By B&TF
Everyone was slowly gathering in the presentation room but the event hasn’t started yet so I had more time to interview more people. I saw Janina Gavankar sitting on the sofa and talking to her boyfriend, who was very nice and cute. He was very kind to talk to my friend while I interviewed Janina and later my friend told me that he asked her if he should come to Birmingham with Janina for L7. I joined Janina on the sofa and began our interview.
B&TF: So how have you been doing since the last time I saw you?
JG: I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head’s cut off and loving every second.
B&TF: I read your tweets all the time and you went to Greece, you’re on TV and in the movies…so tell me about your latest projects?
JG: Okay. I don’t know when I saw you last…
B&TF: I think it was in July or August.
JG: What was the last thing I shot? Three Rivers?
B&TF: No, you haven’t done Three Rivers yet.
JG: Last two weeks I shot two episodes of a new show called The League, which is a really, really funny show. It’s all improvised. It’s on FX. It’s about four guys in a fantasy football league and they have a trophy that they’ve named after the girl they went to high school with, called Shiva. And I’m Shiva. And it’s all improvised and these guys are really funny comedians, and they just know how to bring it. It’s scary to be in the situation when they worked on the whole season and you’re brand new but I think we came up with really funny stuff. It airs on Thursdays right after It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FX. I’m in episodes five and six. What else?
B&TF: Didn’t you do some Indian gangster movie?
JG: Oh, yeah, I did Indian Gangster and I did another movie called Men, Interrupted, which we just screened in my house with everybody. What else? I’ve done some random things.
B&TF: How was Greece?
JG: Greece was amazing. This is hilarious. I never get recognized.
B&TF: Yeah, right.
JG: I really don’t. Unless I’m like cornrowed and swaggering, no one recognizes me. So I’m in Greece at this naughty Athenian big fat Greek weeding. Amazing, amazing wedding. I’m dancing my ass off until five in the morning. And this girl comes up to me and says in her adorable Greek accent, “I have to ask you, Where you on The L Word?” and I wanted to cry (laughing). I’m in Greece right now, how is this happening? And I said, “Yes, I was.” And it was like she could not understand how someone from her television set ended up at her cousin’s wedding. You know. And she was like, “How are you…how the hell did you end up here?” like she could not understand it. It was so adorable. It was one of the funniest moments of my life when you have to completely leave your environment to have someone recognize you. Really funny. I had a great time. In Athens right now it’s just beautiful. The weather is like it is in L.A.
B&TF: So is the real big fat Greek wedding the same as in the movie?
JG: No because that was the Greek American wedding and culturally it’s a totally different thing between Greeks in Greece and Greeks in America. It was fabulous and they pulled all the stops. They turned their back yard into a night club and that was like a thicker night club than the thick night club that I was at the night before. It was crazy. It was a lot of fun.
B&TF: Let’s talk about Australian Convention and L7 Convention. You’re going to be busy.
JG: Oh, I’m so excited to see everybody. I’m so, so excited. I think my mother is coming to Australia with me in January.
B&TF: Yay.
JG: I don’t know if she’s coming to L7. Everybody’s been asking for her presence, for her to show up to L7. You know, my first one, L5, was such a life changing experience that I’m down for any convention that is L Word related. The community is so strong and so open-armed and I’m just honored to be part of it.
B&TF: Everybody’s still talking about you since L5. If you go on websites, everybody keeps saying, “Janina, we want Janina and her mom” and now they want your dad too…pretty much your whole family to come to every convention.
JG: I know, I have a sister, too (laughing). We are like this travelling Gavankars road show.
B&TF: Just like gypsies.
JG: Yeah, we just go from convention to convention. But yes, I’m really looking forward to it and I’m sure it’s going to be a good time.
B&TF: Thank you for your time.
