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Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. (February 5, 2010)

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

Stevie Nicks, airport security, Maxwell’s alleged hotness, and TP’ing Bush’s house in Texas – all of these topics and more were tweeted about by queer women in entertainment this week.

Here are some of the highlights:

If you come across tweets that you think we should feature in “Tweets of the Week” or if you find (verified) Twitter accounts for out lesbian/bi women in entertainment who you think we should follow, please send us that info at [email protected].

– by Karman Kregloe

 

THIS JUST IN: JULE BENZ GETS CLOSE WITH DANA DELANY ON “DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES”

Julie Benz has an eclectic resume, but most AfterEllen.com readers know her as Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel or, most recently, as Rita on Dexter. (Caution: Spoilers ahead if you are a Dexter fan who isn’t caught up on season 4.).

Her latest role, as of last week’s episode of Desperate Housewives is as a stripper named Robin who befriends Susan (Teri Hatcher) before quitting her job and moving in with her. We found out this week that Benz’s character is a lesbian who will fall for Katherine Mayfair (played by Dana Delany). As of now, Benz isn’t sure how much longer Robin will be around Wisteria Lane, but she’s hoping it’ll be for more than just one kiss.

AfterEllen.com: How did you get the gig on Desperate Housewives? Have you always liked the show?

Julie Benz: I’ve always been a huge fan of the show — I’ve seen every episode. Pretty much the way this went down was, literally the day after the Dexter season finale aired, I got a phone call asking if this was something I’d be interested in doing, and I was like “Sure! Of course!” And it was funny because my manager was like, “You’re going to be playing a stripper.” And I said, “OK!” And he said, “And you’ll be a lesbian.” “OK!” He was like “OK!”

To me, it’s like, how different from Rita on Dexter! And what a fun way to come on to a show. I think people were expecting my character to break up somebody’s marriage, and here I’ll have this great romance with one of the women on the show. That interested me as well.

AE: So is Robin a lesbian? Is that how she would identify herself?

JB: Yes.

AE: What about Katherine? Is that going to be something difficult for her as a straight woman to think of herself as bisexual? Is she confused?

JB: I don’t know a whole lot about the storyline, but from what I do know, it is going to be a part of Katherine’s journey to figure out. “What is this?” Katherine has had quite a history of dating men that haven’t turned out to be very good for her. I think the question you have to ask yourself in real life is, if you connect with somebody, why let gender, religion or race get in the way. I think that’s the struggle, the challenge that she has.

AE: How do you feel about playing a lesbian? You haven’t played one before, have you?

JB: No, I haven’t. You know, I would say Darla on Angel was pretty much asexual. I didn’t have any love scenes or anything but there was some insinuations of stuff between Darla and Druscilla.

AE: I’m sure some Angel fans could definitely read into the subtext.

JB: For me, it’s an interesting character. Robin is just a really wonderful spirit. It just so happens she’s a lesbian. She’s a really wonderful spirit. She’s got a good soul and a good heart and that’s what they said to me about the character. And she’s not going to come in and wreck someone’s marriage on the show. It’s been done before.

AE: Desperate Housewives has previously had a lesbian kiss and people thought it was a ratings stunt. Do you think this will be different because there will be a relationship developing out of it?

JB: Yeah it is different because there is a relationship developing out of it.

AE: Well that’s good to hear, especially for you because you don’t know how long you’ll be on the show for.

JB: Yeah, I don’t know. I hope it lasts forever! It’s a great place to go to work. I’ve admired the work on the show for so long. I’m a huge fan and it’s been great. I love the actresses and they’re ones who’ve inspired me in my own work. To be able to go to work everyday and work with these women, it’s amazing. I would love it to last forever.

I think it’s a great story, too. Katherine’s journey is very interesting and it’s current in what we’ve seen with recent years with older women discovering that they’re gay later in life. Like with Meredith Baxter recently — coming out publicly. It’s a very current topic. It’s an interesting thing to explore.

