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Director Jamie Babbit spills the beans on the coming out episode of “Pretty Little Liars”

Jamie Babbit is probably best known for her films Itty Bitty Titty Committee and But I’m a Cheerleader. She’s also one of the hardest working directors in television, with recent credits including Drop Dead Diva, United States of Tara, The Middle, and Cougar Town, just to name a few. Jamie directed the upcoming and highly anticipated “coming out episode” of the new ABC Family show Pretty Little Liars, entitled “The Perfect Storm.”

Babbit recently talked to us about directing the episode and the evolution of gay teen stories on TV, but wouldn’t budge on the identity of “A.”

AfterEllen.com: So everyone at AfterEllen.com is obsessed with Pretty Little Liars, mostly because of the Emily storyline.

Jamie Babbit: You know the creator is a lesbian. You should interview her! That would be better than me. [Jamie is referring to executive producer Marlene King, not the PLL book author Sara Shepard.]

AE: You directed the August 3 episode of Pretty Little Liars. Spill it.

JB: It’s kind of like The Breakfast Club. There’s a big storm in the town and so all the kids get trapped in the high school and have to spend hours together. It’s a really moody episode with the big storm happening outside. Emily has been sneaking around since the first episode with her girlfriend and she finally comes out to all her friends in this episode.

AE: Is she outed or does she intentionally come out?

JB: A series of events happen that are very cathartic that make it better for her to just tell her friends what’s really happening. The whole series revolves around this mystery of who killed A. And so, the girls are always dancing around who killed A, what happened with “A,” and basically what we realize is that Emily was having a secret affair with A.

AE: That she was actually having an affair with her, as opposed to just … ?

JB: Yeah.

AE: With “A” or with Alison?

JB: With “A.” With the girl that got killed.

AE: Is Alison “A” for sure?

JB: No.

AE: So she had the secret affair with Alison. Who got killed.

JB: Yeah. We find out that before she was killed they were having an affair. They were together.

AE: And you do not know who A is, correct?

JB: I do know who A is, but I’m not at liberty to say.

AE: Is it the same as in the book?

JB: Um, I don’t know.

AE: Do you know who killed Alison?

JB: Once again, I do know, but I can’t say. It’s the big secret of the show! I can’t give that away!

AE: How do the friends respond when she comes out?

JB: They are really supportive.

AE: Everybody?

JB: They’re super-supportive. She’s basically really scared to come out to them because she feels like they’ll reject her. But in the end, once she comes out, they’re all totally fine with it.

AE: What happens with the dad?

JB: That’s after my episode. In my episode, she comes out to all her friends but her parents don’t know yet.

AE: Is Emily going to remain a lesbian? I think in the book she doesn’t, or she dates a guy or something?

JB: As far as I know she’s staying a lesbian. It depends how long the show goes!

AE: Many of your films revolve around teenagers. Obviously Pretty Little Liars is teen-centric as well. What makes you gravitate toward this terrifying age group?

JB: I’m definitely attracted to teen stories. I mean, I have been in the past, number one because I was just out of my teens when I started. It’s such a critical moment in our lives where we’re just defining ourselves. Dramatically, there’s a lot going on.

AE: Did you enjoy being a teenager? Were you a happy teenager?

JB: I was a very happy teenager with lots of secret desires for my best friend. I was happy in my secret desires.

AE: Did you come out when you were a teenager?

JB: Hell no.

AE: How old were you?

JB: Well I was 16 when I came out to myself but … I don’t know what you mean by out … I mean, I was out to my boyfriend when I was 18, but the first time I hooked up with a girl I was like 22.

AE: Which pretty little liar is a teenaged Jamie?

JB: Emily! Totally.

AE: Question from an AfterEllen.com reader – Will we ever find out more about Emily’s friendship/relationship with Alison? I adore her relationship with Maya and can easily see why Emily would be attracted to Maya but, based on what we know about Alison so far … I have no idea why anyone liked her at all, much less wanted to make out with her. JB: Yeah, you understand more… There are flashbacks in my episode of the two of them in their private moments and you see why they’re friends. She’s a typical girl but she’s really beautiful and basically she’s very seductive to Emily and doesn’t mind hooking up with her…

AE: Question from @natthedem – What do you think about the evolution of the portrayal of gay and lesbian teens on television?

JB: I think it’s getting much better. So, I think the evolution is great.

AE: In your films you have control over casting. When you come in on a show that is already running you don’t. Is it challenging to direct a group of strangers who already have established characters?

JB: No, sometimes it’s easier because you’re not starting from the ground up. You’re just dealing with the dramatics of the scenes, not the arcs of their lives, so there’s a nice shorthand when you work in TV. They already know their characters. And Marlene casts really great, talented actors so that’s very helpful.

AE: What did you think about working with this group specifically?

JB: They were all really sweet, super eager, really talented. Sometimes with older actors they’re more like, bitter and just trying to get a paycheck so that makes it a little harder sometimes.

AE: Do you have any of your own projects coming up?

JB: I’m doing a queer thriller that Guin Turner wrote called Breaking the Girl. It’s kind of like a lesbian version of Strangers on a Train.

AE: Who is “A”?

JB: How are you?

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