I left Janina with her boyfriend and went in search of others. Alex Kondracke was my next ‘victim’. As some of you know, Alex just had a baby recently with her partner, Angela Robinson. Alex looked great and seemed happy to be back, working on movies and projects with Angela.
AK: Did you see all the L Word actors there? There are a lot of them.
B&TF: Yes, I did. I already talked to some of them and took photos on the Red Carpet.
AK: Oh, okay.
B&TF: So I’m talking to Alex Kondracke. I know you have a couple of projects with Angela, so tell me what are you working on?
AK: We are doing a Pilot for Lifetime about a private investigator who lives in Vermont.
B&TF: Lesbian investigator?
AK: No (laughing). We’re also doing a movie, which I’m directing and Angela’s producing, and POWER UP is financing.
B&TF: Not the vampire one?
AK: Not the vampire one.
B&TF: Did you get funding for that one?
AK: We haven’t gotten funding for that one yet but that one is in the works. We are looking for funding for that one so hopefully we’ll see that one next. But this one is the movie with Kate French and a bunch of the girls from our web series Girltrash.
B&TF: Is it the Girltrash movie then?
AK: Yes, the Girltrash movie.
B&TF: Yeah, I talked to Kate French earlier and she was like, “Hopefully they have a part for me in this movie”.
AK: There is a part for Kate French but none of them have seen the script yet.
B&TF: When are you going to start filming?
AK: December first.
B&TF: Great. Are you shooting in L.A.?
AK: Yeah, here in L.A.
B&TF: Ok. Do you know anything about Angela’s project Gigantic?
AK: Oh, Gigantic. Angela directed the Pilot for Gigantic and it’s basically a TV show for TeenNick (a new channel that was converted from The N on September 28, 2009) and it’s about the children of celebrities.
B&TF: Angela tweeted that Laurel Holloman is in it.
AK: Yes, Laurel Holloman plays the mother of one of the characters.
B&TF: So is she going to be in a lot in this show?
AK: Yeah, I think she’s a recurring cast member.
B&TF: Cool. How are you managing work and your baby? Congratulations, by the way.
AK: Thank you. It’s rough having a baby and working all the time. Oh yeah, both of us also working on another project. Angela is writing on Hung and I’m a consultant on it. It’s an HBO show.
B&TF: It’s got renewed for second season, right?
AK: Yes, it got a second season. I’m going to be a consultant because I don’t have time to be a writer because I had to direct a movie.
B&TF: Well, thank you. I’m going to find Angela later.
So I went in search of Angela Robinson to ask her more about the projects she’s working on. I was moving along the room and decided to take a short break to get a glass of water (and yes, it really was just a glass of water. I usually have a few drinks only after I finish my interviews and photos…usually).
I got to the bar and saw Daniela Sea standing there and she kindly let me interview her while her friend was buying drinks for them.
B&TF: I didn’t have a chance to talk to you at L6 Convention because you guys were too busy, so thank you for letting me ask you a few questions.
DS: Sure.
B&TF: L6 was your first convention. Tell me about your experience.
DS: I really enjoyed it. I’ve got to meet more than a thousand people, talk to them about their lives and hear all different kinds of stories. It was more fun than I thought it was going to be. It was a lot of fun.
B&TF: You were a last minute replacement for Kate Moennig and I know some people were disappointed that she couldn’t come.
DS: People are really polite in England and they would never say anything. I didn’t even really know that until I got there.
B&TF: I can tell you that even those who were disappointed were really surprised by you and happy that you came. This was your first convention and fans were really excited. I’ve been following different websites, reading comments and everyone really enjoyed all the talks and everything.
DS: Oh, great, great.
B&TF: Were there any tough questions that people had ask you that you didn’t want to answer?
DS: I guess the hardest questions are always the ones that are personal about us as people and how we get along on set, and if we want to have sex with someone in the cast. I mean, they are not really difficult but usually just the kind of questions that you don’t really want to answer. People had really smart questions. I feel like I had a lot of great discussions at that convention and I’ve met a lot of amazing people.
