The Wayne Brady Show is taped before a studio audience.

Wayne: Welcome back to the show, folks. Our first guest single-handedly made leg warmers and ripped sweatshirts all the rage, from her work in the blockbuster film, "Flashdance".

[The audience cheers.]

Wayne: I loved "Flashdance"! And the best part is, I've still got my legwarmers to this day.

[The audience laughs.]

Wayne: Now, she's breaking new ground starring in the racy Showtime series, "The L Word". Let's take a look.

[Scene from 1x02 Let's Do It. Bette, Tina, Shane and Alice are sitting at a table at The Planet.]

Bette: (to Alice) Why is it so important for you to believe that everyone is sleeping with everyone else?

Alice: (whispering) Because they are.

Bette: No, that's just your little fantasy. Here is a truly radical idea for you to contemplate: Monogamy isn't just hypothetical. Some people actually do practice it.

Alice: Mm-hmm.

[Bette rubs Tina's back. Alice watches the display.]

Alice: Oh. (nods) Right.

Wayne: Folks, please welcome Jennifer Beals!

[The audience applauds and cheers. The house band plays music. Wayne gets up to greet Jennifer as she walks out onto the stage. They hug; Jennifer waves to the audience and sits down.]

Wayne: Hey, Jennifer Beals!

Jennifer: Your daughter is so gorgeous.

Wayne: Isn't she gorgeous? Ah!

Jennifer: She was giving me fashion tips backstage.

Wayne: Yeah, she likes to dress.

Jennifer: She does.

Wayne: As do you. You are a beautiful lady!

Jennifer: Thank you!

[Several audience members cheer and shout and begin clapping.]

Wayne: (unintelligible over audience)

[Jennifer smiles at the audience.]

Wayne: Now, welcome to the show, and the welcome comes with big congratulations. "The L Word" has already hit. (to audience) Folks, it's been picked up for a second season.

[The audience cheers. Jennifer smiles. Wayne picks up a magazine on his desk. It's a copy of New York magazine, featuring the article on the show and its cast called "Not Your Mother's Lesbians".]

Wayne: And you've been making headlines. This is the, uh, the (laughs) - this is New York [magazine]. And, uh, this is the cover of the magazine.

[Wayne turns the magazine to the camera to show its cover. It's the cover of New York Magazine. The cover has a picture of Laurel, Pam, Mia, Karina, Kate and Jennifer standing behind a sign that reads: "Not Your Mother's Lesbians".]

Jennifer: It's very sassy.

Wayne: It's a little sassy.

[Jennifer chuckles.]

Wayne: You know, I'm kinda mad that you guys cropped me out.

[Jennifer laughs.]

Wayne: Because I was over here. (indicates space to the left of the magazine) It's just weird that you would do that to me. Thanks, Jennifer Beals.

Jennifer: (laughing) Sorry, I had nothing to do with it.

[Wayne puts the magazine down.]

Wayne: Man. So... so what's it like? The show has hit its stride so fast.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Wayne: And has become so popular. Now, do you think it's popular because of just the subject matter? Or, in the sense of, you know, the 'L' word, and everything that goes along with it? What do you think is the cause of the popularity?

Jennifer: Well, I think that, um... I think people can relate to the characters because there are audiences, uh, female and male, young and older, and I think that people can relate to the lives of these women.

Wayne: Mm-hmm.

Jennifer: I mean, for me - I play a character named Bette Porter, and she's been in a relationship with her partner, Tina, for 7 years, and they're now trying to have a baby...

Wayne: Okay.

Jennifer: And... I think a lot of people can relate to wanting to start a family and how do you manage your work with your family and your career with your home life, and I think people will understand that the ways in which we are similar are much more numerous than the way in which we are different. So.

[The audience applauds.]

Wayne: (says something incomprehensible over audience applause.) Now, I feel weird asking this question because I'm an actor and you - you have a role. Just because you play a role doesn't mean that you are what the role is. But. You get stopped by folks on the street, maybe folks that don't know any better, that say, (bad Southern accent) "Hey, is you a lesbian?"

[Jennifer and the audience laugh.]

Jennifer: I'd say, (bad Southern accent) "No, I just play one on TV."

[Everybody laughs.]

Wayne: Good answer! Good answer. So - so I'm assuming that you have been asked that.

Jennifer: (chuckling) Yeah. And I'm not a welder, either. So.

[The audience chuckles.]

Wayne: Which is true. (laughs) Hey, I've got an idea!

Jennifer: Hmm!

Wayne: A lesbian who welds. That could be a brand new TV show.

[Jennifer and the audience laugh.]

Jennifer: (giving thumbs-up) (chuckling) Brand new show.

