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EXCLUSIVE: Megan Follows talks about her new lesbian role and Anne with an “e”

Mention Megan Follow‘s name to almost any woman who had access to a TV around 1985 or thereafter and you’ll no doubt hear a squeal of delight. And that squeal will go something like, “Oh my God, Anne of Green Gables? I love her!” In the more than 25 years that have passed since Follows played that precocious red-head orphan Anne Shirley, she has kept busy both on screen and stage. And now, in what will undoubtedly grant a major case of wish fulfillment to her lesbian fans everywhere, the 44-year-old actress is appearing as a gay woman in a short film which debuted at Outfest in Los Angeles over the weekend.

Follows stars in Where Are the Dolls, a short film about a woman on a late-night odyssey through the streets of Toronto and herself. Out lesbian filmmaker Cassandra Nicolaou based the piece on the Elizabeth Bishop poem “Where are the dolls who loved me so…” The resulting 7-minute and 37-second short is more of a moody poem in the form of a movie, with sparse dialogue and dreamy visuals. Shot over two days last October in the streets and lesbian clubs of Toronto, Where Are the Dolls has Follows dance and, yes, make out with a woman. Nicolaou first worked with Follows on a documentary on the stage production of Caryl Churchill‘s Top Girls in 2010. She said thought of Follows for her short as soon as she saw a picture of Bishop and noticed a resemblance.

Follows spoke with AfterEllen.com last week about the short film, her career and that beloved “Anne with an e.” AfterEllen.com: I’ve had a chance to watch the short, and I liked it quite a bit. It’s dreamy and interesting. What attracted you to the project in the first place? Megan Follows: Really, my friendship with Cassandra. She had asked me to participate and it was a little bit of a leap of faith in terms of what it was going to be. As you can see it’s somewhat conceptual, based on the poem. The poem is obviously very beautiful. I had known Cassandra through work. She had done a documentary on a theater project I had been involved in.

AE: Where you familiar with the Elizabeth Bishop poem it is based on? MF: Not the whole poem, by any means. I certainly knew of Elizabeth Bishop and bits of pieces of her work. It was more through Cassandra’s interest in this piece and wanting to explore it that I became aware of it. It’s also kind of amazing because it is a very personal interpretation for Cassandra.

AE: Because it is such a dreamy, non-formed piece, how did you get yourself in the mindset of that character, E? What interested you about her journey? MF: You know, it was somewhat guerilla filmmaking for sure. What is interesting is when we shot in the club, the club was live and it was just really a club that was happening. There were some signs that said there might be a film crew walking around and we used a very subtle camera. So we just went into that club and started to dance.

It was pretty funny because it was very, very loud in there. And we couldn’t hear each other over the sound of the music. We had to devise hand signals. So often times my character was dancing with her eyes closed. I would no idea if the camera was still rolling or if they’d moved on to a different shot. A couple of times I got pretty intimate with people who were dancing who had nothing to do with the film. And then I’d be like, “Oh, I’m sorry, I guess we’re not rolling. If you could please get off of me, I have to go find my crew.” [Laughs] So, we had some fun.

AE: Well some people in that club certainly had a good night then. MF: Yes, they did. AE: This is also, of course, a lesbian role. How did that play into, if at all, how you prepared for and approached the role? MF: It seems like there is something holding the woman back. She is inhibited and not fully realizing something of herself. I think that is universal, or at least something I can identify with. Trying to figure out who you are and reaching out for intimacy. It’s an interesting piece because obviously for something that is very intimate — like a sexual encounter in a bathroom — it is also with a stranger so it is complex. She is searching for intimacy and connectedness and doing it in a way where that’s not actually what is happening. It is and it isn’t.

It seems to be in a state of disease with herself, trying to find something and not able to find it yet. And being alone, the piece is about that and the need for connection. I am curious for you, what did you get from the piece?