B&TF: So you’ve been playing Max for four years. How this storyline affected you personally?
DS: Playing Max affected me by giving me a chance to really inhabit a certain side of myself that always had been since I was young, which is like a tomboy. Also seeing somebody like a trans person on that kind of journey was really moving for me because I understood how under-represented that side of my community is. I thought that we dealt with that in a pretty good way, you know. There were probably areas we could’ve strengthened but it’s just one of many stories. Yeah, it was a great journey for me.
B&TF: Who’s idea it was it to use a lot of facial hair for Max in season six?
DS: The producers.
B&TF: Was it okay with you?
DS: Well, I didn’t feel much that the facial hair followed the real timeline because for my friends it takes many years to build up enough testosterones to be able to have a beard. But for the effect and powerful image I was actually really interested in that because for me, I’m really visual person and I think about the symbology of things. The symbol of man with a beard, pregnant – I like that kind of gender-bending. I thought it was fun but yeah, it’s not really realistic.
B&TF: It was an episode in season six when Jenny throws a baby shower for Max and a lot of fans felt that it was done to ridicule Max instead of making him feel acceptable.
DS: Yeah, it felt like a typical Jenny move but she was oblivious of what Max really wanted and she was going to infantilize him and kind of be condescending by having this ‘Willie Wonka’ kind of thing. He wanted to go along with that because he knew that his friends were trying and so he tried but then, of course, he had a panic attack and freaked out.
B&TF: And also throughout the whole season Max was deciding if he was going to keep the baby or give it up for adoption. How did you feel about portraying this part of the storyline?
DS: It’s always fun to play different emotions so to play someone who has been heartbroken is a fun thing. I mean, it’s interesting as an actor to do different emotional situations and I think he is that kind of family guy because he’s a sweet, carrying person. In the end he’s doing what is right and wants to take care of the kid. I liked showing Max that way.
B&TF: If show would continue or if will get the L Word the movie, what do you think happens to Max?
DS: I think he becomes a great dad. He has his friends and keeps a good communal situation raising the child and hopefully finds a partner in somebody, a man or a woman to partner up with.
B&TF: Do you miss the show? Did you want it to continue?
DS: For me, I was hired on a yearly basis so I was always surprised and humbled when I’d get another year but, to be honest, I feel like I was ready after four years to go on another adventure. That’s the longest job of any kind I’ve ever had in my life. Although it’s sad, and I really miss all my friends, especially the crew and a lot of the cast. I do get to see the cast more often so I really do miss the crew because they are the ones I don’t get to see, but I was ready to move on.
B&TF: Do you know anything about Ilene writing the L Word the movie? Have you heard anything about it?
DS: No, I haven’t heard anything. I’ve been working on my own film so I’ve just been in the real reclusive state the last month, except for the England thing. I’m working on that and that’s the movie that I’m writing and that I’m going to direct. I’m really excited about it.
B&TF: What’s the name of it?
DS: We don’t have a name right now.
B&TF: So it’s in pre-production stage?
DS: Yeah, in pre-pre-production.
B&TF: Good luck with that and thank you.
Daniela returned to her friend that was waiting with their drinks and I looked around, searching for someone else available. The presentations were delayed and it gave me more time to interview a few more people.
Right by the bar there was a relatively quiet corner where most of the cast of Girltrash were seated and I stopped by to talk to Angela Robinson.
B&TF: I’m with my favorite The L Word director, producer and writer, Angela Robinson. What you’ve been up to since The L Word ended? Tell me a little about your recent projects.
AR: I am producing a feature of Girltrash. I’m writing and Alex Kondracke is directing. We start pre-production tomorrow and we start shooting in December to make a feature version.
B&TF: Will the Girltrash movie be based on the webisodes you already did or something entirely new?
AR: It will be totally new.
B&TF: Will we see all the cast that participated in the webisodes?
