‘Lez Girls’ of The L Word

Posted on 01. Mar, 2008 by Administrator in Fashion

The L Word broke new ground five years ago on Showtime, bucking stereotypes about the lesbian community with provocative storylines and a cast of women whose close friendships with one another remind us that, from time to time, we all need a little help from our friends. The series has also been blessed with a rare chemistry among its talented cast; they are a team that shares a connection both on and off the screen, and that connection comes across in their performances. It is clear they actually care about each other and the story they are telling.

Over the years we’ve been fortunate to be a part of the lives of these women as they grow up, regress, make their fair share of mistakes, but ultimately create a family with one another. The L Word has not only been thought-provoking, it’s been wildly entertaining to watch. There’s no lack of melodrama, drama, or great sex either. This season the series returns to its roots reuniting its core characters as they let their hair down and share a resurgence of humor and joie de vive. Created and executive produced by Ilene Chaiken, the show’s leading ladies include: Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner, Marlee Matlin, Katherine Moennig, Daniela Sea, Rachel Shelley, and Pam Grier.

The series has attracted great guest stars over the years and this season Cybill Shepherd returns with her real-life and on-screen daughter Clementine Ford. This fiesty duo fights and struggles like only a mother and daughter can do, and it’s wonder to behold. The show also won an award from the Service Members Legal Defense Network with Rose Rollin’s role as an Iraq War veteran undergoing a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” investigation with guest star Kelly McGillis as her formidable prosecutor.

This season we’ve also gotten to indulge in the mind-bending wicked fun of Lez Girls. Imagine your most self-consumed friend wrote and is now directing a hot Hollywood movie where she’s blowing up some of the most personal and intimate experiences you and your closest friends have shared over the years. This tantalizing show-within-the-show is the autobiographical brainchild of Jenny (Mia Kirshner), who is directing her all-consuming script with a little help from her doting financier, guest star Wallace Shawn. Jenny’s big break within the series is a big break for us too. The Lez Girls set is a thundering and melodramatic train wreck girls-gone-wild style. And much of the entire series resonates throughout Lez Girl as we watch the film unfold.

Two of the talented women of the L Word who have kept us so engaged over the years, Katherine Moennig (Shane) and Leisha Hailey (Alice), joined us for this month’s fashion shoot and to fill us in on this season. Shane is a free-spirited hair dresser and Alice is the feisty online journalist behind the pop culture phenomenon, “The Chart.” They are great friends on the show and in real life too. Ironically, Leisha first auditioned for the role of Shane.

h: How are you two enjoying this season?

Katherine: I think it’s just a lot more fun. The show can get very melodramatic very quickly. It’s more light-hearted and debaucherous like the first season, so it’s a nice change. Of course when the show is in its darkest, most dramatic hour, people want it to be more fun, and when it’s fun they want it to be more dramatic! I was happy I got to have a more debaucherous side this season and I think a lot of us have enjoyed that the friends’ core dynamic has been re-established. There’s a lot of group scenes and us all coming together which we love because it gives us a chance to work together.

Leisha: Yeah, I actually think it’s one of the better ones. I just like that the storylines feel full and the characters are really getting to play out well thought out arcs that have been going on for a while. It’s definitely more like the first season where the core characters hang out together more too.

h: Do you think your characters have evolved a lot over the last five seasons?

Katherine: That’s a tough question. I think sometimes Shane evolves and sometimes she doesn’t (laughs). I don’t see any huge growth this year. I think they wanted to keep her more fun, more light and easy, and bring her back to her old ways.

h: What do you like most about Shane?

Katherine: I really enjoy the trouble she gets into and it’s nice to live vicariously through her. As an actress it’s always fun to have fairly outlandish storylines. I like her carefree nature, and the trouble she gets into because of it. That said, I would like to see her learn her lesson at the end of the day and for her to acknowledge she has to grow up,
but it takes time.

h: How about you Leisha? How has Alice evolved and what do you like most about playing her?

Leisha: I wouldn’t say Alice has reached some pinnacle of self-realization! But what’s interesting is because she tries so hard, she sticks her foot in her mouth a lot and she hurts other people. It’s always with good intentions though. This season she’s outing people and personally I disagree with outing people. I’m a true believe in people’s privacy. I don’t really understand it, but I do understand where the writers were coming from. Alice feels like those sort of people who closet themselves and then bash the gay community perpetuate a vicious cycle of people living in the closet and there’s a huge hypocrisy there. Alice has always been loud and proud. My favorite part of playing Alice is that as an actress, I’ve been given a wide range to play with. I’ve been able to do so many different things on the show.

h: It is often noted that you all get along so well and support one another. Do you think that’s one of the reasons the show succeeds and resonates with viewers?

Katherine: I think it helps and it’s nice to know that people have always taken notice of the chemistry because off-screen we are really close. And I do think it adds to the dynamics of how the characters relate to one another. It’s fairly rare and it’s not in the rule book that you have to get along, but we do, so it’s a really nice added ingredient that is sweet and I’d like to believe it helps make the show successful.

h: And Leisha, how do you account for the success of The L Word ?

Leisha: The casting was amazing. I think they found a great group of women who really fit these roles and broke down so many stereotypes. The show has just sort of welcomed ordinary people into the homes of these amazing gay women. I knew it was special, but I had no idea it would be so mainstream.

h: Back when you were doing the pilot did you have any idea it would strike such a chord?

Katherine: I didn’t know where it was going to go personally, but I had a feeling it was going to do something. I didn’t know exactly on what level it would hit, but I thought it would catch someone’s attention!

h: Hey Leisha, curious, do you think the characters on the show make good role models?

Leisha: I don’t know if any of us make great role models (laughs), but I like that they’re flawed and relatable. They make mistakes and do horrible things. They’re not poster children, but certainly we can come full circle from our mistakes and we can hopefully learn from them too.

h: This month we’re honoring Jane Fonda as our icon. Who are your icons?

Katherine: That’s a good one! I’ve always loved Jane Fonda. You’ve brought up one of the biggest ones for me. And even though she’s kind of disappeared off the map, Debra Winger. I admire women in this industry who aren’t afraid to be themselves and speak their minds since it is such a
male-dominated industry.

Leisha: My modern day icon is Tina Fey. She’s so talented and so clever in the way she talks about current events and the stuff we all live
through everyday.

h: What is the most rewarding part of The L Word for you personally?

Katherine: I think at the end of the day, the one thing I’ll probably be most proud of, is that I was part of a project that everyone involved believed in so much because that doesn’t always happen. There has always been so much integrity and these are people who I call my good friends who I admire deeply, it’s meant so much to all of us.

Leisha: I couldn’t agree more. One of my favorite parts of this experience is the friendships I’ve formed with this amazing group of women. And for me personally it has even broken down stereotypes I had. In the initial costume fitting, they were having me carry purses and I thought, ‘gay women don’t carry purses, they just stuff their pockets’ which of course isn’t true. They also wear heels! So I’ve really wanted to present it correctly for gay women and women everywhere.

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