Note to readers: this is another series of articles that I’m going to write once in awhile about The L Word cast members and what are they doing now. The articles will consist of short updates and interviews, when possible.

Part 3: The L Word, L Conventions and future projects

By B&TF

• Part I: Comic-Con, Twitter, and the Internet
• Part II: Projects and appearances

JG: I was so excited when they said it’s going to be Gabby Deveaux. I was like, “Brilliant!” And Guin actually became a friend… talk about a funny lady.

B&TF: Oh, I know. She’s been to a couple of conventions and she’s coming to L6.

JG: Is she?

B&TF: Yeah…we’ll talk about conventions a little later. Speaking of Gabby…you know when the show was on I would go to Vancouver every summer for a short vacation. I called it “My spoiler hunting mission”…

JG: You’re crazy…“spoiler hunting mission” (laughing).

B&TF: I know it was crazy but I always had a lot of fun and always found a little something. When we found out that Papi was coming back in season six there was one rumor that she was going to hook up with someone…

JG: Yeah, well she’s got to hook up with someone because that’s what she does.

B&TF: Well, fans were speculating but I don’t think Gabby was even mentioned.

JG: That’s why they did it. It was an unexpected choice.

B&TF: It was really funny to watch, especially Tasha and Alice’s reactions.

JG: I remember the first time Rose and Leisha worked together, they couldn’t stop laughing. They just had so much chemistry and it was always like a giggle fest. They really do have something that is pretty special.

B&TF: Was there a lot of improvising going on?

JG: Oh, Leisha improvised a lot and Mia improvised the most, I would say. They’re flippin genius at it. Everything they say was just golden. How do they do it…

B&TF: Well, we talked about convention a little. It’s another thing I learned from twitter…I guess twitter is not that bad because I got a lot of information from it…

JG: (laughing) See?

B&TF: Sean Harry from Starfury tweeted that he had a meeting with you about future conventions…

JG: Yes, yes…I met with Mr. Sean Harry.

B&TF: So, what convention will you attend? L6 or L7?

JG: I will neither confirm nor deny...

B&TF: It will be cool if you appear as a surprise guest at L6.

JG: You have to ask Sean.

B&TF: I just might. Well, if you gonna be a surprise guest we’ll just be surprised. As you remember, I told you before that people really enjoyed you being at L5, especially as the auctioneer.

JG: Yay! I had a blast.

B&TF: They even signed a petition for you to be an MC at L6.

JG: I know, I saw that petition! That whole weekend was so moving. I brought my mother and everybody was so warm to her and it was just beautiful experience.

B&TF: When I talked to you at L5 it was right at the beginning of the convention and now, after you had the full experience what are your feelings about it?

JG: We’ll never forget that convention. That will be with me forever. I went in thinking, “No one’s gonna talk to me. They will be like, ‘Oh, Jennifer and Laurel’ and then they’ll be like, ‘Papi who?’” I mean, I’m so honored to have a fan, let alone more than one (laughing). It’s a crazy concept to me. When I became an actor I didn’t get into the industry to have people love me. I got into it to create. I knew that The L Word was going to be a career changer but I didn’t know it was going to be a life changer. It’s been an emotional and very powerful experience to be a part of this community. People have been supportive, like they were in Blackpool. It’s such a crazy unexpected part of my life.

B&TF: Were you involved with any of the LGBT issues before the show?

JG: Not in a huge way. But I’ve always had gay friends, I've always felt “alt”. I’ve always been supportive of the community, but not in the heightened way I am now.

B&TF: I read an interview with Jennifer Beals once and she said that she knew about the LGBT issues but she had never been really involved in them, so when she started doing the show she realized that there’s so much she didn’t know and she’s much more involved now, like going to events and offering her support.

JG: Absolutely.

B&TF: And do you feel like people know who Papi is now?

JG: Yeah. In surprising ways. Even at the panel that I did at Comic-Con… the place was crazy packed, we only had time for one question and a girl came up to the microphone and said, “I love you, Papi.” And I, as Papi, was like, “I love you too, girl.” It was so funny. I was like, “Really? Really?” (laughing). Part of it is that I still feel so completely anonymous when I walk around. No one recognizes me. Unless I’ve got the Papi swagger goin’ and cornrows in my hair, then no one is going to recognize me, which is a huge blessing because again, that’s not why I’m doing this. So I forget, and then when you do something like Blackpool, it’s the antithesis of normalcy.

B&TF: So you would definitely consider doing it again?