AR: Most of the people.
B&TF: Will you need any extras?
AR: Actually, we’re going to need a ton of extras to come out. There is a big event sequence where Killola’s going to play and so we’re going to need a bunch of people to come out for that.
B&TF: Well, tweet about it so we can spread the news.
AR: Yeah, definitely. We’re going to put out flyers for a lot of people to show up.
B&TF: Anything else you’re doing?
AR: I’m CP on “Hung”, the HBO show, which just got picked up for another season. And I just directed a Pilot of a TV show, called “Gigantic”.
B&TF: Yes, after you mentioned on twitter that you’re directing “Gigantic” and Laurel is in it, everyone wanted to know all about it. What can you tell me about the show and Laurel’s role?
AR: “Gigantic” is the show for TeenNick but it’s just a Pilot. Laurel was cast on it and Jordana Brewster came to get a cameo for us one day. But I’m actually not supposed to talk about it too much yet because it’s just a Pilot.
B&TF: Does it mean it’s not picked up by network yet?
AR: It’s picked up but it’s just a Pilot and they are still working it out.
B&TF: Do you know how many episodes there’s going to be?
AR: I’m not sure.
B&TF: What about Laurel’s role? Is it recurring?
AR: Yes, recurring.
B&TF: So it means she’s going to be there a lot…
AR: Yep.
B&TF: You know, Laurel mentioned in one interview that after Alex and you had a baby, you’re sharing the same babysitter. You also seem to hang out together a lot. Do you see The L Word cast members often and do you feel nostalgic about the show?
AR: Oh, we made a lot of good friends while we were up in Vancouver, making the show so now they are just, you know, our friends. We see and spend time with Kate French all the time, Laurel, and Malaya Drew, we see her a lot. We see Kate and Leisha a lot and other people that are around, so yeah. We see a lot of them.
B&TF: Do you miss the show now that it’s over?
AR: You know I thought I was but I’m having a good time. Sometimes I do but I’m just so busy and we just had a baby.
B&TF: How do you juggle work and family?
AR: I just went back to work so it’s really a juggle but we are working it out.
B&TF: So, now that the show is over, how do you feel about the finale?
AR: I don’t know, some stuff I liked about it, some stuff I didn’t like about it. It’s one way to put it.
B&TF: Have you heard about Ilene’s doing a reality show about real lesbians in LA?
AR: Yes.
B&TF: Do you think you would like to participate because you are a real lesbian, in LA and you know Ilene?
AR: (laughing) I probably won’t be participating. I really don’t like to be on camera. I like being behind the camera.
Some people approached our table, demanding Angela’s attention so I thanked her for her time and left.
There were a few more people I wanted to talk to and one of them was a very funny comedian, Liz Feldman, one of the honorees. She used to have her own vlog on AfterEllen.com, called This Just Out (http://www.afterellen.com/taxonomy/term/3668) where she interviewed several The L Word cast members, including Leisha Hailey, Kate Moennig, Rose Rollins, and Clementine Ford. Recently she has been seen on Jay Leno Show.
We still had a few minutes before the presentations started and Liz answered a few of my questions.
B&TF: Liz Feldman, you basically got nominated for Woman of the Year in showbiz …
LF: I don’t think I’ve won Woman of the Year. I think I’m maybe one of the awardees. I’m not the best one, though. That would be rude of me.
B&TF: What does this nomination mean to you?
LF: You know, I’m really honored to be in the company of these women. I mean, Carol Leifer, for example, is one of my heroes, someone I’m really inspired to be like. So it’s really very humbling and it’s an honor.
B&TF: You had this really funny show on AfterEllen, This Just Out, where you interviewed a lot of people, including The L Word ladies. It was on only for what, one, two years?
LF: One year.
B&TF: Why did it end? It was hilarious.
