As their Associate Editor, I recently spoke with The L Word star Laurel Holloman for She Magazine’s December 2007 issue. This is the interview, as it ran in the magazine. You can go to www.SheMag.com to purchase a copy of the magazine with Laurel Holloman on the cover, and read further interviews with newest cast members Alicia Leigh Willis, Kate French and Elizabeth Keener.

By Christina Radish

Laurel Holloman at the GLAAD Media Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. on April 14, 2007.

In Season 5 of Showtime’s hit television series The L Word, dreams will come true and new life paths will be forged for many of the show’s beloved characters, as unresolved romances and a long-simmering film project finally come to fruition. Along with the cast, returning will be the show’s trademark provocative storylines, sizzling sexuality and heart-rending emotion.

For the past four seasons, fans of The L Word have watched Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman) navigate their relationship, the birth of their daughter and their break-up. Now, the two must independently discover what fulfills them, both personally and professionally. Laurel Holloman gave hints about Season 5 to She Magazine, while also talking about motherhood, both on the show and off, and what it takes to make a family work.

What can fans expect from Season 5 of The L Word? What’s in store for Tina, in both her personal and professional life?

Laurel Holloman: There’s a really good storyline with my character, where she ends up producing Jenny’s film. There’s a great antagonistic relationship there. The movie industry, the film, the set and everything, becomes a very important storyline for my character, and a couple other different characters that you wouldn’t expect, but who end up in the movie industry. And, some new characters come in, that are really fantastic, played by Kate French and Malaya Rivera Drew. So, the movie storyline is my character’s strong B-storyline. And, I guess you could say my character is basically single and dating, and navigating that. She’s also navigating her friendship and relationship with Bette. I would have to say, compared to any season, it’s probably my character’s best season yet, although I really loved the first season. It’s just a much more interesting season for me. Ilene has written the best season she’s ever written. It’s very creative, and there was a lot of input by Angela Robinson, who just adds so much humor and great stuff to the show. I just think Ilene knows these characters so well. She directed two episodes, and when she directs, it’s just such a blessing because you get all the answers right there, and things are really smooth. She’s just a very calm personality on the set, which is really great. For me, it’s like a dream. If, for some reason, this is the last season, we’ve definitely gone out really great. But, I hope it’s not the last season. I’m really hoping we have another season.

When Tina started working in the film industry, did you do any specific research into any of that, or did you feel you had that background, just from being an actor?

To be completely honest, I had a lot of that background, just from being in the film industry for so long. But, one of my best friends is a producer, and she’s an indie producer, so I know the frustration of just being a film producer, and being a woman. Tina got the job that Helena gave her, and then proved herself there, so she’s definitely a film executive now. It’s been a really great arc. It’s also been nice for me because so much of the beginning of the character was focused on her having a baby, and so you really never got the history. She was never a kept woman. She always had a job. The relationship was just set up so that Bette’s career was a little more in the forefront. And, when they decided to have kids, Tina took a break. So, it’s really great to see this character have her child, juggle parenthood and have the joy of that, and then watch her career really start to take off. I think she’s in a great place with her career. She’s so fun to play because she’s very different than how everyone else is, in their careers. How she behaves professionally is even different. Sometimes, she’s very unflattering. She definitely plays ball with those really nasty Hollywood types, and she gets a little nasty herself. But, I loved it. It was fantastic to show that this character, who has been struggling, finally has some power. It was exciting to play a woman in that position of power. Ilene has never really explored Tina’s history so much before. Obviously, I’ve created a history, and Ilene knows a lot of the history, but it’s not the history that’s always on screen. You don’t really know her family. I think she’s one of the only characters whose parents you haven’t met, which is interesting because she has a kid. But, I don’t know if it really matters. I think there’s so many great storylines, and there’s so many stories to tell. I think I can do all of that history and deliver this character who has become very flushed out. She’s a lot of fun to play.

With the new additions to the cast each season, is there anything that you and the rest of the cast do to make them feel welcome? When someone new comes in as a new love interest for Tina, do you spend any time getting to know them?

I don’t know if it’s because we’ve been on for five years, but we’re really pretty solid. We’re really tight. I just try to welcome people because I feel like it’s my job, as an actress and as a woman, if this is a show for women, to be as open and professional and welcoming as possible. And, we’re lucky to get the actresses that we get because we learn from them. That’s the best part. We had Kelly McGillis this year, and I remember sitting down, in the read-through, and just as soon as she opened her mouth, there was that power in her voice. She’s a powerhouse of an actress. It was just really refreshing, and such a blessing to have her.

Did you get to have any scenes with Kelly McGillis?

No, I didn’t. I just had the read-through with her. And, I was just happy she was there. She has a lot of stuff with Alice, and with Tasha.

