Written by:
Diane Anderson-Minshall
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this Issue of Curve:
18#1
It’s easy to imagine Jennifer Beals rolling through the Hollywood Hills on her way to The L Word set, navigating traffic and deflecting questions with such skill that I almost forget I’m actually trying to the get woman to divulge something new that no writer ever has. Because, face it, when Beals—the hottie who came on the scene playing welder turned dancer Alex in Flashdance while she was a freshman at Yale and I was a sophomore at a slightly less prestigious high school—says something like, “Oh, it’s my pleasure,” well, women swoon. I’m only human. And I’ve been waiting 24 years to hear her utter that line (though, in my mind, the circumstances were a bit different).
But for all her fame and immense lesbian adoration, Beals is still a bit of an enigma. A laid-back mom who doesn’t do the party scene, doesn’t play the Hollywood game, tries, (often successfully), to counter questions or, as she does today, she brings others into her conversation, turning her questions around on respectively designer Cynthia Summer, co-star Laurel Holloman and producer/creator Ilene Chaiken. Here’s what they all said about Bette, hate crimes and one very Clinton moment.
When you originally signed on to play Bette, did you have any inkling the series would last as long as it has?
No, it’s been a lovely surprise. Honestly I didn’t really think about it.
But always at the end of every season all of the women on the show become a little coven and ask each other who’s got the intuition to what’s going on with show. Are we going or are we not going? And depending on who’s the chosen witch of the day then we believe whatever they have to say.
Bette has gone through some interesting story arcs in the last few years. What do you think the biggest lesson she’s learned?
Love and consistency. Taking the time to carve out a true relationship
What’s been the most challenging part of playing Bette?
Other than the high heels. I’m walking up the road with our costume designer.
You and Marlee Matlin have been friends for decades. What’s it like playing opposite each other?
We just laugh the whole time. We make fun of each other most of the time.
That must make love scenes quite difficult.
We just laugh hysterically. It’s nearly impossible to get done. Nearly impossible.
Do you ever annoy the crew? Are they ever waiting around for you guys to finish laughing?
No… it’s usually after we stop rolling. I think there’s probably just only one time we nearly caved in. I swear it wasn’t my fault.
Your onscreen child learns to sign a bit next season. How much do you get to explore what it means to be partnered with a deaf woman this season?
Yeah, quite a bit actually, because I meet her friends. [Beals then turns to actor Laurel Holloman]. I’m doing the interview with curve. have you done it already? I’m talking to Laurel.
Hollman: I said what bitch you were.
[Beals spends the next few moments describing Holloman’s “ little Dolce and Gabana” outfit and her snappy ‘do for the next scene.]
Beals: She’s got her Heidi Klum hairdo so it’s making her quite frisky. She wanted to assure me that she was really nice.
Oh, she sung your praises. What challenge hasn’t Bette faced that you’d like to see her come up against?
Rodeo queen that would be a good one.
Yeah, I definitely see that in her future.
I’d like to see her be the victim … I just think there are so many things going on like with the Matthew Shepard Act, for example, that hasn’t been passed into law yet. But people don’t realize that sexual orientation or gender is not part of the hate crime laws and I would wish that my character could be a platform for discussion about that a little bit more. Because we are so insulated in Los Angeles. The characters are so insulated in Los Angeles and, specifically, West Hollywood, that it’s not often they have to come up against it. And I think it would be interesting for them to get a look at really what needs to happen and the kinds of equality and security and civil rights. I think that they need to take a road trip.
I can see that actually.
I think a road trip would be good. But personally what do you think?
[Beals has turned to producer-creator slash lesbian visionary Ilene Chaiken.]
What challenge do you think Bette needs to go through? I said she needs to become a rodeo queen and go barrel racing. I also said she needs to go on a road trip so we could get a glimpse of what the country is like.
Chaiken: I think she needs to rediscover her passion in her work. [Beals seems impressed, repeating the mantra]
She needs to rediscover her passion in her work.