JG: Absolutely. If they want me to come back I would absolutely go back. I’m sure my mother would want to come again, too. Every single one of those girls at Blackpool left an impression on us, we would definitely go back.

B&TF: And your mom was wonderful at L5…

JG: She was great, wasn’t she?

B&TF: Oh yeah, especially when you were doing Q&A together and everybody were asking questions about you that only mothers would know.

JG: Yes, right (laughing).

B&TF: Did you bring her for support?

JG: No, I just said, “Come to this thing with me, let’s have fun” and she flew in from Chicago and I flew in from LA. I really don’t have much to hide and I was open armed. “This is my mother, this is who I am.” (laughing). For me, it was how gentle and how respectful fans were. How much they appreciated her not only accepting the community but supporting them in the way that she does. No one understands the love between mothers and daughters more than… well… mothers and daughters. A kind of power exists in this community, because the intricacies of love are understood.

B&TF: Well, I hope you will come back.

JG: I would definitely come back.

B&TF: You twittered about Jennifer Beals’ upcoming book…

JG: Yeah, we actually talked about it when we were in Blackpool. Her photography is absolutely beautiful, just gorgeous.

B&TF: Yes, judging by the few photos they posted on OurChart and I remember one time I asked her if she will ever consider doing a book and she said no at that time.

JG: Now she’s definitely doing it. Let’s see what she said to me (checking her email)…so the proceeds are going to several charities but right now it’s the Matthew Shepard Foundation and Mia’s "I Live Here" Foundation. “All of the proceeds are going to charity”. ALL of ‘em. That’s rad.

B&TF: Why I was asking because if it was an actual book, there’s this Convention in Australia next January…

JG: Oh yeah, I heard about that. You know, people have been asking if I’m going but I’m like, “I’m not, none of the promoters had asked me.”

B&TF: They announced three people so far, Laurel, Rachel and Marlee Matlin…

JG: Oh cool, that’ll be a really good convention.

B&TF: This is Marlee’s first convention, which is really exciting because she’s such a hilarious and nice person.

JG: She’s so funny, my God.

B&TF: And she’s bringing her interpreter, Jack. He’s doing such a great job. I did some googling and found out that when he was first assigned to Marlee, he was supposed to help her with shopping in New York.

JG: And then they just clicked?

B&TF: Yep and they’ve been working together ever since.

JG: Rock.

B&TF: So the convention organizers are going to announce three more cast members, I’m not sure who. I know they were panning to ask Jennifer to come. If she’ll go she could print her books and bring to the convention, she could easily sell them there to raise money for charities.

JG: Whether she goes or not, I’d definitely mention it to her. Good call.

B&TF: Thanks…well, I have a few more questions. Have you ever thought about writing or directing something?

JG: Absolutely. I’m more into producing actually. I’m not a good writer (laughing). There a lot of things that I know I am good at, but I am not a good writer. I would definitely direct. I think I have a lot more to learn before i do, though. I feel like I just got here, I feel like I’m just starting. I know that’s crazy, but that’s how I feel. That’s one thing I think I learned from Pam Grier, actually. It’s not that she told me this but I had just realized this about her. She has such a sense of newness about her. She feels brand new. She's had the longest career but she's still invigorated and excited. I still feel like that and I hope to have that through the rest of my life.

B&TF: She’s coming to L6, you know.

JG: Oh yes, that’s right! She’s so much fun.

B&TF: You mentioned before that you got into this business to be artistic and creative…

JG: Yes, to build characters and transform.

B&TF: Did you always want to be an actor?

JG: No, no. I thought I was going to be a musician and then somewhere in high school I was like, “Oh shit, I wanna be an actor” (laughing). I felt like I was starting so late in this pursuit. I started playing piano at six and percussion later and I was training really hard. I really planned on being a musician. Then suddenly, I felt like I was going off into the world having not honed my skills at all. It was a really scary realization to make half way through high school.

B&TF: How’re the things with the music going?

JG: Great. I have so many different random projects that I kind of have my fingers in right now. You definitely be hearing more on that later as things progress.

B&TF: So what are some future projects that you have planned?

JG: Well, the finale of The Cleaner is coming up. I also did a little independent with a friend of mine, Ravi Patel, who also has a new show on Fox that airs next year after “American Idol”, called “Past Life”.

B&TF: Good spot, right after “Idol”.

JG: I know, right? I was at his panel at Comic-Con and I was like, “Ravi, you’re right after Idol, it’s going to be heeeuge.”

B&TF: So it’s a new series?

