Jennifer Beals: 'The Identity of Jenny's
Killer is Going To Shock Fans!'
Posted by Jarett Wieselman at 12:57 PM on January 19,
2009
After
five years of love -- both lost and realized -- "The L Word" is
signing off with its most shocking season ever. Leading the lost list of
"Oh my gods" that will come flying from your mouth throughout the
next seven weeks was the mysterious death of Jenny Schecter that kicked off
last night's premiere.
But
for stunning star Jennifer Beals, the shocking identity of Jenny's killer wasn't
the most unexpected development for the series' final year -- her biggest
jaw-dropper is a toss up: was it the arrival of her real life BFF, discovering
"The L Word's" impact on popular culture or finding out that creator
Ilene Chaiken hit the reverse button? Read on!
PopWrap: After seven years I imagine saying good-bye to Bette must have
been difficult.
Jennifer Beals: Yes and no. I feel really good about what we have accomplished.
Really good and now I'm excited for the next chapter.
PW:
What do you think about the decision to tell the final season in flashbacks?
Jennifer: I just found out about that recently. We finished shooting a while
back and I don't know what to think of it. I haven't seen it and I never read
it that way.
PW: But as a storytelling device, it's pretty cool. What do you think
the fans' reactions will be to finding out who killed Jenny?
Jennifer: I think they're going to have a bit of "Oh my god, I can't
believe they did that!" Ilene never seems to take the easy way out of
anything!
PW:
Over the years Bette has has some really amazing storylines, which were your
favorites?
Jennifer: I loved when she had the show, "Provocations." I also loved
when Bette had the affair and the storyline where she tried to win Tina back.
PW:
Over the last few years, "The L Word" has been name-checked on a slew
of other TV shows -- "House," "The Sopranos," "Gilmore
Girls," "The Office" -- has that been fun for you? PW:
Right, it's like crossing party lines! PW:
So should I assume that fans have told you that watching the show has helped
them come out or deal with their own sexuality?
Jennifer: I think they can. It would take a lot of attentiveness, but I
definitely think the two of them could make it work!
PW: I know that your "Roger Dodger" co-star Elizabeth Berkley
is joining the cast this season as Kelly and that you two are very close in
real life. Was that fun for you?
Jennifer: Yes! It was so much fun. When they were talking about casting the
part, there's this video on YouTube that I showed Ilene of the two of us doing
an interview when we were making the movie that we shot at 2 or 3 a.m. and we
were just so silly together. (Watch it here!) So I showed her that so I could talk about the relationship between
Bette and Kelly, and I said to Ilene that I thought Elizabeth would be the
perfect person for this role because we already have this rapport. We wouldn't
have to manufacture it.
Jennifer: It's exciting. It's fun, particularly "The Sopranos" one.
Jennifer: Ha, exactly. And it works on different levels. You imagine the
character as a real person thinking about the show and then you also imagine
the writer conceiving that.
PW: Does being a part of something as groundbreaking and original as
"The L Word" make it harder to find that next project?
Jennifer: Well, what becomes difficult is finding something that it so engaged
with the world and has so much meaning to so many people -- that is helpful to
so many people. I don't know if that will come, but I am confident that I can
find something as well written.
Jennifer: Oh, so many. Countless. From very young girls who felt incredibly
alone and looked to the show to form some sense of community to two women, who
had been together for years but closeted, deciding to come out because of the
show.
PW: It's got to feel amazing to be a part of a project that means so
much to so many people.
Jennifer: [The show] united people and gave them courage to be who they are. That
was extraordinary.