That’s a good one. I guess that’s why she’s the boss.
That’s why she’s the boss. That’s right.
Are you rooting for a Bette and Tina reunion?
If they can earn it. If it’s not earned I’m not interested. I’m not interested in having Bette and Tina get back together if it’s just for the glorification of you know of the lesbian couple. But if they can earn it, and work through what they need to work through, then that’s fine. But frankly, right now Bette has a really great partner; she’s with somebody really kind of amazing. So it’s hard to see how that’s gonna happen.
Have you ever had to put your foot down about something that you know Bette wouldn’t do that’s written in the script?
Have I had to put my foot down on something Bette I didn’t think Bette would have done in the script?
Chaiken: You reason.
Beals: She doesn’t think it’s me putting my foot down. I reason. I’m trying to remember. Oh there’s been one: bringing the baby to the club. I was like no, I’m not bringing the baby to the club. Oh, kissing Dana Delaney, right, the senator. Bette kissing the senator. I thought, I can’t. I can’t have Bette go all the way through with it. I just sucked her finger. Ilene just reminded me. Oh, that’s funny. That was a very Clinton moment, isn’t it? I’m not gonna kiss her, I’ll suck her finger.
[Laughs] you’ve said before that you don’t have the fortitude to withstand the kind of scrutiny that someone like say Julia Roberts goes through.
Oh gosh yes.
But you’re undoubtedly one of the biggest sex symbols on TV right now. Right?
I don’t know if that’s true.
I think it’s true.
Wow.
Has The L Word brought additional media attention to you? Do you have more fans all around you all the time now?
Well I don’t go out. If you have fans around you need to leave the house. I go to work and maybe go to the occasional event to help a cause. Like the Matthew Shepard Foundation is a really amazing cause and I wanted to be on stage to help present the award to Cindy Lauper. I’ve always been a hermit. I’m not a party person. I prefer to sit at home reading. Except maybe in my teens then I was the person dancing on the bar. But I got it out of my system really early.
You have a number of moms on the set now. Has that sort of changed the energy there?
It certainly changes the conversation.
I’m almost surprised when someone tells me to ask you about Flashdance. Are you surprised almost 25 years later—
Ask them like what do they want to know? Like what could they possibly want to know that they can’t find on the Internet? If they want to come up with a new one go ahead.
Are you surprised that almost 25 years later people are still talking about you in Flashdance?
I don’t really consider it. To be surprised, I would have to consider it in someway.
What’s the biggest misconception about you?
I think if I really knew what people thought then I would know how to answer but again since I don’t go out very much and I don’t read what’s written about me, I don’t really know what the misconceptions are. So if you want to tell me a couple, I could tell you…
I know that both you and your character are both Yale grads and you’re both mixed race, so there’s probably a lot of people that think that you’re a very headstrong powerful woman and used to being the boss.
I can be stubborn, but I’m not used to being the boss. But having grown up with brothers, I am accustomed to having to fight for my place at the table or the car seat. I can stand up for myself.
You were the Grand Marshall of the San Francisco Pride Parade a couple years ago.
It was one of the most fantastic experiences ever.
I was just so sad I just read that they cancelled [San Francisco’s famed] Halloween party. And that just made me really, really, really sad. I felt like that was kind of like giving in. I understand that you just want to keep everybody safe, but when causes to celebrate are taken away I think it’s just sad. And yes I guess everyone can celebrate at home or at private parties. But it’s just kind of wonderful to see how much bigger you are in the world than just your individual self. And the people reflected all around you, even if they are dressed in crazy costumes.
There’s something to be said for the vast numbers, thousands, of people around you just sort of celebrating your difference that day.
That’s really, really exciting. And just to see how families are celebrated too. And talk about misconceptions, there are jus so many misconceptions about the Pride parade that are propagated on television. They’ll just pick the most outlandish outfit and categorize the whole parade as that. So people don’t really know what it’s about; that pride has just so many different colors.
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