Meredith McGeachie Interview - Part 2

L-Word.com: What is it like to be actually part of a television show that actually has such a great social influence? Our web site has grown up after the show, we're are now bigger than the Showtime's web site (due to the community that has emerged from watching the show).

L-Word.com: What it has done is it has actually brought people from all over the world. We are on season two DVDs (bonus features), as well, the web site is. It is about stories of how people.. We have people on L-word.com who write to find others to talked to who come from countries where actually they can fear for the lives.

Meredith: There are three women here (at the convention) who could get stoned to death (for being lesbians).

L-Word.com: I think the thing is for the site that there is a whole section on becoming gay.

Meredith: You guys mean that this can happen anytime. Like this is two days but you guys have enabled them to be able to at any moment..

L-Word.com: And they have people to talk to and that is a big thing. Gays and lesbians are so accepted in the UK. It is going to be legal for us to have gay marriages in December. And we watch America moving backwards.

Meredith: I am not sure that they are moving backwards, and this is just me telling myself this. I know that I am a naïve child but I cannot live in the world if it is the case. You know how when something big is happening and the world is changing, on an individual level, and again I am doing what I do as an actor. I am bringing it down. Do you know how you get so scared and resistant to things even if it is the most exciting, the biggest trip you have ever taken and before? Yet you still don't want to go? I feel like that is what is happening to America. America is like five years old, and the world is changing. It is changing there. There is a female president on TV. There is us (the L word). Gay people are on almost every TV show...at least somebody who knows somebody, they may not be the main character. One of the most popular sitcoms has gay characters. So I believe the last election, and I have to believe it because I cannot live in a world that it is not like this, was a reaction to that. Scared.. "Mommy I don't want to go." It is the dragging their heels kicking and screaming into the future. It is happening, it is happening, it has to be happening.

L-Word.com: It is quite interesting in talking to Laurel who is wanting to be a Canadian citizen.

Meredith: I know.

L-Word.com: I mean that is very telling when somebody would actually ...

Meredith: Leave her country. I know a lot of people who say that. As you were saying do we know what kind of scrutiny we are under, I think the responsibility and the privilege is pretty apparent. I do not think that anybody.. certainly I can't...I certainly feel that way, like very strongly. And that is why I sort of go "Wow. At the worse let them hate me if they need to hate me," you know what I mean. Whatever. There are bigger and more important things in the world than whether people like me. I would really like them to, like Tonya, but whatever. And most of them laugh, you know. If nothing else they laugh, and it is nice to take some of the weight off the pain of it.

L-Word.com: Well, yeah. That was one of my definitions of the role as well. I think the way that Bette is having way dramatic moments and then having to lighten things up, and I think you needed a character like Tonya to do it.

Meredith: Because Leisha cannot do it all by herself. And you can't have it be from the inside that much.

L-Word.com: One of the things criticisms of the show is that it is not representative of lesbians.

Meredith: It is not a documentary. It is a celebration. So there is some fantasy, there is some nightmare.. and that is what is so great. I agree with you. I think that is really important. I think it is important it is not trying to be.. that is what I love about it. It is not a hard-hitting documentary. It is not like "Face this truth!"

L-Word.com: A large part of the audience for the show is gay. But straights watch the show, as well. Some have a stereotypical view of us that is not totally accurate. And if things are going to change people have to understand the problems we have. They have to have a show like this to help understand.

Meredith: Absolutely. And make it less scary. And like I said to .. it should not be a big deal, I love that I am a part of it, and now that it is a big deal, but it won't be a big deal soon. It is just going to be another show. And I love being part of it. But I am so excited that soon it won't matter. I cannot tell you how many lesbians I auditioned for last pilot season. Every TV show. It was like, "Oh, you get it now. You get it."

L-Word.com: But do you think it is because it is chic?

Meredith: Of for sure, for now. What that does is breeds the acceptance. The acceptance comes by accident. Let them think it is cool right now. Let them to it because of that. Because by accident what they do is they just put it up there more so then it stops being a disease and it starts being brown hair. Stops being religion and starts being..

L-Word.com: One of the things we asked the others is to give us an adjective to describe other cast members.

Meredith: Oh come on now.

L-Word.com: Laurel couldn't do it. She could not do it in one word. We have like about six adjectives.

L-Word.com: Jennifer.

Meredith: Cast members people or ..

L-Word.com: Jennifer not Bette.

Meredith: Swimming.

L-Word.com: Have you actually heard the commentary on the season two DVD.

Meredith: No.

L-Word.com: Erin, Kate and Leisha do. That is one of the things they actually mentioned.

Meredith: What?

L-Word.com: Jennifer, before she comes into work every morning she gets in an 8-mile run, she swims a little. She does a complete workout.

Meredith: She and I started swimming together. We would swim almost every day.

L-Word.com: Laurel?

Meredith: Laurel ... mom. Jennifer ... mom.

L-Word.com: Yeah. I suppose she is now isn't she?

L-Word.com: Erin?

Meredith: Smart, funny, funny, smart.

L-Word.com: Leisha?

Meredith: Hysterical. Genius. Hysterical.

L-Word.com: Genius? That is interesting. That is the second time we have had genius for Leisha.

Meredith: Yeah, well, because she is.

L-Word.com: Mia?

Meredith: Good photographer.

L-Word.com: That is a new one.

L-Word.com: Pam?

Meredith: Sweetheart, lovely, kind, generous sweetheart.

L-Word.com: Meredith? Or how you would like to be perceived.

Meredith: Oh gosh. Canadian.

L-Word.com: Kate?

Meredith: Kate ... Surfing.

L-Word.com: Rachel?

Meredith: Rachel ... friend.

L-word.com would like to thank Meredith McGeachie for the interview.

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