To celebrate 20 years of The L Word, we’re taking our readers through some of our TLW archive. And where better to start than with our December 2019 cover star interview with the one and only Jennifer Beals?
WORDS ROXY BOURDILLON, COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY KHAREN HILL/SHOWTIME
Jennifer Beals is talking to me about lesbian sex. If my younger self knew this day would come, she would have lost her tiny homosexual mind. But this, it appears, is my life now. I’m chatting to the gifted actor who plays Bette Porter – the Bette Porter – art aficionado, power lez in a power suit, and one of tellyland’s most legendary tops. Forgive the fangirling, but I binge-watched The L Word before binge-watching was a thing. I devoured it covertly in my teenage bedroom, still closeted, still all at sea about my own sexuality, but overjoyed to discover this intoxicating new world of possibility – an alternate reality where ladies fell in love with each other, watched women-only Turkish oil wrestling and just couldn’t get enough of “those sweet little figs”.
The scenario in which I now find myself is gloriously close to being in an actual episode of the show that changed everything. I almost feel like I’m hanging out at The Planet, sipping espresso with the gang, gossiping about the latest hub on The Chart and musing on the merits of “bush confidence”, talking, laughing, loving, breathing ad infinitum. But I digress. You want to know what Jennifer has to say about lesbian sex, don’t you?
She’s fresh from the set of The L Word: Generation Q, where OGs Jennifer, Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig have been reminiscing about when they made the original series over 15 years ago. In an effort to ensure the love scenes were as effective as possible, the cast had a visit from a “sex educator lady”. “There was a book and there were pictures. It was kind of like being in high school in your sex ed class and your mind’s blown. And then some of it just made total sense. I went, ‘Oh yeah, I totally get that’. I learned what a dental dam was and things like that, things I didn’t know about. Strap-ons. I was like, ‘Wow, a whole new world’.”
Despite her willingness to talk about the intricacies and accoutrements of queer rumpy-pumpy, Jennifer is a notoriously private person. When the wonderful Rachel Shelley, aka The L Word’s Helena Peabody, interviewed her for the cover of our August 2010 issue, the piece was titled, “The elusive Ms Beals”.
However, when it comes to Jennifer’s work and worldview, she’s more than happy to open up. On the subject of love scenes, she reveals, “You know, they really created such an amazing atmosphere for us”. In addition to the Lezzy Sex 101 seminar, director Rose Troche made a compilation video of steamy clips from straight and sapphic classics, including Desert Hearts, High Art and Bound. She encouraged the group to study it and share their thoughts on what triumphed and what flopped. “And so we watched this film together and we talked about it as actors. By and large, when the scene didn’t work it was because you could tell the actors were afraid. So it was at that moment, in The Sutton Place Hotel in Vancouver, we all made a vow to go into those scenes with as much courage and dedication as we could.”
How awesome is that? The women tasked with starring in the first ever mainstream lesbian TV show made a promise to themselves and each other that they would do so bravely and boldly, and boy did it pay off. No one exudes big power dyke energy like Bette. She is alpha lez incarnate, and Jennifer is unrivalled in her ability to play the hell out of a sex scene. Aside from delivering a smoulder like no other, her acting chops and expert use of those extraordinary, big, brown eyes can elevate onscreen lovemaking from hot and heavy to profoundly moving, emotionally layered and deeply erotic. So what’s her secret? “To figure out what the story is. A love scene without story is just porn. What are you trying to express? How are you serving the story?”
It’s through the telling of stories, both the saucy – Bette and Tina in the lift, Bette and Alice at the opera, Bette and the carpenter through the wall of a prison cell – and the serious – the exploration of Bette’s identity as a mixed race lesbian, her relationship with her devoted but homophobic father, the many difficulties Tibette face navigating a long-term same-sex partnership – that The L Word transformed television forever. Without it, there may never have been room for programmes like Orange Is The New Black, Wentworth and Lip Service. Even if you’ve never seen The L Word, even if there were aspects of the original you found problematic, even if this is the first time you’ve ever heard of it (FYI, you’re in for a wild ride), odds are it’s impacted your life. It is not an exaggeration to say that when The L Word came along in 2004, it changed the game for the visibility of gay women.
She must get it all the time, but I can’t talk to Jennifer without thanking her for what the show did for me. My younger self would simply never forgive grownup me. So I ration myself to one sentence at the top to briefly explain that The L Word gave me unprecedented hope and was crucial in my understanding and eventual acceptance of my own identity. She is gracious, sweet and endlessly charming in her response. “Oh gosh, my pleasure,” she replies warmly. “It’s really the thing that makes me the happiest about the show, when I hear how it’s affected people.” Oh, Jennifer. Could you be any more of a goddess? It turns out The L Word didn’t just change our lives, it changed hers too. She speaks from the heart when she says: “It broadened my understanding of activism and it broadened my understanding of love. I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing people because of the show and so many people who are dedicated to changing how we see one another. That’s been an incredible gift.”