LF: To be honest, I stopped it because I was given other opportunities that were actually paying me money (laughing). I really enjoyed doing it and I really thank AfterEllen for the opportunity but it just felt like the right time, you know. I did 19 episodes and I’m really proud of each one, and they all still live on so it’s like the show keeps going.
B&TF: You interviewed a lot of L Word ladies, including Kate, Leisha, Clementine Ford and Rose. Who was your favorite?
LF: Honestly, I enjoyed interviewing every single one of them. They were all really kind to come on my show. It was literally in my kitchen, they were not compensated to come on. They really came on because they just had a fun time and I really love all of them.
B&TF: There was a long-running joke between you and Kate when you kept calling her Shane. Was Kate in on it or was it unexpected for her?
LF: I will never tell.
B&TF: Okay. Now we can see you on Jay Leno Show. I saw the episodes, they were really funny. Do you write your own material for them?
LF: I write my own material for that show and I pitch them the ideas that I come up with for the skits that I want to do but they also come to me with great ideas, as well. The first two were my idea. Next up I will be teaching a kindergarten class on the show. After that it’s going to be something really cool and you should definitely stay tuned for that.
B&TF: I will, definitely. When you were teaching old people how to use twitter, was it all staged?
LF: No, no. It was not staged at all. They were really trying to learn how to twitter.
B&TF: That was really funny. How did you get chosen to be on Jay Leno Show?
LF: You know, I don’t really know why they chose me. I know that they saw my show that I do, called “Shack Talk” on funnyordie.com and they really liked that. I had a great interview with them and for some reason they chose me. It’s been a really great time for me on that show. They are the nicest people I’ve ever worked for so I hope I can continue that for a long time to come.
B&TF: You’re also very active on twitter and it’s very popular with celebrities now as one of the social networks. Which one is your favorite and why did you chose twitter as one of them?
LF: You know, I enjoy pretty much all the social networking. I think twitter’s probably my favorite because it’s the easiest to do. You know, it’s 140 characters or less and I get to sort of say whatever I want and then I get to walk away. And there’s no maintenance and I’m lazy, that’s why I like twitter.
B&TF: It’s such a good network to promote a lot of things.
LF: Yes, it seems to really work in terms of being able to reach my audience and say, “I’m going to appear here in this show or I’m going to do this show,” and people seems to watch and people seem to show up. I’m actually really grateful to twitter that it even exists because it really helps me connect with the people that want to be connected to me.
B&TF: What else do you have right now in works?
LF: I always have something up my sleeve, you know that. So it all remains to be seen but I promise you’ve not seen the last of me.
B&TF: I think you’re really funny. Does it come naturally to you or it sort of developed over the years and you decided to be a comedian?
LF: I always wanted to be funny when I was young and then, I think, I just practiced really hard at it. If you want something badly enough it usually happens. I don’t know, maybe I was born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline (laughing).
B&TF: When you do your stand-up comedy, did it ever happen when people didn’t laugh at your jokes?
LF: Of course. I’ve been doing stand-up comedy for fifteen years so of course I had shows when people don’t laugh at me. Usually what I do, I just start making fun of them. I make fun of myself in my normal comedy but then when they start feel like they don’t understand me, I start talking to them so that we understand each other better.
B&TF: Well, thank you and I have one last question. What happened to your gay saber that you always used on This Just Out?
LF: I still have it, don’t you worry.
The presentation was about to start and I had just a few more minutes to find someone else. I’ve talked to all the L Word cast I could find, so the last person approached was Megan Cavanagh, who played Marla Hooch in League of Their Own, and also appeared on Exes & Oh’s, and several other TV shows. She was one of the honorees, as well.
B&TF: So I heard that you guys finished filming second season of Exes & Oh’s but it’s not out yet. What can you tell me about it?
MC: It’s showing in Canada right now.
B&TF: Really? How come it’s showing there before the US?