How has motherhood treated you this past year, in your personal life?

Great! My daughter just turned three. She loves Canada, when we’re there, and she has an adventurous little life there. She went to pre-school there, and she had to take the aqua ferry to get there, which was exciting. It’s not every day that your kid can ride a boat to school. It feels like everything is gelling. There are long days on our job, and every once in awhile I miss putting her to bed and giving her a bath, and all of that. But, my husband is an amazing partner, and he helps while I’m shooting. When we’re not shooting, he goes to graduate school and I pretty much do everything with our daughter. We switch roles every six months, which is a wonderful dynamic in our partnership.

Do Tina’s parenting styles reflect your own, in any way? Are you similar in your approach?

No. Tina’s much more Hollywood than me. She’s got more nannies, and she’s got better high heel shoes. She’s got more time to go have a cocktail with her friends and hang out in the coffee shop. I don’t have that time, in reality. But, it’s a TV show. I do think maybe Tina and I are similar, in that we have a relaxed parenting style. I think Tina would take the time to try to get to know her daughter and not try to force anything upon her. From having a little girl, I’m learning that it’s my job to pay attention to her and her personality, and not project myself or my issues onto her. I hope I can do that when she’s a teenager, too.

Do you feel that having your own child has really helped you, in working with a child on the show?

Yeah. Since we both have children, Jennifer and I really get a kick out of working with Olivia, who is now very vocal and talkative. She wants to talk in the middle of the take, all the time. But, she’s so bright, smart and aware. It’s just amazing to work with her. It’s very improvisational. It’s hard to create parent-child intimacy. One time, I picked her up, and we went through a whole take, with Ilene directing, and just got her to really be intimate, in that moment. She talked to me and we snuggled a little bit, and we were so thrilled. Children are not fools. She knows who her mommy is. She’s also the same age as my daughter. They’re about two weeks apart. So, that ease of knowing what it’s like to have a child that age and being comfortable, made me very comfortable in the scene, and sometimes we get some really good stuff because of that. I think the same happens with Jennifer, too.

Can you talk about the upcoming storyline with Tina and Bette, and the rigorous pre-school admissions process for their daughter? And, did you have a similar experience with your own daughter?

Everyone told me it was a nightmare to get your child into pre-school in L.A. I don’t know why, but we got in everywhere we wanted and we had great choices. I only really applied to three places. I don’t know if that was because I’m on a show, or because I just picked the right type of school. But, I’m so happy for where my daughter is going to school, and she is really happy. I do think that L.A. can be like that, and I hear New York is like that. The storyline has a lot of humor. Ilene really shows that dynamic of people getting very caught up in schools. My take on it is that, ultimately, there is a school for everyone and you’ll find it. But, I think Tina and Bette have different styles of how they would find it, even though they ultimately have the same values. Bette and Tina end up very much on the same page. They do not argue about parenting. That says a lot for who they are.

When you originally shot the pilot for the series, did you know then that you would still be here, five seasons later?

No, I had no idea we’d still be here. I’m so thrilled. I’m blown away. But, there was a moment, after we made the pilot, when I sat down and watched it and thought, “Wow, this is something special. This is really great. Maybe this is going to stick around. Maybe it’s time. We need this show.” That’s what I felt like.

What is the one thing that Tina has done, throughout the course of the series, that has surprised you the most?

There’s not any one thing that she’s done throughout, but there’s definitely some behavior. I think the thing that I had the hardest time wrapping my brain around is how loose the boundaries are with this group of friends. Tina is around Bette and Jodi (Marlee Matlin) a lot, so she’s always around her ex and her ex’s new girlfriend. Personally, I couldn’t do that, but I hear that that can happen a lot, in a group of friends, especially when people start changing partners. So, that surprises me. The lack of a boundary between Bette and Tina blows my mind. But, at the same time, it’s a show and it’s great drama. And, it does exist.

What are some of the biggest changes that you’ve seen in Tina, since the show started?

You’ll see some changes this year. I think she’s more self-confident. She’s more comfortable in her skin and with her sexuality. There are moments where she’s nervous about her work situation, but she’s done her homework and she’s ready. She’s having what Ilene called a late bloomer thing. She’s really blossoming. For an actor, that’s a great thing to play. She didn’t get all the career accolades in her late 20's, but she’s getting them now.

With Tina dating again, what do you think she would do different this time, when starting a relationship?

I think she would maybe move a little slower, on an emotional level, even though I don’t know if she’d move slower on a physical level. She’s not as co-dependent, and she’s looking for someone to take care of her anymore. She’s definitely taking care of herself. In general, I don’t think she’s a person that loves to date and play the field. She needs to really be inspired by somebody, and she’s fairly picky. She’s had a major love in her life, and that’s always hard. Bette would be the love of her life, for sure.

