to it emotionally in any way, don’t do it.”

B&TF: There are also a few imposters who are trying to impersonate some celebrities…

JG: Actually, there was a "Jennifer Beals" there today and I emailed her today and I was like, “Is this you?” She was like, “Um, no, not so much.”

B&TF: Good because there are things on there that she would never said.

JG: Actually I’m going up to the Twitter headquarters next weekend to go visit everybody there, in San Francisco.

B&TF: Yeah, tell them about this.

JG: Already emailed ‘em (laughing). [Note: the fake account was removed a few days after this interview.]

B&TF: Great. Well, since we are on the subject of the Internet, I checked your website, which is under construction, but it has a really cute picture up front.

JG: Thank you!

B&TF: Did you take it just for that purpose?

JG: Sure did. It’s all under construction now (making a lot of slurping sounds while finishing her smoothie and making unrelated comments about her new friend, an interrogator, and terrorists and how to break them). I'm really lucky to be working with some seriously talented friends who've become the creative team for this website. I did a massive photo shoot for it in the 5000 square-foot photo studio with Konstantin Golovchinsky. Actually, when I leave here I’m going to work with him on the final pictures. And then one of the pictures we did was that cute little picture for the main page. The guys who are designing and programming, I call them “The Babies”, they put up what’s there now (http://www.estunt.deviantart.com and http://www.dan14lev.deviantart.com). Everything is changing. I’m a huge fan of this amazing artist in India, his name is Archan Nair, who’s become a friend of mine and he’s going to do art work for it. I’m choosing a flash animator right now, even though we probably will use Java Script instead. I don't know, we'll figure it all out as we go along.

B&TF: When are you planning to launch it?

JG: Ask the Babies! (laughing) As soon as possible. I also recently set up fan page on Facebook, which I was hard pressed to do. It feels weird to me. It’s not who I am. I like to have a personal connection with people who watch my work because I’m so grateful to them. Facebook only allows you to have 5,000 friends and I’m about to hit that. I didn’t know what to do so I started a fan page last week.

B&TF: Can you have unlimited fans that way?

JG: Yes, it’s unlimited but it just doesn’t feel the same. I can’t post the way I want to. You can’t message me through there and it’s really annoying because I feel that people can’t get connected the way they do on a friend’s page. So I’m not so thrilled with that but, I have no choice! Well, there is one cool thing that the fan page has. The fan picture section. So all of the pictures from Blackpool can be posted there of us together. There’s actually a place for it there now. So together, we'll make the fan page as personal as the friend page.

Part II: Projects and appearances

B&TF: Great…let’s talk now about some of your recent works and projects. Recently you appeared on the episode of “The Cleaner”.

JG: Did you see it?

B&TF: Yes I did. I liked it and you were really believable as a drug addict.

JG: (laughing) Thank you so much.

B&TF: And as an Indian person…

JG: I know, it was crazy.

B&TF: How long it took to put the paint on your hands?

JG: We re-did it every day. The make-up artist was awesome. By the final day of the two weeks, we got it down to half an hour from the second I opened my hands to “done”.

B&TF: In addition to drugs you also played a very pregnant lady.

JG: Yes, very pregnant, that was odd (laughing). I ask myself, “Which one was more weird, the meth or the pregnancy” and I would have to go with the pregnancy (laughing).

B&TF: This is goes with my next question. When you prepare for a role like this how much homework do you do?

JG: I had to do a lot of homework. The show itself based off of a real guy who is the Real Cleaner. His name is Warren Boyd and I followed Warren around like a puppy for those two weeks. I was so obsessed with him.

B&TF: Is he involved with the show?

JG: Yes, very much so. He’s one of the producers and creators. He had to teach me how to strike up a crack pipe. And I was so scared that I would look bad and won’t do it right that I just kept saying, “Let’s do it again, let’s do it again.” Because I’m such a straight edge, I haven’t really smoked anything.

B&TF: Who helped you with being a pregnant lady?

JG: Alex Kondracke who just had her baby.

B&TF: Oh she did have her baby?

JG: Yes, she just had him. Unfortunately, what I was wearing wasn’t weighted, it was just foam and I had to naturally move and sit in a way as pregnant women do. Odd, very odd.

B&TF: So it was just this one episode?

JG: I did the season finale as well.

B&TF: Oh, so you will just show up as the same character…

JG: Don't wanna ruin anything…

B&TF: When is the season finale coming so I can tell the fans to watch?