JG: Yes, it’s a new series on Fox and it deals with past life. Past life regression, therapy, all these things. And they’re solving crime by going though people past life. It’s very interesting. And Ravi and I did this indie called "Men, Interrupted" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1470666/). And it’s funny, funny, funny. Also all my friends have great things going on right now and I’m so excited for them. Like my friend, Christina Cox. Her show airs Sunday at 10/9c on ABC and CTV. It's called “Defying Gravity”. She’s playing an astronaut. I can't even take it. It’s a show I would actually watch even if my best friend wasn't on it. It’s doubly awesome.

B&TF: Are there some shows on TV that you’re watching regularly?

JG: Totally. I just marathoned “Lost” and I finished it so we can actually talk about it.

B&TF: I love this show. I did a marathon of the first four seasons and then watched season 5 when it was on. What do you think about the ending?

JG: I thought it was interesting that they were like, “Did you ever think that maybe the nuclear bomb is the incident?” Everybody was thinking it but then they still did it.

B&TF: I hope Elizabeth Mitchell's character is back.

JG: Yes…oh, I just saw her at Comic-Con. She’s gorgeous. And there’s so much time-travel and now we don’t even know if Locke is actually Locke…argh…but I’m totally into it. The good thing is that they said “ok we're doing this for only so many seasons” So we know they had the chance to sit down and plan the rest of the show, and I don’t feel like we're following them blindly. There’s actually reason for everything.

B&TF: I read that they already knew the ending and only a few people knows about it. Anyway, what else is new for you?

JG: What else is going on? I have a few projects that I’m helping to develop that I don't want to talk about yet (laughing).

B&TF: Well, hopefully we’ll see you at another L convention.

JG: You never know. My life is changing all the time. I have big picture plans but then I don’t even know where I’m going to be next week. Actually, that’s not true. I know I’m going to be in San Francisco next week (laughing). And I might be going to the Singularity University (http://singularityu.org/), which is really cool. Harry Kloor, the creator of “Quantum Quest”, the movie that I did, is a founder and professor there.

B&TF: Why are you going there?

JG: Fun (laughing).

B&TF: I thought you’re going to study.

JG: Oh my God, don’t put it past me. I was hanging out with Harry, who we call “Doctor Doctor” because he’s got two PhDs, which he studied for simultaneously, you know…as you do (laughing). He was talking about some of his studies and I was salivating because sometimes I just want to leave everything behind and go back to school and study something out of my current brainspace. Part of me goes, “Get an MBA”; part of me wants to learn how to fly a helicopter, but another part of me goes, “I should write a one-woman show”, so… (laughing). I have a few lives ahead of me.

B&TF: Okay, last question. I heard that you went to India a few years ago. Have you travelled a lot and what is your favorite place to go?

JG: Hm. I travelled extensively growing up. My parents dragged us all around the world because they were adamant about culturing us and letting us know that there are something other than America. And it makes a lot of sense, actually, because it was such a part of my early childhood development…different cultures, different sounds, different people. All of those things are now in my work. It makes me feel like I’m a child of the world as opposed to just American. I mean, I'm incredibly American, but I also have a sense of “other”. I think travelling is the thing that made me good at picking up accents. This is weird: when I was in Greece I could actually read Greek. I don’t understand how that happened. But for now? Well, I just recently “east-coasted”. I bounced from New York to Philadelphia to D.C. to Maryland and back to New York and I had a crazy blast. I need to spend some serious time in New York. New York feels to me, now, the way Chicago felt to me when I was 18 and hanging around these older actors that I respected and wanted to be like when I grew up. Note to self: I need to do a project in New York. I just really enjoy traveling, I like unexpected trips. I’m the girl that says, “Where are you? Ok, I’ll meet you there.”

B&TF: Yeah, just let me get into my private jet…

JG: Yeah…that, by the way, is the only way to fly.

B&TF: You have a private jet?

JG: Oh please, I don’t have a private jet (laughing)! I’ve just been on ‘em. It’s ridiculous. I was on a Citation X that goes 92% mach speed? Um, ok, I'll admit it, it’s pimp (laughing). Anyway, I’m definitely someone who could run away for an extended period of time and go learn something, come back and be like, “I know how to do this random thing now!” I don’t have enough time right now because I’m so obsessed with making something of myself, but as soon as things get to the point where I have down time? I’ll probably end up going off the grid. If I hadn’t found theatre in college, I would probably have been a linguistics major. One day I might run away, live amongst a people foreign to what I know now, learn a culture, learn the sounds and the food, everything about them, become one of them. That’s kind of what I do for a living here, it’s just would be in real life (laughing).