Unlike Tina, you’ve really made your own family work. What do you think you’ve done differently than your character, and what has been the secret to making your relationship work, as opposed to the problems that she’s had?

My husband and I don’t communicate the way Bette and Tina communicate. Basically, they don’t communicate at all, but they’ve started to, and that’s been fun to play. My husband and I try to communicate in our partnership, and we try to step into each other’s shoes and see what the other person is feeling, and that’s a really hard thing to do. It’s always easy, in partnerships, to look and see what you’re not getting, instead of focusing on, “Wow, what are they going through right now? How hard is it for them?” That’s a very hard thing to do. And, there are times when storylines or situations do overlap, or they come close to my own partnership. You go through different phases. When I first started the show, my husband worked a lot more than I did. And then, after I did the show, he had a phase where he had a career change, so I had to be very patient with that. Now he’s becoming an architect and going to graduate school. There are lots of changes, and you have to be able to change and grow with each other. Sometimes, like in Bette and Tina’s case, you also have to grow apart, in order to find yourself. I think Tina had to be outside of that marriage to grow up. And, I think Bette has grown from it, too. Personally, I think Tina was squashed, but it was her fault too because she glommed onto Bette’s identity, at times.

Looking back at all the guest appearances and characters that are no longer on the show, is there anyone that you particularly enjoyed or wished that you could have kept around a little longer?

I loved Anne Archer’s character. I didn’t have a lot of stuff with her, but I thought she was hysterical. And, I really loved Kelly Lynch. I hoped Tina would have an affair with Ivan, but it didn’t happen. I think a lot of girls felt that way. Kelly’s very talented.

When the series started, one of the biggest issues for viewers was a lack of connection with the characters because they didn’t feel that they really saw themselves reflected in them. Do you feel that the show has found a better balance now?

I do think the show has found a better balance. It’s so hard to please everybody, and it’s always hard to please the ladies. The first thing should have just been a celebration that we’re here. We were on the air, on a network, and we were going. You have to collaborate with the network and navigate your way through it, and I think Ilene has done a really beautiful job of incorporating a lot of different characters. Ilene writes freely and is creative, in that way. She doesn’t create cookie-cutter characters. To some people, we were very glossed over, at first, but it was also set in Los Angeles. Ilene wanted to show a group of women in L.A., and I’ve seen a group of women very similar to us. It’s there. But, the show has found a better balance. If you were to shoot The L Word in Brooklyn or Chicago, you would have a different show. L.A. is another character on our show, for sure.

Do you consider yourself a workaholic? Do you like to look for projects to do when you’re on hiatus from the show, or do prefer to spend that time with your family?

I’m probably painfully unambitious, especially now that I have a daughter. I feel very trusting of the universe because, since I did Two Girls in Love, I’ve worked very steadily, and I’ve worked on things that I’ve really liked. I have trouble working on things that I don’t like, and I have trouble doing things that I’m not passionate about. I’ve never been the kind of person that can go, “Oh, I’ll go shoot that for the money.” It doesn’t click so well for me. But, as I’ve become a parent, when I don’t have security for my family, I might reassess that. I feel like the right thing will come along, after this. There’s some time, right now, that I get with my daughter, that is irreplaceable. And, I also feel like my self-worth doesn’t come from my being an actress.

Do you have any desire to go back to doing theater, at some point?

I would love to do a play. I joke with my husband, “After you get out of graduate school, I get to do a play.” But, we’ll see how that all unfolds. I miss it. I mostly just miss New York. I felt very much a part of the independent film community there. Although I didn’t make tons of money, none of that really mattered because I felt like I was part of something special. Going to Sundance a lot was fun. I tried to focus on the things I was asked to do, and the things I’ve gotten to do, and not focus on the things I got close to, but didn’t get. That can get you into trouble. And, I focused on the question mark of not knowing what was going to happen next. Sometimes, that’s a great place to be in.

Is there a type of project, or a dream role, that you’re still hoping to play, but haven’t gotten a chance to yet?

I got a little taste of it when I did Angel, but I’d love to do the TV version of The Brave One and play the Jodie Foster part. That would be my ideal role. I just connect to that. I probably connect to grief too much. I’m always moved by people in situations that are either going through loss or grief. Their behavior changes completely, and I’m interested in that journey, psychologically. That’s probably why I liked the first season of The L Word so much.

When do you expect to know whether there will be a sixth season for the show?

With the writers’ strike currently going, everything is a huge question mark right now. I would hope we’ll find out sometime in the middle of our season, or maybe after it’s done. But, I still don’t really know. Of course, my fingers are crossed because I think one more season would be nice. This season is much better than last year. I think it’s going to be an interesting journey for the Bette and Tina fans, and a lot of fun.