JG: I don’t know in what episode they are in right now. I think they are showing episode four and they did total of 12 or 13 episodes.

B&TF: You know that week after you Mia Kirshner was on it as well.

JG: Yes, right! I haven’t see Mia’s episode yet.

B&TF: I missed it too but the fans can still watch it on AETV.com/thecleaner just like yours was online.

JG: Yes, it was the most harrowing two weeks of my life but maybe the most invigorating two weeks of work of my career so far.

B&TF: And you have some Indian blood in you so it wasn’t as weird as being a drug addict?

JG: I was much more worried about inhaling whatever they put in the crack pipe.

B&TF: I actually was always wondering what they use on the shows for drugs or alcohol because it has to look believable and realistic.

JG: They replace it with different things. Brown alcohols are mostly iced tea; they use non-alcoholic beer, or sparkling cider for champagne. They use lactose for meth.

B&TF: Interesting. By the way, when you said that you do research for the roles that you’re not really familiar with, what did you do to play a space trooper on Stargate Atlantis?

JG: Oh yeah, we went through gun training. We learned how to shoot P90 submachine guns.

B&TF: Were they real guns?

JG: Oh yeah, with fully loaded with blanks and this much fire were coming up front (she holds her hands about two feet apart) actually it was more like this (three feet apart). It will push you back if you’re not ready for it. One of the scenes I had to do, I was sitting like perched in the house on the second floor and I’m all set up (showing the way she was sitting). My character is a total badass and a smartass who kind of over it and just wants to kick some ass, it was a great character.

B&TF: Bad ones are the best to play.

JG: Yeah and it was a huge crane shoot in this massive area. There’s a lot riding on me getting this right and I had so much business to do. I had to chew a gum, I have to blow a bubble, I have to sit there, I have to wait for the fire to go off, make sure I had a cue and then shoot in this direction. I don’t know, some nonsense like that. It was so logistically crazy. By the way, note to anyone out there who’s trying to blow a bubble on cue – make sure you chew it long enough so the sugar gets out of it because if it’s Bubblicious it needs to be kind of stale gum to be able to get a perfect bubble.

B&TF: How many takes did that scene take?

JG: Too many, too many (laughing). And again, the things that you think you’re going to worry about are not what you should be worried about. It’s not the gun, it’s the bubble gum (laughing). How come I didn’t go through bubble gum training? That's what I really should’ve gone through.

B&TF: Exactly…well, let’s talking about your ACME appearance. Tell me a little about ACME, how did you end up hosting it and how was it?

JG: It was a blast! ACME on www.acmecomedy.com is a sketch comedy troupe, school and theatre. They’ve been around for 20 years. Every Saturday night they have a sketch show, much like Saturday Night Live, in a theatre in Hollywood. Now they stream it live on ACMEComedy.tv on Saturdays at 8pm.

B&TF: It’s at the same time when they actually having the show.

JG: Yeah, absolutely… all live. It was crazy that I was doing this show (laughing). I have a comedian friend, watching online. I would go back stage to do a quick change, text him about how the show was going, then I go back on stage, do something crazy, go back, change, text. He was like, “That was effin’ funny…that one just made me laugh really hard” and so I thought, “Okay, if he thinks it’s funny then we’re good.”

B&TF: So they just emailed you and asked you?

JG: They have a celebrity host every week for the Saturday night show. And they knew that I did comedy stuff as well. I was very happy to do it.

B&TF: When you said you’ve done comedy did you mean like stand-up comedy?

JG: No, not stand-up, that frightens the hell out of me, but I’ve done sketch. I work with a group, called OPMComedy, whenever I can, which hasn’t be a lot lately, sadly.

B&TF: Are you going to appear again on ACME?

JG: Maybe!

B&TF: Is there some kind of archive for people who missed watching the show live?

JG: Yep! It's all on YouTube. Search “Acme” and my name. It's the 6/13/09 show. It was wild. Very high energy. (Check out part of Janina’s appearance on ACME with a little tribute to The L Word.

B&TF: And it’s actually a real theater where people can go and watch?

JG: Yep!

B&TF: Since we’re talking about being funny, I honestly think that you are one of the funniest persons I’ve interviewed…

JG: Wow! Thanks, though I’m a little low energy today…not enough caffeine.

B&TF: Not enough?

JG: Just one cup ain’t enough, so I’m not bringing the funny today, sorry (laughing).

B&TF: I think you’re doing just fine. I personally think that humor will save the world but when I try to be funny, not everyone gets it because my humor is Russian.

