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Interview With Kristanna Loken – The L Word Star

Openly bisexual actress Kristanna Loken may have made her biggest pop cultural impact by playing the sleek and deadly Terminatrix in T3: Rise of the Machines (2003), but the 27-year-old actress has been acting almost all her life, beginning with a recurring role as Danielle Andropoulos on the daytime soap As the World Turns in 1994. More recently, she played a vampire hunter in the Guinevere Turner-penned horror flick BloodRayne (2005), a tree nymph in Sci Fi’s In the Name of the King (2007), and single mom (and Shane’s girlfriend) Paige on the fourth season of Showtime’s The L Word.

Her varied acting experiences have prepared her well for her newest role, the title character on Sci Fi’s new series Painkiller Jane. Loosely based on the comic book series of the same name by Jimmy Palmiotti, the television show is about a covert agency that tracks down neurological aberrants, or “neuros.” Loken’s character, former DEA agent Jane Vasco, discovers that she has some abnormal skills of her own: She can be injured – and she can certainly feel the pain – but she heals very quickly and can survive experiences that would kill ordinary people. In the process, she kicks a lot of ass while taking down the bad guys.

Loken is co-executive producing the 22-episode series, which premieres on Friday, April 13 at 10 p.m. EST on Sci Fi. I recently talked with her about her new series, her experiences on The L Word, and how she feels about Michelle Rodriguez, with whom she has been linked romantically. “All I can say is I’m a very honest person,” she told us, and her honesty just makes her all the more appealing.

AfterEllen.com: Can you tell me how you became involved with the show? You’re an executive producer now too, right?

Kristanna Loken: Sure, yes. I had done a miniseries for Sci Fi called Dark Kingdom [later renamed Curse of the Ring ] that aired last year that did well for the network, and they had been trying to create something and work with me in another capacity. The foreign producers that we worked with for Dark Kingdom were also working again with Sci Fi, and … Sci Fi had been trying to develop Painkiller Jane for a bit. They did a pilot a couple years ago that they just weren’t quite pleased with, and they thought maybe they could develop it better with me.

I wasn’t sure at first if I really wanted to sign onto a huge commitment of 22 episodes, but I actually fell in love with the comic. I’m not a comic book person by trade but Jimmy [Palmiotti] really created a very rich, very unique character. … Even though [Jane Vasco] heals from her physical traumas, she takes on the mental and emotional pain, so she’s a bit tortured without being depressed. So I thought a tamed superhero would be a fun dichotomy of a character to play with.

I had produced my first independent last year called Lime Salted Love that premiered at the Whistler Film Festival and is now going to be at the Long Beach Film Festival, and I’ve been doing this since I was 13, and … producing just kind of seemed like a natural progression for me. So I decided that if I wanted to come on board for 22 episodes and make this huge commitment … I wanted to have some creative control over it, so that’s when they also brought me on as a creative co-exec producer as well.

AE: So how much input do you have into the story lines?

KL:A lot. [Laughs.] Some people say, “Oh well, they give the star a producing credit and there you go,” but that really wasn’t the case at all and hasn’t been the case with me. We’re shooting here in Vancouver, and our writing and obviously heads of offices are in L.A. and New York, so … for the first few months I was the only creative producer that was here in Vancouver. So all of the questions were being filtered through me – story line-wise, questions from other actors, locations. You name it, I heard about it – to a fault [laughs].

AE: I had a chance to watch the first two episodes, and I have to say there already seems to be something of a queer subtext developing between Jane and her friend Maureen, another agent. I was wondering if this was intentional.

KL:That story line between Jane and Maureen is more developed in the comic. We unfortunately don’t really see any of their personal relationship between the two of them in the series, although in talking to Jimmy, he kind of mentioned the fact that they had been lovers at the DEA in the comic, although we never really explore that in the series.

We do have an interesting, cool model episode where Jane and Maureen go undercover in the model world. You know, who doesn’t want to go undercover in that world? We have a model neuro who basically has to kiss these young girls to retain her youth. She’s actually quite old, but she keeps modeling through this — kind of the kiss of death theory. So we do explore some alternative story lines.

I, of course, am always for that in my art and craft, and I think there should never be anything left unexplored, so hopefully we’ll do more of that.

AE: You’ve become known for playing action heroes in your films, but you’ve also played dramatic roles, most recently on The L Word as Paige. Which do you prefer?

KL:I like a combination. I think that was one of the reasons why I was very attracted to the Jane character … [because] she had so many different colors and she was very flawed. I mean, in order to play a superhero you have to have a flaw, so in some way you can root for the hero. Even in T3 when you’re shooting children at point-blank range, you have to somehow want to root for me. So you have to find the human aspects, and Jane on that level had quite a few, so that was attractive to me.