AE: Yeah, kind of similar. She is obviously searching. She feels held back in certain ways — looking for a connection that she hasn’t had before or maybe had in the past. It is interesting, there’s not very much dialogue. I’ll have to watch it again. It was beautiful, really beautifully shot. MF: Yeah, the cinematographers did a beautiful job. We shot all throughout the night. We’d start at 8 at night wandering the streets in Toronto and in this club until 4 in the morning and then going down to the lake. So it was a journey we all went on.

AE: This isn’t the first lesbian role you’ve played on screen. I recall you appearing on ER as a lesbian friend to Elizabeth Mitchell’s characters several years ago. So it seems you certainly aren’t adverse to playing gay roles. Have you been offered many gay roles in the past? MF: I don’t know if I’ve been offered many. I was in the play Cloud Nine, I’m not sure if you’re familiar with it. But I played three characters in that: Mrs. Saunders, Ellen and Lin. In the first act I play two roles: Mrs. Saunders is a widow having an affair with the lead man and Ellen is a governess who is secretly, absolutely in love with his wife. In the second half, I play Lin who was a lesbian. There’s all different types of gender bending go on in Cloud Nine and different relationships. She’s playing with a lot of those themes. And ultimately it’s about, whatever form it’s taking, it’s about reaching out and being connected to people — straight, gay, parental, whatever the different relationships are in the piece. And that has been my experience.

AE: Well for people who may not have seen you in that, Where Are the Dolls also grants some major wish fulfillment to your lesbian fans, who have long wanted to see you — for lack of a more delicate term — make out with another woman. Have you heard from and are you aware of your lesbian fanbase over the years? MF: It’s funny, I guess I have and I haven’t. I haven’t necessarily distinguished it out as strongly as being a lesbian fanbase. My friend, a documentary filmmaker by the named of Heather Connell, she did a documentary in Cambodia and I narrated the film for her and was the still photographer for her. And she the other day had sent me the post from AfterEllen on the Anne and Diana relationship. She was like, look! And we were having a good laugh about that. AE: I think the Anne of Green Gables story also resonates loudly with gay audiences because of its story of the outsider who fights to be allowed to be herself. At the start of the story she is a person who isn’t really valued in society — an orphan girl — and by the end she’s appreciated for all of her unique qualities and abilities. There are obvious parallels that can be drawn to the LGBT community and Anne’s story. Before you friend sent you that post about Anne and Diana, had you been aware there were people who wished/hoped/pretended that they were a couple? MF: Yeah, that is pretty understandable on that one. That is not a surprise to me.

AE: There are fan videos and fan fiction written about the pairing. A lot of those things that were perfectly normal in that time period can be read subtextually with our modern eyes. Bosom friends, kindred spirits, professing love and asking for locks of jet black tresses. Can you see that interpretation? Can you appreciate that. MF: I can certainly appreciate it. I do think there are probably two distinct things. As you prefaced it, given the time deep intimate relationships were developed particularly between women and between men and other men because there was safety to do that. That is actually where you were developing your real sense of friendship and intimacy and loyalty and understanding. I think that component to that story, and as you said the fact that really you have a character who is not defined by a male. She is not the appendage to man. That made it really stand out that was for more than a century. It is still sadly unique because women are often relegated to the girlfriend or the wife or sexualized in a way by the male.

What was so brilliant about Anne was she was considered trash. She was an orphan, she had hair that they considered ugly, she was freckled. She didn’t allow any of that to prevent her from having a voice and was therefore able to change her community. I think that is something that all women are craving. And especially for young women to see that kind of role model contributed to the success and continued success of that character. I don’t know, there have always been questions about that author and what her personal journey was herself. There has been speculation to that, her own journey. So that would color people’s perceptions of those relationships within the book. AE: Obviously the character of Anne Shirley is beloved. Does the endurance of your performance in that particular production surprise you? It’s been over 25 years since that first aired but I am sure you are recognized all over the world for that role still. MF: I think it is a testament to a lot of factors that came together that allowed us to be true to that story and that character when we did it. An incredible crew, a great cast — Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth and other actors who came together — and I guess I get to acknowledge myself in that. It was great writing. It was really wonderful to be able to play that.