JG: (laughing) You tell a joke and people like, “Whaaa?…That was entirely too Eastern-European for me”? And you like, “I just handed you comedy gold!” (laughing). How sad.

B&TF: Yeah, exactly (laughing). Do you consider yourself a funny person? Does it come naturally to you?

JG: I don’t really think I’m funny. But people laugh at me, so…

B&TF: Maybe you’re just a happy person.

JG: Maybe! I feel a lot. Period. I laugh a lot (laughing). I just invest a lot in the things around me. I’m just an emotional being. I’m color-sensitive and sound-sensitive.

B&TF: Like a Stendhal syndrome…

JG: Yes! I have major internal reactions to everything around me. It's quite taxing, really (laughing).

B&TF: Kind of like watching a sad movie and crying all the way through.

JG: There are movies that I will not watch because I can not emotionally take it, which is sad but true. It’s too much.

B&TF: Do you like comedy or drama better?

JG: In Chicago I was a theater kid and most of the material was more dramatic. When I came here, I took all these meetings with different casting directors and they were like, “You’re funny, you should do multi-camera comedy”. As if that was my little niche that I was going to fit in. And I’ve never even considered where I fit. I just like playing characters, that’s it.

B&TF: So when your agent sends you to auditions and when you look at the scripts they sent, how do you choose the roles?

JG: It’s all about the character. I get this question a lot if I want to do television or film…I don’t care. It could be on the cell phone, as long as the character is full-bodied and exciting to me.

B&TF: So, nothing flat or two dimensional?

JG: If I’ve seen it, or done it before then I’m not gonna be that interested.

B&TF: Do you consider the storyline as well?

JG: Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, the storyline is obviously part of the character development. Character’s first for me.

Part 3: The L Word, L Conventions and future projects

B&TF: Since we are on the subject of TV and movies…you’ve been in movies like “Barbershop” and also in several TV series, what’s the difference for you being on a TV show, even if it’s just one guest spot or in the movie?

JG: Hmm…the performance is a little different. It translates differently…

B&TF: Kind of like “camera adds ten pounds”?

JG: (laughing) And things move much slower in movies. I feel like the bigger the budget the slower the process. In television it’s like, “Go, go, go! We have to get this thing on the air!" It’s also nice to be able to build a character over a season or however long you get, because you can live with them longer and discover details about them.

B&TF: Like you told me about Papi when we talked at L5 Convention that you wish that Papi’s character was more developed.

JG: Oh yes, there was so much more to Papi.

B&TF: It was so much fun to see Papi back for one episode when she and Gabby were getting it on…

JG: I was so excited when they said it’s going to be Gabby Deveaux. I was like, “Brilliant!” And Guin actually became a friend… talk about a funny lady.

B&TF: Oh, I know. She’s been to a couple of conventions and she’s coming to L6.

JG: Is she?

B&TF: Yeah…we’ll talk about conventions a little later. Speaking of Gabby…you know when the show was on I would go to Vancouver every summer for a short vacation. I called it “My spoiler hunting mission”…

JG: You’re crazy…“spoiler hunting mission” (laughing).

B&TF: I know it was crazy but I always had a lot of fun and always found a little something. When we found out that Papi was coming back in season six there was one rumor that she was going to hook up with someone…

JG: Yeah, well she’s got to hook up with someone because that’s what she does.

B&TF: Well, fans were speculating but I don’t think Gabby was even mentioned.

JG: That’s why they did it. It was an unexpected choice.

B&TF: It was really funny to watch, especially Tasha and Alice’s reactions.

JG: I remember the first time Rose and Leisha worked together, they couldn’t stop laughing. They just had so much chemistry and it was always like a giggle fest. They really do have something that is pretty special.

B&TF: Was there a lot of improvising going on?

JG: Oh, Leisha improvised a lot and Mia improvised the most, I would say. They’re flippin genius at it. Everything they say was just golden. How do they do it…

B&TF: Well, we talked about convention a little. It’s another thing I learned from twitter…I guess twitter is not that bad because I got a lot of information from it…

JG: (laughing) See?

B&TF: Sean Harry from Starfury tweeted that he had a meeting with you about future conventions…

JG: Yes, yes…I met with Mr. Sean Harry.

B&TF: So, what convention will you attend? L6 or L7?

JG: I will neither confirm nor deny...

B&TF: It will be cool if you appear as a surprise guest at L6.

JG: You have to ask Sean.

