TV

An interview with Tucky Williams

If you watched the debut episode of Girl/Girl Scene, then you’re likely to be dying to know when you can watch another. Or maybe you just want to know more about who is behind the refreshingly candid series about being a gay woman in middle America.

Actress Tucky Williams (Dead Moon Rising, Shadows Light) not only plays the butch-esque hearthrob Evan, she pens Girl/Girl Scene and found the cast and crew, who all perform for free. But the quality of the series would have you thinking it took more than just sure will to make it come together, and that’s definitely true — it’s also the passion of Tucky and her cohorts, who aim to create 45-minute episodes about the human nature of lesbians in love and other relationships, while worrying more about their day-to-day lives than high profile events or a bourgeois lifestyle.

Tucky recently took the time to answer some of our questions about creating Girl/Girl Scene, what we can expect from the first season and how much of it is based on her real life experiences.

AfterEllen.com: How did you begin to develop Girl/Girl Scene?

Tucky Williams: It was one of those moments of inspiration. I was feeling dissatisfied with the roles I was being offered — either the main character’s girlfriend, or a heroine who was very, very dull. I started thinking about the kinds of roles I’d like to play: characters who were multi-dimensional, morally ambiguous, and frankly, lesbian.

I wrote the pilot episode in my free time, late at night, thinking nothing would ever come of it. I sent it to my agent, Nic Brown, and he said, “Let’s do it!” We asked Eric Butts, the best filmmaker we knew, if he would make it, and he was very enthusiastic about the project. It all came together perfectly.

AE: How much of what you write is based on your real life or people you know?

TW: I had never seen a show that depicted what life was like for me and my friends. We’re queer and we love it. We don’t wish we were straight — the opposite, in fact. We dress like boys, listen to indie bands, and canoodle with cute girls.

I think all good writing has to be autobiographical to some extent. A lot of the stuff on the show really has happened to me or someone I know. Like the first scene of episode one, where Evan and Maxine are kissing for a scene in a movie. That really did happen with me and another actress. This director kept having us do take after take, just like on the show. It was awkward, having a hardcore make-out session with a total stranger and all these people watching. It seems so absurd when you see it on G/GS, but it really did happen.

AE: Was it/is it hard to get funding to make the series?

TW: Well, there is no funding for the series. Everything you see we either already had or went out and bought with our own money. All the locations are friends’ houses. Our budget is literally $0.

AE: The L Word and other lesbian series get a lot of flack for not being diverse in casting – how would you respond to that about the cast of G/GS?

TW: I found a transman who can act. That’s like finding a unicorn. Jack has exposed a very personal area of his life for the world to see. I admire his fearlessness.

I have no idea what the racial make-up of our cast is and I don’t plan on asking them. The same goes for sexual orientation. I cast the best actor for the role and don’t ask questions.

That’s one thing that bothers me about TV/movies today: You never see racially mixed families without some convoluted explanation. Would it be the end of the world if an African-American and an Asian played a mother and daughter with no questions asked?

AE: What do you think lesbians are lacking in terms of entertainment and media?

TW: There may be a number of lesbian characters on TV or in movies, but they aren’t like any lesbians I know. For one thing, they have no sense of style. They don’t ever seem to have sex. And if they do, it’s with men. What the hell is that?

Then there’s the baby thing. That’s been overdone. I swear to god, if I see one more plotline about a lesbian couple trying to acquire sperm or get pregnant, I’m gonna puke.

AE: What can viewers expect from G/GS? How often will episodes come out?

TW: Expect a brutally honest and sometimes horrifying depiction of life as a queer woman. I want to challenge viewers’ notions of right and wrong, morality and immorality. Maybe we need to modify the disclaimer from Queer as Folk: “Girl/Girl Scene is a celebration of the lives and passions of a group of lesbian friends. It is not meant to reflect all of gay society.”

It’s always going to be funny and fun to watch. And, of course, there are going to be lots more steamy love scenes.

Without a budget, it’s hard to have a schedule. We’re making them as fast as we can.

AE: What is your hope for the series?

TW: Getting funding would be a good start. We’d love to get picked up by a cable network or website.

Mostly we want to feel like we’re making a difference. I’m getting emails from women all over the world telling me they love the show and that they can identify with the characters. That’s thrilling.

Then I get the messages from teenage girls who say they’re in the closet and afraid. They say the show has made them feel like they’re not so alone anymore. That kills me. Having a direct effect on someone’s life like that. That’s all the fulfillment I need.

AE: Is there anything else you’d want people to know about yourself, the series?

TW: I’m working with the greatest group of actors: Kate Moody (ZoĆ«), the heart and soul of the series; Katie Stewart (Maxine), the ultimate femme fatale; Joe Elswick (Jessie), who shows the strength and courage it takes to be a gay teenager; Jack Cofer (Elliott), who’s freely giving away so much of himself; and Cyndy Allen (Susan), who already is the actor I someday hope to be. My writing would be nothing more than words on a page were it not for their amazing performances.

And as for me, I’m not Evan! I love her — there’s lots of me in her — but I really am playing a character. I don’t drink, ever. I’ve never smoked weed or done any kind of street drug in my life. I don’t speak in her voice. I don’t sleep around, not that there’s anything wrong with that. And I don’t make bad decisions. Except for when it comes to women.

Check out the first episode of “Girl/Girl Scene” and visit girlgirlscene.com for updates.

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