MC: I don’t’ know but there’re two different stations in Canada that are going to air it. One is going to air it and one is airing it. I don’t know how they got to do it first. We actually shot season two a year ago. This time last year we were doing it. We did eight episodes. I don’t know if the station just got anxious but that’s the situation and LOGO is going to show it in 2010, hopefully spring 2010.
B&TF: I really enjoyed the first season and the humor. As a lesbian in real life, would you say that you pretty much played yourself?
MC: The thing is, my character is a little butchier than I am in real life. We first did a short film, called “The 10 Rules of Being a Lesbian” and in that Kris and Chris were sort of waltzing lesbians, you know, both in khaki pants and the polo shirts tacked in. We looked exactly alike. And then they cast Angie Featherstone as my wife for the series and that sort of changed the dynamic. I was so happy because I loved working with her, she’s awesome. Anyway, we did the eight episodes and they are supposed to come out in spring 2010 and the storylines are going to be so great. I’m so excited for them to come out.
B&TF: Are all the characters back from the fist season?
MC: Yes, except for Heather Matarazzo. She’s not in the second season but Michelle Paradise, Marnie Alton, me and Angie are back. A lot happens with everybody. I can’t give all the stuff away but it’s so exciting and I’m just so happy to be playing an out gay character on a gay network and being out gay woman. It’s all so much fun.
B&TF: You were a guest star on a lot of TV shows. Are any of them more memorable than others?
MC: Well, “Friends” were pretty memorable partly because I had a migraine and I was really sick when I did it. I drove to the set throwing up. I got to the set where we were shooting and I was so sick. They had to bring in a doctor and Phoebe, the gal who played Phoebe on the show, was so wonderful to me.
B&TF: It was in season one, right?
MC: Yes, it was towards the end of season one and they just realized that they were about to skyrocket. So it was very exciting time to be on the set. Everybody was nice but she was the best. I had so much fun doing that part, you know, shooting her in the butt with a dart. All of it, it was just great. I also enjoyed doing ER. I got to play a drunk woman who tried to slit her wrists and I met George Clooney. The make-up artist made me look like I was beaten up. I looked just like crap and George Clooney came up to me and said, “Nice to meet you.” And he’s gorgeous, whether you’re dyke or not. And I was like, “Oh for God sake, they have me meet him looking like this.” You know what I mean? (Laughing) That’s the life of the character actress, you know. It’s so fun with different parts you get to play.
B&TF: It sounds like fun.
MC: Yes. And of course, Marla Hooch. I also played in two Mel Brooks’ movies, “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and “Dracula: Dead and Loving It”. After they cast me in “Dracula” he called me and asked me if I would do it and he wrote a scene for me and Amy Yasbeck. It was just an honor. I mean, Mel Brooks wrote a scene for me, you know what I mean? It was incredible. But I’ve gotten to work with so many wonderful people and I really had such a blessed career. Eighteen years of never having another job other than acting. That’s pretty amazing thing to be able to say.
B&TF: Do you always wanted to be an actress?
MC: Always, and you know, I do a lot of theater. I do everything. I do television, film, I do theater, I do voice over, and I’ve done them all simultaneously. It’s wonderful. I do cartoon voices.
B&TF: What are some of the cartoons have you done?
MC: I did a “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius”, I’m the mother. And that was the Academy award nominated movie and then series. Now I do a series of Amy Poehler, called “Mighty B” and I play her mother, Hilary Higgenbottom.
B&TF: Another mother?
MC: I know, always mothers. Hey, I’ll take the work, I don’t care. I’ve done some other stuff but those are the big ones. And I think we are starting.
And indeed, the presentations were about to start. I thanked Megan for her time and took a spot behind the tables so I could take some photos. Jamie Babbit introduced the honorees who were present at the event and they all came to the stage to get their award and to say a few words. Killola performed a few songs, as well as Sharon Isbin. After the presentations the evening slowly winded down and soon it was over. I had a great time and I hope you enjoyed reading these brief interviews.
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