B&TF: I just might. Well, if you gonna be a surprise guest we’ll just be surprised. As you remember, I told you before that people really enjoyed you being at L5, especially as the auctioneer.

JG: Yay! I had a blast.

B&TF: They even signed a petition for you to be an MC at L6.

JG: I know, I saw that petition! That whole weekend was so moving. I brought my mother and everybody was so warm to her and it was just beautiful experience.

B&TF: When I talked to you at L5 it was right at the beginning of the convention and now, after you had the full experience what are your feelings about it?

JG: We’ll never forget that convention. That will be with me forever. I went in thinking, “No one’s gonna talk to me. They will be like, ‘Oh, Jennifer and Laurel’ and then they’ll be like, ‘Papi who?’” I mean, I’m so honored to have a fan, let alone more than one (laughing). It’s a crazy concept to me. When I became an actor I didn’t get into the industry to have people love me. I got into it to create. I knew that The L Word was going to be a career changer but I didn’t know it was going to be a life changer. It’s been an emotional and very powerful experience to be a part of this community. People have been supportive, like they were in Blackpool. It’s such a crazy unexpected part of my life.

B&TF: Were you involved with any of the LGBT issues before the show?

JG: Not in a huge way. But I’ve always had gay friends, I've always felt “alt”. I’ve always been supportive of the community, but not in the heightened way I am now.

B&TF: I read an interview with Jennifer Beals once and she said that she knew about the LGBT issues but she had never been really involved in them, so when she started doing the show she realized that there’s so much she didn’t know and she’s much more involved now, like going to events and offering her support.

JG: Absolutely.

B&TF: And do you feel like people know who Papi is now?

JG: Yeah. In surprising ways. Even at the panel that I did at Comic-Con… the place was crazy packed, we only had time for one question and a girl came up to the microphone and said, “I love you, Papi.” And I, as Papi, was like, “I love you too, girl.” It was so funny. I was like, “Really? Really?” (laughing). Part of it is that I still feel so completely anonymous when I walk around. No one recognizes me. Unless I’ve got the Papi swagger goin’ and cornrows in my hair, then no one is going to recognize me, which is a huge blessing because again, that’s not why I’m doing this. So I forget, and then when you do something like Blackpool, it’s the antithesis of normalcy.

B&TF: So you would definitely consider doing it again?

JG: Absolutely. If they want me to come back I would absolutely go back. I’m sure my mother would want to come again, too. Every single one of those girls at Blackpool left an impression on us, we would definitely go back.

B&TF: And your mom was wonderful at L5…

JG: She was great, wasn’t she?

B&TF: Oh yeah, especially when you were doing Q&A together and everybody were asking questions about you that only mothers would know.

JG: Yes, right (laughing).

B&TF: Did you bring her for support?

JG: No, I just said, “Come to this thing with me, let’s have fun” and she flew in from Chicago and I flew in from LA. I really don’t have much to hide and I was open armed. “This is my mother, this is who I am.” (laughing). For me, it was how gentle and how respectful fans were. How much they appreciated her not only accepting the community but supporting them in the way that she does. No one understands the love between mothers and daughters more than… well… mothers and daughters. A kind of power exists in this community, because the intricacies of love are understood.

B&TF: Well, I hope you will come back.

JG: I would definitely come back.

B&TF: You twittered about Jennifer Beals’ upcoming book…

JG: Yeah, we actually talked about it when we were in Blackpool. Her photography is absolutely beautiful, just gorgeous.

B&TF: Yes, judging by the few photos they posted on OurChart and I remember one time I asked her if she will ever consider doing a book and she said no at that time.

JG: Now she’s definitely doing it. Let’s see what she said to me (checking her email)…so the proceeds are going to several charities but right now it’s the Matthew Shepard Foundation and Mia’s "I Live Here" Foundation. “All of the proceeds are going to charity”. ALL of ‘em. That’s rad.

B&TF: Why I was asking because if it was an actual book, there’s this Convention in Australia next January…

JG: Oh yeah, I heard about that. You know, people have been asking if I’m going but I’m like, “I’m not, none of the promoters had asked me.”

B&TF: They announced three people so far, Laurel, Rachel and Marlee Matlin…

JG: Oh cool, that’ll be a really good convention.

B&TF: This is Marlee’s first convention, which is really exciting because she’s such a hilarious and nice person.

JG: She’s so funny, my God.