I loved playing the character Paige on The L Word, [a] single mother just dealing with having an open kind of sexual mindset. I like exploring all aspects of these characters, and also within myself, so I’ve really been very open to diverse kinds of roles.

But I did miss carrying a weapon, I have to say. [Laughs.] I like the fight training.

AE: Is that your favorite part of playing a superhero kind of character?

KL:Yeah, it’s fun to practice their strengths. I’ve done some medieval things with swords and shields and axes and spears. I have a dance and horseback riding background, so to me, the choreography is like learning a dance. So it’s definitely a fun aspect for me.

AE: Are there any heroes or heroines you’ve looked to for inspiration in playing the character of Jane?

KL:No, actually, not anyone specific. I think the only thing I can say is that I really got a lot more of the character when I read the comics, so definitely kudos to Jimmy. But as far as — you know, I always liked Sigourney Weaver in Alien . She really has nothing to do with the Jane character, but I always felt she was a real pioneer for strong women in cinema.

AE: In the second episode, Jane receives a call from someone who appears to be her boyfriend. I was wondering if she is ever going to have a romantic life outside of her job.

KL:She does. We do explore a bit of that. It’s not a huge aspect of the show. … but we definitely want to give Jane a sexuality, so we’ll see some of that.

AE: How many episodes of Painkiller Jane have you shot so far?

KL:We’re on about the 13th, I believe, so we’re about halfway through. We are actually going to take the last four episodes to Budapest, to Hungary and shoot them there, which is probably where we will find the … internment center, the holding area for the neuros.

I think shooting abroad always gives a show a really rich, interesting [look]. Highlander did it great when they went to Paris . … And it always brings another aspect. I mean, I’ve shot in Eastern Europe before; the locations are just fantastic, and you really get a sense and feel of the old world, so I think it’ll be really good for the show.

AE: You were over there shooting BloodRayne, right? Is that where they shot it?

KL:Well, actually I wasn’t in Hungary; we were in Romania.

AE: Oh, OK. How did you feel about your performance in BloodRayne?

KL:Good. For what it was, for what the show is, you know, I always try to do my best work with the material that I’m given and the people I’m working with. It was an adaptation from a video game, but I really enjoyed working with Sir Ben Kingsley, and [director] Uwe [Boll] is always a trip to work with.

AE: Looking ahead a bit, Painkiller Jane has been ordered for 22 episodes. Do you think if it’s picked up for another season you’ll continue on with this?

KL:Yeah, you know what? I really think I would. It’s different for me to be committed to — well, to anything. [Laughs.] My life — I’ve never been a big one for commitment, but there’s something wonderful about knowing you’ve got a job for eight months and the stability that goes along with it.

It’s also hard, too. I generally have been fortunate enough to take a lot of time off in the past few years to go to my beach house in Cape Town and travel around the world and just have a lot of fun. … This show has posed a lot of new challenges for me in my world and in my creative life, and it’s really, I think, helped my craft a lot to just be thrown into these situations on a daily basis and have to perform. So I think it’s only making me a stronger actress and artist, and for that I’m grateful.

AE: I wanted to ask you about the interview you did with The Advocate a few months ago. What kind of reaction did you get to that interview?

KL:Well, definitely all I can say is I’m a very honest person, and I think if there’s one thing in this business, people tend not to be. And at the end of the day, I’d like to go home and know that I was honest with myself and who I am and what I’m about. To me, I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from the interview itself and from the photography and everything, so yeah, so I think it was a good article to have done.

AE: You’ve also said that you are not going to be returning to The L Word. Were you hoping to become a regular on the series or did you just go in thinking it was going to be a one-season thing?

KL:I actually only signed on to do a few episodes in the beginning, and then the producers and writers were enjoying the story line between Katherine [Moennig] and myself, and so they ended up bringing me on for the rest of the season.

And I am actually going to go back, it looks like, and do just kind of one final episode in their fifth season — I think their first episode, just to kind of tie up the relationship.

AE: Some of those scenes that you shot with Kate Moennig seemed like they might be really uncomfortable physically, like the car scene. Was that fun to do or was it really awkward?

KL:No, you know, I think that was what I loved about the show — they just go for it, and that’s the way I like to work. I like to bring a real rawness to what I do, and the fact that … it seems like that would be [uncomfortable] or … you’d be in this kind of compromised position — even if it’s an action sequence, always add to it, because it gives you another element that you have to work around, which is always a nice challenge.