Wayne: See? Now, was it tough in "The L Word" when you had to do your first scene with another woman? (to audience) Because, folks, I don't know if you've seen it, but, for those of you - it's, uh, it's like the sister show, so to speak, to "Queer As Folk," (to Jennifer) and it's very honest and frank about the relationships and, uh, and the physicality...

Jennifer: Yeah.

Wayne: So, was it weird for you, the first time that you had to kiss and - make love to a woman?

Jennifer: You know what it's like to kiss a woman, right?

Audience members: Woo!

Wayne: No!

[Jennifer and the audience laughs.]

Wayne: Yes, of course! But -

Jennifer: (laughing) I saw that baby backstage!

Wayne: Yes!

Jennifer: I - it was interesting because, I mean, I had never kissed a woman - I don't - you know, I never had a relationship with a woman, and... and I was a little bit nervous about portraying that...

Wayne: Mm-hmm.

Jennifer: ... on television, and I thought, "How do I do this?" And I then realized as an actor, it's a scene.

Wayne: Right.

Jennifer: And not all sex scenes are about sex, not all love scenes are about love. Sometimes, it is about intimacy, and sometimes it is about aggression or possession or trying to make somebody jealous. And I realized that, in this scene, it was really about these two women reconnecting in their relationship, and I thought, well, I - Jennifer - "I know how to love someone, so I know how to play this scene." And, uh, Laurel Holloman who plays my partner, Tina, we just laughed the entire day, and at one point she was, uh, exasperated because the whole scene is choreographed. Every single detail is choreographed. And at a certain point, she said, "I feel like Fred Astaire."

[Wayne and the audience chuckle.]

Jennifer: She said, "I don't" - you know - (smiling) I said, "It is, it's like 5, 6, 7, 8, kiss, 2, 3, 4, roll over, 4, 5, 6." You know.

[Jennifer and the audience chuckle.]

Wayne: Roll over - oh! Kiss, roll over!

[Jennifer and the audience are laughing.]

Wayne: Oh, I might have to write that down in my dance book!

[Everybody laughs.]

Wayne: "Kiss, 2, 3, roll over, do the slappy hand from the back!" (makes a spanking motion)

[Everybody laughs. The audience cheers.]

Wayne: Um, and also, what I love about you and about the show is that, it really does take a certain degree of fearlessness, both as a person, and as an actor, to - to go against what you're not - to say, "Yes, this character will make love to another woman" and not be worried about it. So -

Jennifer: No, I wasn't worried about it, at all. I mean, I - what was interesting is when I was first given the script, a lot of people have asked me, "Were you nervous about it?" and, did you talk to your mother, did you talk to your husband, and I realized that when I read the script, all I saw was a fantastic character.

Wayne: Right on.

Jennifer: You know, that's all I saw. I saw this incredible gift that was being given to me and... and was just excited to celebrate the show.

Wayne: Good answer. Now, going back to "Flashdance," I know you've talked about this so much.

Jennifer: That's okay.

Wayne: Um, the -

Jennifer: You're so cute, I'll answer it.

Wayne: Ohh!

[Jennifer and the audience chuckle. Wayne blushes a little.]

Wayne: Well, well - well, thank you, Jennifer Beals!

[Wayne grins mischievously. The audience cheers. Jennifer laughs.]

Wayne: You might make me wanna flashdance for ya! I don't know!

[Several members of the audience scream and cheer. Jennifer giggles.]

Wayne: Oh, stop! (laughs) Now, it was 20 years ago.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Wayne: Did you have any idea, when you were in the midst of it, that it would be this enduring pop culture phenomenon? That there are - besides those of us that know the film, now there are younger kids who're like, "Yeah, man, I saw it on VH1, and she was dancing, it was great!"

[Jennifer chuckles.]

Wayne: Did you have any idea?

Jennifer: I didn't - I... when I was making the film, I didn't think about it, at all. I mean, I was just trying to pay for college, at the time.

Wayne: Mm-hmm.

Jennifer: That was really what I was concerned about, and it's just kind of extraordinary that it's had, you know, such longevity. But I think it's had longevity because it's really about following your heart's desire. And it's not about, you know, getting a lot of money, or... or anything like that. It's really, uh, it's really about following your heart's desire and expressing yourself in whatever way you see fit.

Wayne: Right on.

[The audience cheers loudly.]

Wayne: (over audience) Well, I'm just happy to you here.

[Jennifer giggles.]

Wayne: It's so good to have you! (to audience) Folks, you can catch new episodes of "The L Word" every Sunday night on Showtime, with the beautiful and talented Jennifer Beals. We'll be right back!

[The audience cheers loudly. The house band plays music. Jennifer and Wayne smile and shake hands. Wayne leans over his desk and gives Jennifer a kiss on the cheek.]

TOP