B&TF: And she’s bringing her interpreter, Jack. He’s doing such a great job. I did some googling and found out that when he was first assigned to Marlee, he was supposed to help her with shopping in New York.

JG: And then they just clicked?

B&TF: Yep and they’ve been working together ever since.

JG: Rock.

B&TF: So the convention organizers are going to announce three more cast members, I’m not sure who. I know they were panning to ask Jennifer to come. If she’ll go she could print her books and bring to the convention, she could easily sell them there to raise money for charities.

JG: Whether she goes or not, I’d definitely mention it to her. Good call.

B&TF: Thanks…well, I have a few more questions. Have you ever thought about writing or directing something?

JG: Absolutely. I’m more into producing actually. I’m not a good writer (laughing). There a lot of things that I know I am good at, but I am not a good writer. I would definitely direct. I think I have a lot more to learn before i do, though. I feel like I just got here, I feel like I’m just starting. I know that’s crazy, but that’s how I feel. That’s one thing I think I learned from Pam Grier, actually. It’s not that she told me this but I had just realized this about her. She has such a sense of newness about her. She feels brand new. She's had the longest career but she's still invigorated and excited. I still feel like that and I hope to have that through the rest of my life.

B&TF: She’s coming to L6, you know.

JG: Oh yes, that’s right! She’s so much fun.

B&TF: You mentioned before that you got into this business to be artistic and creative…

JG: Yes, to build characters and transform.

B&TF: Did you always want to be an actor?

JG: No, no. I thought I was going to be a musician and then somewhere in high school I was like, “Oh shit, I wanna be an actor” (laughing). I felt like I was starting so late in this pursuit. I started playing piano at six and percussion later and I was training really hard. I really planned on being a musician. Then suddenly, I felt like I was going off into the world having not honed my skills at all. It was a really scary realization to make half way through high school.

B&TF: How’re the things with the music going?

JG: Great. I have so many different random projects that I kind of have my fingers in right now. You definitely be hearing more on that later as things progress.

B&TF: So what are some future projects that you have planned?

JG: Well, the finale of The Cleaner is coming up. I also did a little independent with a friend of mine, Ravi Patel, who also has a new show on Fox that airs next year after “American Idol”, called “Past Life”.

B&TF: Good spot, right after “Idol”.

JG: I know, right? I was at his panel at Comic-Con and I was like, “Ravi, you’re right after Idol, it’s going to be heeeuge.”

B&TF: So it’s a new series?

JG: Yes, it’s a new series on Fox and it deals with past life. Past life regression, therapy, all these things. And they’re solving crime by going though people past life. It’s very interesting. And Ravi and I did this indie called "Men, Interrupted" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1470666/). And it’s funny, funny, funny. Also all my friends have great things going on right now and I’m so excited for them. Like my friend, Christina Cox. Her show airs Sunday at 10/9c on ABC and CTV. It's called “Defying Gravity”. She’s playing an astronaut. I can't even take it. It’s a show I would actually watch even if my best friend wasn't on it. It’s doubly awesome.

B&TF: Are there some shows on TV that you’re watching regularly?

JG: Totally. I just marathoned “Lost” and I finished it so we can actually talk about it.

B&TF: I love this show. I did a marathon of the first four seasons and then watched season 5 when it was on. What do you think about the ending?

JG: I thought it was interesting that they were like, “Did you ever think that maybe the nuclear bomb is the incident?” Everybody was thinking it but then they still did it.

B&TF: I hope Elizabeth Mitchell's character is back.

JG: Yes…oh, I just saw her at Comic-Con. She’s gorgeous. And there’s so much time-travel and now we don’t even know if Locke is actually Locke…argh…but I’m totally into it. The good thing is that they said “ok we're doing this for only so many seasons” So we know they had the chance to sit down and plan the rest of the show, and I don’t feel like we're following them blindly. There’s actually reason for everything.

B&TF: I read that they already knew the ending and only a few people knows about it. Anyway, what else is new for you?

JG: What else is going on? I have a few projects that I’m helping to develop that I don't want to talk about yet (laughing).

B&TF: Well, hopefully we’ll see you at another L convention.

JG: You never know. My life is changing all the time. I have big picture plans but then I don’t even know where I’m going to be next week. Actually, that’s not true. I know I’m going to be in San Francisco next week (laughing). And I might be going to the Singularity University (http://singularityu.org/), which is really cool. Harry Kloor, the creator of “Quantum Quest”, the movie that I did, is a founder and professor there.

B&TF: Why are you going there?