AE: As far as your being killed off on Dexter, do you have any feelings about that? Were you excited to be able to then have the opportunity to go on playing a lesbian stripper?

JB: [Laughs] When I found out I was being killed on Dexter, I didn’t really have the foresight that I’d be a lesbian stripper on Desperate Housewives. I was in shock — I found out right before we shot it. It wasn’t like I had a lot of time to prepare. I was shocked because I loved being a part of the show. I loved playing Rita. I loved working with the cast and the crew and the writers. So it was quite shocking but I got over the initial, “Oh my God, I just lost my job,” you’re able to see it from a storytelling standpoint. It was aggressive storytelling and it needed to be done in many ways.

AE: It seems like Dexter is going to change a lot though, not only with Rita being gone but with the original showrunner leaving as well.

JB: Yeah, I’m sure it will be. I’m sure bringing in a new showrunner. Now that I’ve had the time to mourn the loss of Rita and move forward, it is exciting to go onto Desperate Housewives and play a lesbian stripper.

AE: So do you think you’ll ever go on the pole? I know you haven’t yet.

JB: No, so far Robin’s been fired and trying to find a real job. I’m disappointed because it was being shot at the Purple Rhino which is a famous, famous strip club. I was excited. Like “Oh, so much fun!”

AE: What’s great about it is that the show isn’t trying to make you look like a stereotypical lesbian. You have a sexy job; you’re definitely a different kind of lesbian than we typically see on TV.

JB: She’s so many other things, too. She’s sensitive, forgiving, very kind and has a great sense of humor. And so far, from what I know about the character, she has no hidden agenda. She’s just a really good person.

AE: She’ll be the first person on that show to not have a hidden agenda!

JB: That’s what I love about her, too. She’s a pure spirit. She’s really cool.

AE: Yeah, I love the description of her as a “stripper with a heart of gold.”

JB: I mean, every stripper has a heart of gold!

AE: So, for all the Buffy and Angel fans on AfterEllen.com, I wondered if you had any fun memories about being on either of those sets.

JB: I was in my twenties and it was one of my first real jobs and it was a great place to go to work everyday and explore the character and they really encouraged us to take risks. For me, it was like acting boot camp. And I had so many wonderful friendships come out of that show. I feel like I’ve grown up with so many of the women on the show. Charisma Carpenter and I are very, very close. … It was fun. We’ve grown up together and we support each other through the highs and lows of the industries and our personal lives. That wouldn’t have come about if we hadn’t have done the show.

AE: What show are most of your fans from? Is it Buffy people or Dexter people?

JB: I think they’re all the same. I think the Buffy/Angel people grew up and discovered Dexter. The audience was quite young and I think they evolved into Dexter, like I did. It’s the same fanbase, and it’s the same group. I love that i’ve been able to maintain a footing in the genre world. Those fans will follow you everywhere!

— by Trish Bendix

WORKING THE POLL: CASTING THE ELEANOR ROOSEVELT HBO BIOPIC

This week, Melissa Silverstein (Women&Hollywood.com) tweeted, “Was told that HBO is making a part 2 of Warm Springs to focus on the Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok story. Cynthia Nixon 2 star.”

Exciting! Nixon was nominated for an Emmy for her work in Warm Springs (2005), so the sequel will likely be a top-notch production as well. And now with more (alleged) lesbians! Hickok was a journalist who had a close (and widely believed to be romantic) relationship with the First Lady, so the part will (hopefully) be a juicy one.

Who do you think would make the perfect “traveling companion” for Nixon’s Roosevelt? We have some ideas of our own. See below and vote!

Casting the Eleanor Roosevelt biopic(answers)

In our poll last week, we asked which out female celebrity you’d most like to see make a guest appearance on Glee. The overwhelming favorites were Tegan and Sara as The Foreign Exchange Students. Coming in second place was Rachel Maddow as the Civics Teacher. Clearly, voters were not thinking of all the responsibilities that being kept after class might entail.