It must be clear to anyone who comes into her orbit that Jennifer is an exceptional human being. A working mother with a glittering acting career, her happy place is being surrounded by countryside. She seems to radiate serenity, and spends her spare hours running, swimming in the wild, and campaigning to save the planet. Her Instagram is lush with posts advocating for worthy causes and appreciating Mother Nature. She lights up discussing her new role as a C40 Goodwill Ambassador, emphasising how impressed she is by youth activists’ work around climate change. “All they’re asking is to listen to the science and to act on the science. I’m really excited to be part of this group that is trying to make a difference.”
Ever the overachiever, she was just 19 years old, studying American literature at Yale, when she was chosen to pop on an off-the-shoulder sweater and embody welder-by-day, exotic-dancer-by-night Alex Owens. This breakthrough performance in 1983 mega-hit Flashdance won the hearts of audiences worldwide. Gay women flocked to the cinema in droves, mesmerised by the lady manual labourer who had all the moves. Since then, she’s scored parts in films like After and The Book Of Eli and shows like NBC’s Taken and Amazon’s The Last Tycoon, in which she plays secretly mixed race 1930s movie star Margo Taft, her favourite acting gig to date. In addition to all that, she is, as you already know, stupendously gorgeous and doesn’t appear to age. It’s been a decade since we last saw Bette and in the Gen Q trailer she is somehow more luminous than ever.
Along with Leisha, Kate and L Word creator Ilene Chaiken, Jennifer is executive producing the new series. In fact, she was a driving force in bringing it back to our screens after the season six finale aired in 2009. “I remember really early on, Kate, Leisha and I were made aware that the show would often be mentioned on social media. There was still an appetite for it. Between that and realising nothing had really taken its place, with the specificity of it being all-inclusive, that’s when we started talking with Ilene.” The alarming election of Donald Trump made The L Word 2.0 all the more urgent. “We thought, ‘We have to do something’. We realised, at the end of the day, we’re storytellers and we’re sitting on these stories that could help people.”
With the current political climate, and escalating homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime, the sequel is perfectly timed and desperately needed.
When the revival was announced, Jennifer tweeted, “Think more rebel yell than reboot”. Today she says, “We’re in such a place in history where to be other is to be vilified and, perhaps, be violently attacked. For that reason alone, it’s important to fortify representation and offer as much representation as possible, so that people know they are not alone, they are worthy of love and a place in the world. You are deserving and nobody can tell you differently.” Stirring words from an incredible ally. If you ever need a pick-me-up, check out the YouTube video of her acceptance speech for the 2012 Human Rights Campaign’s Ally For Equality Award. Make no mistake, this is a woman we are lucky to have on our side.
The L Word means as much to Jennifer as it does to us. When she found out Generation Q was going straight to series, she happy-danced around Kate Moennig’s house. “Oh my god, I was so excited.” She confirms that the new additions to the cast are “so lovely”. “We made sure really early on, Kate, Leisha and I, that part of our job is to make them feel welcome and to make them know that they are now the torchbearers, in a way. So we had dinners, and talked about
it. For me personally, I feel like one of my responsibilities is to not only provide the continuity and give Bette’s voice, but to check in with all the actors and make sure they’re getting what they need in order to fulfil their vision of their character.”
Being back in the role of Bette is “absolutely surreal”. “To be in the midst of inhabiting this character again, there are days that you feel it’s kind of like a dream.” She finds that wardrobe helps her reconnect with Bette’s alpha essence. “I said to our costumer, ‘I just need a really good suit and some cufflinks’. The tricky part is determining what transpired during those 10 years. Like any of us, you’re not the same person you were 10 years ago. There are things that you’ve learned and experienced that start to inform who you are in that moment. Nothing stays the same. So it was really trying to figure out what’s happened and how that has changed Bette or informed who she is at this time. That was really interesting.”
Since we last saw her, a great deal has altered for Bette. Brace yourselves Tibette fans, because from the looks of the cast announcements, Tina, played by the fantastic Laurel Holloman, is no longer in the picture. Take comfort though, because Bette and Tina’s daughter does feature in the new series. And guess what? Angelica’s in high school now. “Bette’s parenting a teenager and has parented her since she was born, so being a parent certainly changes you. She’s learned a certain amount of patience and diplomacy, but there’s still the fire in the belly. There’s still the wanting to make things right and change the world, and having very little patience for people who don’t want to. I don’t think she’s quite as hot-headed as she used to be, but there’s still a lot of F-bombs, for sure.”
