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“The L Word” Season 5 Premiere: Photos and More

It was a dark and stormy night in West Hollywood during the Season 5 premiere party for The L Word at The Factory. But that didn’t stop hundreds of devoted (and rambunctious) lesbian fans from lining up around the block to get into the star-studded, Human Rights Campaign-sponsored gala. And it didn’t stop AfterEllen.com either. We lined up with the rest of the press to snap photos and talk to both new and returning cast members from the hit Showtime program. (See the following pages for the photos and some of the comments made by the attendees.)

With cheap umbrella in one hand and cheap tape recorder in the other, I had the opportunity to talk to villainous new vixens like Elizabeth Keener (Dawn) and Alicia Leigh Willis (Cindi), as well as Clementine Ford (Molly Kroll) – yep, that’s Cybill Shepherd’s daughter in real life and on The L Word – and Malaya Rivera Drew (Jenny’s assistant Adele). I had the pleasure of meeting Patricia Velasquez, the Venezuelan model/actress who will be joining the cast this season as BegoƱa. Velasquez was just as eager to talk about her work with the Wayuu Taya Foundation, the nonprofit organization for indigenous communities, as she was about joining the cast of The L Word.

But the undeniable stars of the evening were the returning cast members, Jennifer Beals, Laurel Holloman, Pam Grier, Mia Kirshner, Kate Moennig, Leisha Hailey, Rachel Shelley, Rose Rollins and Daniela Sea. While they took some razzing from a small part of the drenched and ornery crowd (a handful of them sang the song “Maniac” when Beals appeared, while others chanted “traitor” at Laurel Holloman, ostensibly for her character’s bisexuality last season), the majority of noise was made by adoring fans who stood in line for hours waiting to get into the event.

Even inside The Factory, the screams of approval reached eardrum-shattering levels at times. Ilene Chaiken, Beals and the rest of the main cast took the stage to talk about the work of the HRC and raffle off a handful of mystery prizes. Finally, the lights dimmed for the preview film, a Lizzie the Lezzie animated short, and then the screen lit up with the first L Word episode of what could be its final season. The capacity crowd howled its delight before the first plotline could even unfold, serving as a reminder of the unconditional love so many lesbian and bisexual women have for the groundbreaking show.

Afterward, I headed home soggier but with my quota for small talk with gorgeous women more than met for the next couple of months. Or at least until my next red carpet assignment. L Word creator and executive producer Ilene Chaiken: “I feel like we were part of a cultural wave. There were moments when we appeared to be at the crest of the wave. I’m thrilled to think that we actually had some influence on the culture at large. But it was happening in our culture, and it’s a wave of acceptance. We’re coming forward in the culture and I think that our issues, our civil rights issues are moving in a progressive way. And we’re thrilled to have been part of that conversation in any way.”  

Marlee Matlin (on the impact of The L Word on the image of the lesbian community): “It just highlights the fact that they’re hot! It’s funny because sometimes my friends overhear a conversation where they’re talking about The L Word and how hot I am. And it’s got to be flattering, and I’ve got to accept it. It’s probably made me about as ‘hot’ as I could ever get.”

Laurel Holloman (on Tina’s story line this season): “With my character, there’s a lot happening. And it’s a much better season for me than probably the last few. We’re doing a movie within a movie story line, and my character’s a producer. And I’m trying to wrangle all the crazy actors and directors and people and managers and publicists. It has a very Entourage-y feel, but all female, and I think that it’s great. And we really go down that road where we hit every subject of a movie within a movie. It’s very much like The Player.” Elizabeth Keener: “I play Dawn Denbo, and I open up a rival nightclub and wreak havoc. I get revenge on all of them for some reason. There are some new characters, and just watch out for them because they’re all interesting in their own right.”

Jennifer Beals: “I never really doubted that the show could be successful, just because there’s so many stories to tell and Ilene’s such a great writer and she’s able to mine all those stories. So I never doubted our ability. It’s just always a matter of what’s going on with the programming at Showtime, can we fit into their schedule. There’s this whole other thing at work, there’s business that’s separate from the storytelling, and we’re really lucky that they’ve been so supportive.”

Rose Rollins (on representing lesbian and gay members of the military): “Initially I was so nervous, I was hoping that I was just portraying the character in a way that they could respect. Because it’s such a serious issue that I never wanted it to come across as a joke. I really wanted to invest. I felt like I wanted to be their voice and not a mockery of what they’re really going through. I just wanted to be as real as possible. Women who have been through the same sort of thing have thanked me for being a voice for them.”

Clementine Ford: “The set was a blast. Like Gay Camp ’07.”

Writer and director Angela Robinson: “The first season they hired me to be the joke person, the funny lesbian. So when I talked to Ilene about coming back, part of what they wanted was to see more comedy and to see the friendships, and I feel like the show works so well on both the dramatic and comedic level.”

Ilene Chaiken: “The movie within a movie was wildly fun for us and we think it will be for the audience as well. And I think there will be a lot of wish fulfillment this season in many ways.” Keep up on the latest L Word recaps, news, articles, interviews, and forum topics in our main L Word section.

Marlee Matlin: “We knew that there was a fan base that wasn’t being served by this kind of programming, and it’s exactly what the audience wants. It’s a matter of providing them with good writing and good acting, and that’s all we had to do and they show up. It’s good stuff, and good stuff always sells. It’s a no-brainer that there’s going to be a Season 6.”

Pam Grier (on what’s in store for Kit this season): “She’s going to face some of the worst demons she ever has because she’s clean now and she can’t get away with anything anymore. She’s dealing with the loss of her lover Angus, she’s dealing with so much. She’s going to mature, she’s going do some growing. It’s [The L Word] done very well and I’m very, very pleased with it. It’s very positive, but bittersweet because there’s a lot of things she’s gonna have to let go of that will hurt her.”

Rose Rollins (on developments with Tasha in Season 5): “I’m just trying to figure out who I am and what I’m fighting for. I definitely come to a crossroads and I reach a decision as to what I want out of life. And I think that a lot of people reach that place, where they forget. They’re so busy feeling like they’re on this one track, and then something just smacks you in the face and you have to step back and think about this: ‘What do I want out of life?’ And I think my character figures that out this season.”

Daniela Sea (on playing the character Max): “I guess it’s been interesting to see him become more confident in himself as he comes to terms with his gender, become more comfortable with his friends and make a community for himself. That’s been fun to bring that to life. But he’s very complex, so I guess there’s a lot that I got challenged with as an actor. Max is going to fall in love and it may be surprising to some people who he ends up falling for. But I think we’ll see him come into his own even more and have a really loving relationship.”

Rose Rollins (on representing lesbian and gay members of the military): “Initially I was so nervous, I was hoping that I was just portraying the character in a way that they could respect. Because it’s such a serious issue that I never wanted it to come across as a joke. I really wanted to invest. I felt like I wanted to be their voice and not a mockery of what they’re really going through. I just wanted to be as real as possible. Women who have been through the same sort of thing have thanked me for being a voice for them.”

Clementine Ford: “The set was a blast. Like Gay Camp ’07.”

Writer and director Angela Robinson: “The first season they hired me to be the joke person, the funny lesbian. So when I talked to Ilene about coming back, part of what they wanted was to see more comedy and to see the friendships, and I feel like the show works so well on both the dramatic and comedic level.”

Ilene Chaiken: “The movie within a movie was wildly fun for us and we think it will be for the audience as well. And I think there will be a lot of wish fulfillment this season in many ways.” Keep up on the latest L Word recaps, news, articles, interviews, and forum topics in our main L Word section.

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