By Christina Radish

 Ever since The L Word entered homes across the country six years ago, the Showtime drama series has affected the lives of legions of fans. The groundbreaking series has become a pop culture phenomenon, as it brought the lesbian community into the mainstream consciousness, and elicited controversy, pride, empowerment and conversation.

Now in its final season, the direction and goal of the series has always been very clearly defined to provide the lesbian community a voice and sense of place in society at large. Revolving around the lives of a tight-knit group of women living in Los Angeles, who are all trying to navigate and learn from where life and love takes them, the show’s last eight episodes also center around the ultimate demise of Jenny Schecter (Mia Kirshner) and her tangled web that could leave anyone responsible.

Actor/singer Leisha Hailey has spent the last six seasons playing Alice Pieszecki, a journalist and the show’s only self-proclaimed bisexual. The 37-year-old Hailey, who has filmed a spin-off pilot that will hopefully be picked up after The L Word is finished, recently spoke to MediaBlvd Magazine about how the tension in Alice’s relationship with Tasha (Rose Rollins) and frustration with Jenny could make her the killer.

MediaBlvd Magazine> What do you love about Alice?

Leisha Hailey> Oh gosh, so many things. I think she’s so outspoken and honest and, although she puts her foot in her mouth many times, it’s that thing that I wish I had where I’m just off the cuff constantly, and just witty and gregarious. I just love her. She’s just a big light, and I hope that I learned some things from her that I can take into my own life.

MediaBlvd> As you reflect back on the six seasons of The L Word, what stands out the most?

Leisha> What was unique about this cast is that we really did connect, and we really did have a strong bond. Over the whole run, we just really became these characters and this group of friends. For me, it’s just a big picture, like one big arc of development. I’m so happy with how it all came together, in the end.

MediaBlvd> Do you think Alice would want to kill Jenny?

Leisha> No, as far as I’m concerned she didn’t. Alice is falsely accused, in my book.

MediaBlvd> Is the new idea for the spin-off different enough that you’re comfortable going another six years, playing this character?

Leisha> Yes. I wouldn’t have taken it on if it felt like a continuation of the same thing. The fact that Alice is in a brand new scenario in prison, and the characters around her are so strong, scary and intimidating, and there are all these brand new ideas, it feels fresh. I think about what it would be like to be me going to prison, and it would be so insane and hard to deal with that that’s going to be a big, exciting acting challenge.

MediaBlvd> Will some of the other characters come in to visit?

Leisha> I would hope so. If my friends ignored me and didn’t come visit, that would be awful. But, we’ll see.

MediaBlvd> Will she have a group of allies in prison?

Leisha> Sure. A big thing that happens in women’s prisons is that they form families, so I think it’ll be about finding the people that she can trust. Maybe not trust, but survive with.

MediaBlvd> Will Alice hook up everyone’s romantic chart?

Leisha> Alice is still Alice, so I’m sure. As far as I’m concerned, she’ll be running the prison, in about a year.

MediaBlvd> With a show that has made such an impact on both the gay and straight communities, do you have any emotional stories about fans who reached out to you?

Leisha> Gosh, whenever someone says that we’ve touched them or helped them, you just can’t believe it because you’re playing a character. But, you’re representing a community and we all take that responsibility so seriously that I’m glad that the effect has been something positive. I feel like the fans have kept this show alive. Without them, I don’t really know what the life of the show would have been. We reflect them, and vice versa. It’s just this ongoing dialogue between the show and the fans, and that’s been a really wonderful experience, for all of us.

MediaBlvd> When you go to work on a drama, is it hard to imagine that it’s something so much bigger?

Leisha> Yeah. If the spin-off pilot gets picked up, it’ll be a very different situation for me. I definitely love comedy, so it was challenging, shooting the pilot. I wanted to always make the scenes funny somehow, but I couldn’t. It’ll be a big challenge to constantly stick in the drama.

MediaBlvd> What has this ride on The L Word been like for you?

Leisha> It’s been wild. It’s been nothing I ever expected. It’s been much bigger and taken much more of my life, in a positive way, than I ever imagined. I thought it would be a little cult show. I didn’t even know what it would be, but I didn’t think it would be what it is.       

MediaBlvd> Did you ever have any reservations about doing the show?

Leisha> No. The script was great. I was strictly doing music back then, so I had my music manager submit me for an audition. It was a big life change for me, in many ways.

MediaBlvd> Was there one particular storyline for Alice that really touched you?

Leisha> Definitely, when Dana (Erin Daniels) got cancer and died. For me, that was the hardest thing, and the most beautiful thing to go through, with my friend. It was almost like a death because I was saying goodbye to this character, and my friend was going to leave the show and I wouldn’t be seeing her. It just was a big loss, in many ways. It was hard to play because of the storyline, but it was easy because it felt very real.

MediaBlvd> How about from the final season?

Leisha> My arc is that Alice and her girlfriend, Tasha, meet a girl, and they both fancy her a little bit, but they don’t talk about it, so it’s a third-wheel crush. They have a lot of energy when she’s around, and I think that happens to a lot of people in life. It’s about how the couple handles it.

MediaBlvd> And, Alice and Tasha go through couples counseling this season?

Leisha> That was really fun. I forgot about that scene. I loved that

MediaBlvd> Sounds like a juicy last story, with the murder of Jenny.

Leisha> Yeah. We didn’t know what was happening, until the second to last season. They finally revealed what it would be. Of course, we all guessed it, at that point, because it was obvious that we were hating on Jenny pretty bad, through that season.

MediaBlvd> What’s going on with your band?

Leisha> I have a band called Uh Huh Her. It’s hard to say, I know. We put a record out last August, and it’s electronica pop. It’s fun. It’s a whole other side of me. It’s another outlet.