She had a lot of defects, too. It’s easy to over generalize. When we look back, it seems sort of fairy tale like. But the truth is this was a kid with a terrible temper, she broke slates over people’s head if you called her the wrong name, she told adults in her day that they were mean, fat and ugly and “I hate you.” And she screamed that when she lost her temper. All of those things you think, “Yeah, right on, I’d like to tell that bitch that.” But this was for a book that came out in 1908, that this girl had expression of her emotions was probably astounding. That’s why it’s enduring.

AE: There’s actually talk of L.M. Montgomery’s family remaking the book again. Do you feel possessive of the Anne character or interested in seeing another interpretation? MF: No, I do not feel possessiveness. With any great piece of literature and character, especially one that existed before you, you borrow other people’s lives. Working a lot in the theater you get graced with spending time with incredible characters whether it’s Nora in A Doll’s House or Masha in Three Sisters and this last play I did written by Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad. It’s kind of a wonderfully delicious thing. But there is an understanding too that it is like a library. You don’t own them, you need to put them back, you need to let go of them. Because they’re bigger than you. At least that’s the way I see it.

AE: You’ve stayed active in film and TV and particularly now theater. Is there a medium you prefer? MF: No, I mean I love them all. What I like is good writing. One does not always get that, or one gets bits of that. But good writing can be found in any and all mediums. The thing with the theater, especially these classical pieces, is you’re working off these enormous texts that are daunting and so much bigger than you that you are always reaching for something. It is a very different process that way.

I think television now is actually better for women than it’s ever been, and better for women as they’re getting older. It’s quite tragic, because as we know the older you get the more you have to offer, the more you have to contribute. And there is a richness to that which we’ve always allowed for with men. There is a depth of character or wisdom or experience that is intriguing. That is sexy because it is life and experience. And we’re allowing for more of that now with women. We’re recognizing that more. And that’s exciting as an actor. You really have your own life experience to contribute to your work. So the more experience in life you have, how much more interesting things you can give. The theater always has had an understanding of that.

Yes, there have always been the ingénue roles. Visual beauty has its own incredible power. And I obviously had a lot of my own success when I was younger. So I understand that too, that youth as well is incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing. It’s just an interesting journey you go on as artists. You just want to keep working. That’s the bottom line.

AE: You were just on an episode of the new series Longmire, why do you think television has opened up more for actresses of all ages? Is it just recognition that women are such a large percentage of the audience? MF: Well, I would imagine for purely economic reasons. [Laughs] The dollars and cents of it, the economics of it are allowing for the expression of it. I would be naïve to think that is not the case. And the audience, those are the people who are watching. Because these shows are often cable shows, so the economics of it, it doesn’t have to be tied into who is going to go out to buy the car they are advertising. There is actually a lot of great writing on television right now. AE: You’ve had a long career in an industry not always known for its longevity, particularly for women. Have you seen it from a teenage perspective and your perspective now, how do you think it has changed the most over the years, particularly for female actresses? MF: The main thing that has changed is the playing field. There was a time when there was a real hierarchy. Film was the golden realm. Television was below that for sure. And theater was always its own thing. But that has completely changed. When I started out when I was younger, you could almost be poo-pooed if you wanted to get into the film world. That snobbery doesn’t exist anymore. And the globalization of television and the internet has changed that whole dynamic. You turn on your internet you see major comedians doing these little webcasts. Would you call that a democratization of the industry? In a way there’s something really good about that. It was never really true, that just because something was on television didn’t mean it was any less valid and important and perhaps even more sustaining than film.