JG: Fun (laughing).

B&TF: I thought you’re going to study.

JG: Oh my God, don’t put it past me. I was hanging out with Harry, who we call “Doctor Doctor” because he’s got two PhDs, which he studied for simultaneously, you know…as you do (laughing). He was talking about some of his studies and I was salivating because sometimes I just want to leave everything behind and go back to school and study something out of my current brainspace. Part of me goes, “Get an MBA”; part of me wants to learn how to fly a helicopter, but another part of me goes, “I should write a one-woman show”, so… (laughing). I have a few lives ahead of me.

B&TF: Okay, last question. I heard that you went to India a few years ago. Have you travelled a lot and what is your favorite place to go?

JG: Hm. I travelled extensively growing up. My parents dragged us all around the world because they were adamant about culturing us and letting us know that there are something other than America. And it makes a lot of sense, actually, because it was such a part of my early childhood development…different cultures, different sounds, different people. All of those things are now in my work. It makes me feel like I’m a child of the world as opposed to just American. I mean, I'm incredibly American, but I also have a sense of “other”. I think travelling is the thing that made me good at picking up accents. This is weird: when I was in Greece I could actually read Greek. I don’t understand how that happened. But for now? Well, I just recently “east-coasted”. I bounced from New York to Philadelphia to D.C. to Maryland and back to New York and I had a crazy blast. I need to spend some serious time in New York. New York feels to me, now, the way Chicago felt to me when I was 18 and hanging around these older actors that I respected and wanted to be like when I grew up. Note to self: I need to do a project in New York. I just really enjoy traveling, I like unexpected trips. I’m the girl that says, “Where are you? Ok, I’ll meet you there.”

B&TF: Yeah, just let me get into my private jet…

JG: Yeah…that, by the way, is the only way to fly.

B&TF: You have a private jet?

JG: Oh please, I don’t have a private jet (laughing)! I’ve just been on ‘em. It’s ridiculous. I was on a Citation X that goes 92% mach speed? Um, ok, I'll admit it, it’s pimp (laughing). Anyway, I’m definitely someone who could run away for an extended period of time and go learn something, come back and be like, “I know how to do this random thing now!” I don’t have enough time right now because I’m so obsessed with making something of myself, but as soon as things get to the point where I have down time? I’ll probably end up going off the grid. If I hadn’t found theatre in college, I would probably have been a linguistics major. One day I might run away, live amongst a people foreign to what I know now, learn a culture, learn the sounds and the food, everything about them, become one of them. That’s kind of what I do for a living here, it’s just would be in real life (laughing).

Obama Honors LGBT Pride at White House

by Kat Long

President Obama honored longtime LGBT advocates and the 40th anniversary of Stonewall at a White House ceremony yesterday, and delivered remarks that reaffirmed his administration’s efforts to achieve full equality for gays.

Some advocates and bloggers saw the reception as a merely palliative measure after the administration last month defended the Defense of Marriage Act in a Supreme Court brief with insulting language, followed by a Democratic National Committee fundraiser seeking money from top LGBT donors. Some boycotted the event on principle.

Others did attend and heard the president speak about his desire to repeal both DOMA and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).

“Even as we face extraordinary challenges as a nation, we cannot—and will not—put aside issues of basic equality,” Obama said to a round of applause. “We seek an America in which no one feels the pain of discrimination based on who you are or who you love.”

He also noted that in six months his administration has begun the process of eliminating the ban on HIV-positive travelers entering the U.S.; signed a memorandum extending as many federal benefits as possible under current law to the partners of gay federal employees; urged Congress to pass the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, which would ensure LGBT couples receive federal benefits including health care; and supported ENDA and a federal hate crimes bill.

He also spoke out against DADT; perhaps in reponse to many activists’ belief that the administration is not moving fast enough to repeal it or put a moratorium on military discharges while it is under review.

Cathy Renna, actress Jennifer Beals and Renna's partner Leah McElrath. 

(Photo courtesy of Renna Communications)

“I believe “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” doesn’t contribute to our national security. In fact, I believe preventing patriotic Americans from serving their country weakens our national security. Now, my administration is already working with the Pentagon and members of the House and the Senate on how we’ll go about ending this policy, which will require an act of Congress.

“Someday, I’m confident, we’ll look back at this transition and ask why it generated such angst, but as Commander-in-Chief, in a time of war, I do have a responsibility to see that this change is administered in a practical way and a way that takes over the long term. That’s why I’ve asked the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal.”