LESBIAN VIDEO CLIP OF THE WEEK

Next Friday, February 12, the new web series The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else will make its debut on AfterEllen.com.

Here’s the skinny: “A journalist, nearly dropped by her agent because her work is too smart, political, lesbian and feminist, goes undercover as a glitter-wearing, shoe-obsessed, Cosmo-drinking straight girl.”

Good writing, good acting, good production values equals good times. Check out the trailer:

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Former Gilmore Girls star Liza Weil will guest star on Anyone But Me for several episodes, beginning in February. She will play Dr. Glass, a “pregnant psychiatrist.” In more ABM news, the series recently took home four Indie Soap Awards awards: Best Writing, Best Storyline (Vivian adjusts to her new life), Best Performance by a Lead Actress (Rachael Hip-Flores) and Best Performance by a Supporting Actor (Joshua Holland). Also recognized were Seeking Simone creator Renee Olbert, who won Breakthrough Performance and Venice, which won for Fan’s Choice Award and Best Use of Music.

Are you a fan of Verbotene Liebe and have a question for Sophie (AKA Meike Gottschalk)? We’ll be talking with Meike about her new web series, Emma Stahl, and anything else you want to know about her and the lesbian roles she’s played. Send in your questions to [email protected].

In a recent interview, Archie Panjabi tells us that her character, Kalinda, on The Good Wife may be coming out, but she doesn’t say when.

This weekend we’ll be covering the 15th Annual Xena: Warrior Princess convention in Los Angeles live on the AfterEllen.com blog. It will feature appearances by Lucy Lawless, Renee O’Connor and lots and lots of lesbians.

Out writer Ariel Gore has just published the book Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of Happiness, and she spoke with Time Magazine about what really makes women happy.

So just how close will The Real L Word: Los Angeles be to real lesbian life? Ilene Chaiken tells us all.

This week, we review Missy Higgins‘s film debut in Bran Nue Dae, the homophobia in sports documentary Training Rules, and A Family is a Family is a Family: A Rosie O’Donnell Celebration.

The Oscar nominations were announced this week, and included nods for actors Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire.

Our Great LezBritain columnists talked to on-screen couple Kathryn Prescott and Lily Loveless of Skins about their lesbian fans, their final series together and placing in the AfterEllen.com Hot 100.

EW.com reports reports that Fringe star and lesbian actress Jasika Nicole will be seeing some more screen time on the show next season.

Tila Tequila has officially quit Twitter.

Lady Gaga and out lesbian musician Sharon Isbin picked up Grammy Awards this week.

Tegan and Sara stopped by NewNowNext Music this week to talk about fans, music and projects outside of the band.

Jane’s World creator Paige Braddock was recently in Paris and filmed a video interview (in English with French subtitles) for Yagg.com in which she talked about how she came up with the idea for Jane and friends (and girlfriends.)

Showrunner Linda Wallem recently told us that Julia Ormond‘s character will be in a lesbian relationship in the upcoming season of Nurse Jackie.

Fernanda Cardoso (who is one of the editor/producers of The Real L Word) has just wrapped production on a new lesbian film Bloomington. The website has more information on the 2010 movie, which is about a child actress turned college student who falls for her college professor. (Watch the teaser here.)

Famed lesbian photographer Catherine Opie‘s photos of Los Angeles mini-malls are part of “Urban Panoramas, Opie, Liao, and Kim,” an exhibit that opened this week at the J. Paul Getty Museum in L.A.

Out rapper and former Yo Majesty member Shunda K guests on the new Peaches track “Billionaire.”

The memoir on which The Runaways movie is based, Cherie Currie‘s Neon Angel, will be published March 16.

That’s it for this week! Got the inside scoop on a hot new lesbian/bi actor/musician/TV show/film? Tell us at [email protected]. Check back next Friday for another edition of Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.

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