AE: So you seem quite a bit taller than Kate. [Laughs.] How did that work out?

KL:Yeah, I’m taller than pretty much everybody. [Laughs.] I’m … a little shy of 6 feet, but I don’t have a problem with it. I always say everybody’s the same lying down; it doesn’t really matter. But she — she wasn’t all that OK with me being taller. I wore a lot of flats.

AE: What was it like working with Jennifer Beals?

KL:We didn’t really have that much to do together one-on-one, so you know, she was fine. She was fine.

AE: Did you have a chance to work with Pam Grier?

KL:Yeah, Pam was great. Pam has a great energy; she’s really fun, really out there, doesn’t take herself too seriously, very light. She’s very likable.

AE: And how do you feel about the character of Jenny [played by Mia Kirshner], the one that everyone loves to hate?

KL:[Laughs.] Mia. Well, actually, Mia — I’ve known Mia for a long time on a personal level, so it was nice to see a familiar face on set. And I think what she’s done with the character is really kind of interestingly conniving.

AE: If you were a character on The L Word other than Paige, who would you be?

KL:I really like Leisha [Hailey] and what she’s done with her character [Alice Pieszecki]. I think she’s really a talented actress, and she just kind of embodies … a woman who’s confident of herself and her sexuality and doesn’t need to wear it on her arm to prove it.

My sister’s a lesbian and extremely feminine, and I really respect her choice of who to love and be confident within that. So I think Leisha’s character is really a character that more women should see and know about. And young girls too, to know that it’s OK if you want to wear … what you want to and be feminine and be confident of who you are and who you choose to love — that that’s all right.

AE: Leisha Hailey and you are some of the actors on The L Word who have chosen to be open about your sexuality. [Daniela Sea, who plays Max, and Jane Lynch, who plays Joyce Wischnia, are also openly queer.] Have you ever worried that might be detrimental to your career?

KL:I don’t really care, you know what I mean? Like … you go to a bakery and they say, “This is the best apple pie you’ve ever had.” Well, not everybody’s gonna think that. So people are gonna either choose to like and endorse me for my work, or they’re not, and that’s up to them.

But I’m confident with who I am and being openly bisexual, and I think … it’s up to my generation to be open about that and to let people know that it’s OK to be confident with who they are so that prejudice and judgment can become less through the years and for future generations.

AE: Some of the cast members simply refuse to talk about their sexual orientation — a lot of actresses are like that, actually. Do you think that’s just a personal choice?

KL:I think it’s fear. I think it’s fear of “Oh, I’m not gonna get the job,” or “Oh, they’re not gonna want to hire me for this,” or “Oh, they’re not gonna want to do that.” Well, I can’t live in fear of my life. If you hold yourself back personally, I think you hold yourself back professionally; that’s just how I feel. And I think people can see it in the work. If you’re not honest with yourself, how can you be honest in your performance? That’s kind of how I feel.

AE: Well, if you could date any character on The L Word, who would you date?

KL:Hmm … I would say Daniela. [She’s] definitely got a hot thing going on, and she’s just really a sweet, interesting person, too.

AE: Daniela as the character Max?

KL:Yeah.

AE: All right. Are you dating anyone now?

KL:I’m in a committed relationship right now.

AE: What is the status of your relationship with Michelle Rodriguez now?

KL:We’re great friends. She’ll always remain a great, close friend of mine. I’ll always love Michelle.

AE: Is there anybody that you’d particularly like to work with in the future?

KL: I’ve always loved Kate Winslet. She’s one of my all-time favorite actresses. Ever since Heavenly Creatures, I just fell in love with her and think she’s so gifted and gives so much and is so free in her choices and with who she is, and I would just love to work with her someday.

AE: Is there anything you’d like to say to your lesbian and bisexual fans? I know you have a lot of them.

KL:That’s good! Hmm, I don’t know, let me think about that. … I guess just growing up in the community with my sister, it’s always been a really important part of my life, and I can’t imagine not being open with my sexuality or with who I am.

For many, many years I struggled with even just choosing a gender. I’d be in a relationship with one, and I’d want to be in a relationship with another one — I mean as far as gender went, and it was really confusing for me until I accepted the fact that I’m simply attracted to a person and loving them on that level, and gender really becomes secondary.

I think the bisexual community is really a difficult niche, because you’re not really taken seriously by either the straight community or the gay community, so it’s hard to find that acceptance. But I guess I would just say: Be confident with just being able to love who you choose, whether it’s a man or a woman, and know that that’s OK.

Painkiller Jane debuts on Sci Fi on Friday, April 13, at 10 p.m. EST.

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