And a great example of that is something like the Anne of Green Gables miniseries. Something made by PBS and CBC. That thing has had a huge global impact. It was made very well and very economically at that time. So within that is also the change in the voice and the presence of women, and women of all ages. It is still something that has to be fought for. It’s by no means utopian in terms of an even playing field. But it’s much better because the stories are interesting. We went to such an extreme with reality television, which we still have in abundance, and some of it is interesting and a lot of it is shit. But people are hungry for good stories. Because storytelling is just a huge component of our culture. That’s how we grow. We need stories. That’s how we learn. Give me good stories. If I am going to invest in a television show and its characters and people, I need to relate to them, if I am going to give you my time. Because there is a lot of competition out there and a lot of channels and other things that can get people’s attention. AE: What are things that are on right now that you are interested in? Are there particular shows? MF: Well I am traveling and now I don’t have access to anything. But I did just rent Shame last night. And that was quite something. Jesus. I’m out here in the country with Shame. All kinds of things going on out here.

AE: And you thought your short film role was risky. MF: Yeah. [Laughs] Also Girls. I think it is extraordinary what that young woman has done with her story and I think it is incredibly commendable. I watched the first episode of Newsroom, and I enjoyed that. I like Veep, and I think it’s f–king really well written. It’s clever and sharp. I enjoyed that. I am a True Blood fan. I love True Blood. I definitely got into Game of Thrones, because I read the books. When I was younger I was not someone who read Anne of Green Gables at all. I didn’t know it until I auditioned for it, I must confess I was that person. I loved fantasy novels. I grew up reading all of the Wizard of Oz, I would have lived in Oz in a heartbeat. But then I loved the Lloyd Alexander Black Cauldron, Narnia, all that fantasy.

Let’s see, what else? I watched some Breaking Bad. I watched a bit on the plane of Downton Abbey and I was enjoying that. And you know what I’ve actually had a blast watching, which my kids turned me onto? Community. I really have had great laughs watching Community, and I wouldn’t have found it through the way it was marketed on TV. I didn’t want to watch it, but my kids Hulued it or downloaded it and we’d sit and watch four episodes in a row and I think it is very funny the writing and acting. So that’s shaking it up there.

AE: Well since you’re a big fantasy fan you should get into the whole fantasy realm. There’s a whole subset and fanbase for the fantasy genre. You could be at Comic-Con right now. You could be at conventions forever. MF: [Laughs] Well, my son was a huge Lord of the Rings fan. But, no — no, thank you.

AE: I know you finished a play in Toronto earlier this year. What’s next on the horizon for you? MF: Next on the horizon is getting my son to college this fall. That’s a big life transitions. I have a daughter already in college. Then I’m doing a remount of The Penelopiad in Toronto and playing Penelope again. I did a little bit in a miniseries that was shot in Hungary last year, World Without End, Ken Follett‘s epic. Cynthia Nixon is in that, and I play a small part in that. That is coming out in September.

And then I did something quite interesting, that I hadn’t done before. I was asked to perform at this festival in Ottawa, a festival of words and music. It was this baroque thing. Christopher Plummer did it the year before, Ralph Fiennes did it before. So I read pieces of The Penelopiad and chose poems from Margaret Atwood as well. And I was working with incredible opera singers singing some incredible arias. Oh, and I’ll also be on (the Nick at Nite series) Hollywood Heights, so that’s a 160 from opera to Hollywood Heights. I did some episodes on that Nick soap opera. AE: Well I have to confess it’s a thrill to be able to talk with you. I was an enormous Anne of Green Gables fan growing up and I even made my family vacation on Prince Edward Island one summer. I really did. I made them visit the house and do all the tourist things. MF: [Laughs] Oh nice! But did you have a good vacation?

AE: I did, it’s really pretty there. MF: It’s a beautiful place.

Where Are the Dolls is beginning its festival run across the United States and internationally, and is working on being picked up for distribution. For more visit the Where Are the Dolls Facebook page.

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