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EXCLUSIVE: “DTLA” star Erin Daniels talks missing “The L Word” and working with Emma Watson

It is a truth universally acknowledged that lesbians have an eternal affection for fictional characters and the actors who play them. So when Logo announced that Erin Daniels would guest star in their new original series DTLA – a drama that revolves around the lives of two gay men, Lenny and Bryan, who have reached the breaking point in their long term relationship – we jumped at the chance to catch up with her.

Daniels, of course, played lovable goofball Dana Fairbanks for three seasons on The L Word, before her character met an untimely demise that still makes lesbians shake their fists and scowl. Since TLW, Daniels has guest starred on numerous TV shows, filmed a couple of pilots, and she recently completed work on Sofia Coppola‘s The Bling Ring. But when she called me up to chat, she told me her pride and joy was Dana Fairbanks. Well, Dana Fairbanks and the two beautiful children she’s given birth to in the past three years. AfterEllen.com: We were so excited when we found out you’re guest starring on DTLA. Can you talk a little bit about the series and about how it found its way to you? Erin Daniels:Thank you. My friend Larry Kennar, who I met when working on The L Word, created the show. He came to me and asked if I wanted to do it. I love him, so of course I said yes. I really like what the show is about. I play Dr. Carol Lazenby, which is a great name, and I’m Lenny and Bryan’s therapist. So, I’m helping them cope with the differences in their relationship. One of the cool things is that it’s not about the fact that it’s a gay relationship. It’s just a relationship and she’s just a shrink. And I love that. Oh, and Dr. Carol Lazenby gets to wear fabulous shoes. AE: I know you just gave birth to your second child – congratulations, by the way! – but you also recently finished filming Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, right? ED: Yes! I’ve got a nice little part in it. The film, itself, is kind of shocking. I don’t know if you remember, but the film is actually based on the true story of these kids who were tracking celebrities on Twitter and using that information to break into their houses. And they were getting away with it! I mean, it was nuts! Eventually they got caught, because they got a little greedy. So, Emma Watson plays Nicki, one of the Bling Ring ring leaders, and I play her lawyer. I sit with her in her Vanity Fair interview and I take her to court, the whole thing.

AE: Did you get to wear fabulous shoes? ED: No, they made me wear sensible shoes! Which was appropriate, I guess. I have to save my fabulous shoes for Logo.

AE: Did you enjoy working with Sofia Coppola? ED: Oh, yes. She’s so laid back. And, by the way, she has great style. She makes casual look so cool. I was actually filming a TV pilot for Fox while I was filming The Bling Ring, and I was very pregnant. Well, OK, not very pregnant. But it was right as I started showing, so I went to my doctor and I was like, “Can I do anything to minimize this baby bump? I mean, am I going to crush my baby?” And I was really showing when The Bling Ring finished shooting in April, so they had to dress me very creatively, and I’ve got a briefcase conveniently covering me up in some scenes.

AE: It’s kind of blowing my mind that you’re Hermione Granger’s lawyer. ED: [Laughs] I know, right? Well, Emma Watson is adorable, and she’s talented. I really enjoyed working with her. I also have a special fondness for Taissa Farmiga [who plays Sam, another member of The Bling Ring]. She is whip smart and so sweet and funny. I’ll be very lucky if my daughter grows up to be a little like her. That film was just a really great experience.

AE: Can you tell me about the pilot you shot for Fox? ED: I did a couple of TV pilots recently. I did one that didn’t get picked up, and I did a pilot for IFC that I believe will be airing next summer. It’s called Marin. I really enjoyed shooting it. It’s funny. I love funny.

AE: Are you open to going back to shooting a TV series full-time? ED: I would love to do another series. You know, my life is so different now than when I started The L Word. I was single and kids were like a fantasy back then. Now, I’ve got two kids. I’m married. So I’m like, “Mama’s gotta get a job!”

AE: Well, speaking of The L Word, I don’t know how plugged in you are to the lesbian community, but we have this sort of universal scale by which we measure things we hate on TV, and no one has ever reached “Kill Dana Fairbanks” bad. It’s the ultimate insult we hurl at TV writers and showrunners, like, “Ugh. God. He’d probably kill Dana Fairbanks.” ED: [Laughs] That is hysterical. I had no idea. Actually, we were out at dinner the other night, with the whole family, which was quite an experience. There’s nothing like trying to take a ten-week-old baby to a restaurant. A woman sitting at table sitting next to us kept looking over like she was trying to put it together and then she goes, “Oh! From The L Word! You played the tennis player!” And then she gasped and said, “They killed you; that was terrible!”

AE: See? I’m telling you. We’re still mad. Lesbians never forget. Do you have an affection for your time on The L Word? ED: Oh, yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I have so many great friends from my time on the show. Kate Moennig has become one of my absolute best friends, which is really funny, because the first day I met her, she intimidated the hell out of me. I was like, “How can any one person be this cool? It’s not normal.” I was afraid she might roll her eyes every time I opened my mouth because I’m so not cool. But, ironically, now she’s like my sister. The L Word was such a unique experience. We were all in Vancouver together, away from home, and we hung out with each other all the time. It was so rare and so great to be surrounded by that many strong, smart women.

AE: Would you play gay again? ED: In a heartbeat. Something gay recently came my way, and unfortunately it was too soon after the birth of my daughter for me to get it together and audition. You know, for me, it’s about the role, not about the sexuality. If it’s interesting and she’s gay, of course I’d jump at that opportunity. If the only interesting thing about the part is that she’s gay, I feel like TV should have grown past that by now.

AE: You know, The L Word, more than any other thing in pop culture, is what paved the way for that reality. It was the show that made people go, “Oh, so lesbians have more characteristics than lesbianism?” ED: Right, which is exactly how it should be. People aren’t defined by a single quality. No one’s defining me by my sexuality as a straight person, and we shouldn’t be defining lesbians by their sexuality as gay people. AE: If you were going to create the character of your dreams, who would she be? What kind of characters are you drawn to? ED: I love funny characters, but I am also drawn to characters who are flawed, characters who are human and make mistakes, but who have a sense of humor about themselves. Sarcasm never hurts. One of the things I love about Dana was that she was sometimes hilarious and sometimes dramatic on the same page. Dana had real emotions. Sometimes her reactions were completely inappropriate, and that’s OK, because sometimes we all react inappropriately. I am just so proud of Dana, of how real and relatable she turned out to be. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. Of course I’m holding one of the other best things I’ve ever done. [Coos at her baby daughter.]

AE: Well, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard while doing an interview. ED: It’s true. You know, my dream project is one that allows me to spend a lot of time with my kids. My oldest son has been on set with me and with my husband, who is a producer, and it doesn’t phase him at all. And I love having him there.

AE: He’s not weirded out when he sees you on TV? ED: No way. I think it’s because he sees himself on our iPhones and our iPads and our laptops. He’s probably like, “I’m on TV, you’re on TV, we’re all on TV!”

AE: Well, we hope to see you on our TVs soon and for a long, long time. Anything you want to say to your lesbian fan base? ED: Yes! Don’t go nowhere! Wow, did I just say, “Don’t go nowhere?” See, that’s what happens when I try to be cool. Don’t go anywhere. Is that better? Yes. Don’t go anywhere.

AE: That’s the thing about lesbians. We never forget and we think self-deprecating humor is cool. I promise we’re not going nowhere no time soon. ED: [Laughs] Good. And I promise to always wear my fabulous shoes for you.

Catch Erin next week on Logo’s DTLA and in The Bling Ring next spring, and be sure to follow her on Twitter (@ErinCDU).

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