Something else that’s new for Bette is her foray into politics. Yep, the ultimate power lesbian is running for mayor of Los Angeles. The trailer shows her rocking a trouser suit (and some snazzy cufflinks), giving a rousing speech in front of a billboard displaying her campaign slogan, “Passion. Progress. Porter”. It’s all just so right. When I ask if Jennifer would back Bette in an election, she pauses to deliberate. “There’s a lot of things that would be impediment.” (Her propensity for profanity, perhaps? Her serial cheating? That one time she kidnapped her own daughter leaving Mama T all, “What the eff, Mama B?!”) “But she
has really good ideas and she’s very, very passionate. She would do a good job. It would be a learning curve, for sure, but given the alternative, I would definitely vote for Bette.” I wonder if she’d ever pursue a political career herself? “Oh, gosh no,” she answers immediately, sounding mildly horrified by the notion. “I have no interest in politics at all. Zero. Less than zero. Sub zero. Like we’re going into definite negative numbers.”
Our conversation turns to how The L Word has evolved to reflect the way that we really do live. The original was widely adored, but did face some criticism, specifically for its handling of trans character Max, for its depiction of bisexuality, and for not being more racially diverse. “What was important, to all of us, was that you broaden the umbrella of inclusivity. That’s what we really focussed on.” From the teasers, it’s obvious that Gen Q has significantly more cast members of colour. “That’s something that we’ve addressed this season, certainly. You realise that you’re not gonna be able to please everybody, but you do try to make progress as best you can, within the confines of the storytelling and what the showrunner wants to do. And also, one day in the future there will be a show where the entire cast is of colour and it’s about being queer. Hopefully we’ll get to a place in the world where that’s a story that’s told.”
I say what a rush it is to have Bette back. What a woman. Unapologetic about her identity as a mixed race lesbian, career-minded and confident, gutsy in the pursuit of her desires. She is dominant, yet vulnerable, formidable, yet flawed. It’s that interplay of strength and softness that makes her so compelling, and it’s the conviction and heart that Jennifer brings to each and every scene that, to my mind, qualifies her as one of the great queer TV characters of all time. And, let’s face it, Jennifer is just so darn good at playing a lesbian. I assume she must get hit on by other women in real life constantly? “Not very much, actually,” she laughs. When it does happen, she handles it with her typical grace. “I just have to very politely remind people that I’m not gay and thank you so much for the attention, but that’s not a remote possibility.” She never worried that taking a lesbian role might negatively impact her career or personal life. “I never thought about it even for a second. When I first took the part, I really focussed on Bette being a gallerist and I did so much research on that, that I really forgot about everything else. And then it came time
to do this love scene and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, is there something maybe I should know that I don’t know?’ It just dawned on me, ‘You know what? It’s just about love and how you make your partner feel loved’, so I just went with that.”
It’s almost time to wrap up our tête-à-tête so Jennifer can hop on another call. Along with L Word alum Ilene Chaiken, she’s exec producing a Freeform adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s exquisite novel, The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, and they’re due to discuss the pilot episode. I was so obsessed with this book. It’s the gripping, glamorous tale of an ageing Hollywood movie star who became wildly successful while concealing both her racial identity and her bisexuality. Evelyn, like Bette, is a strong, seductive queer woman of colour and I can’t wait to see her brought to life onscreen. Jennifer’s equally enthusiastic about The Hive, a YA novel tackling the dangers of social media and online shaming, written by Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden. Jennifer came up with the concept for the book with friend and filmmaker Tom Jacobson. “One of the things that was the most important to me was taking a look at what mob justice can do to us as individuals and to us as a society.” Surely ideal fodder for a telly adaptation, this project is yet another example of Jennifer’s commitment to amplifying narratives the world needs to hear.
Throughout our chat, Jennifer is engaged and thoughtful. She listens attentively and responds with careful consideration and genuine compassion. She comes across a touch softer than Bette, with an innate elegance, but there’s that fire there, too. Like the character she plays so masterfully on The L Word, she will fight when it is necessary, she will speak truth to power, and she holds the same unshakeable belief that art and activism are the answer. Before we part ways, and I go back to pinching myself that I’ve had a chinwag with the Jennifer Beals, she tells me, “Oh, I think storytelling can change everything. As soon as you see yourself represented, as soon as you see an idea represented, an ethos represented, it becomes a possibility. And not only for change in general in the world, but for individual change. I mean, the first thing you said to me was how much The L Word meant to you, right? And how much it changed your life. And that’s what it can do. It can change us. And I’m really thrilled that the show is back and I’m thrilled to have been a part of the original.”
Hungry for more Jennifer/Bette goodness? There are still some copies of our January 2023 cover story available to buy.
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