New Interview
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Kate French
tara_40 — 17 years ago(January 30, 2009 04:34 PM)
THE STAR SCOOP:
Tell us about your character, Niki Stevens, on The L Word.
KATE FRENCH:
Niki Stevens is an actress that is hired to play Jenny in her movie that she made last season, and from there Jenny and Niki kind of happen into an actor-director romance, or a showmance as we call them [laughs]. She's young, she's very inexperienced in relationships and people's feelings. Niki Stevens is more of an adventurous kind of fun-loving person who is very caught up in that early 20s party atmosphere. Just kind of living life to its fullest. Needless to say, their relationship doesn't work out last season. This season is kind of the complications that come from once you've ended a relationship and you're still within that group of friends that your ex is in and all that kind of drama. It's still very interconnected. She has a way of getting herself into situations that aren't always the best. She's never mean-spirited. It's always in the best intentions. She's just young. She likes to have a good time. She never misses out on that.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What was it like for you to come into such an established show and environment as The L Word?
KATE FRENCH:
I was so excited. When I got the call that I was going to be joining The L Word cast, I was more than thrilled. It was a role that I had fallen in love with when I had auditioned. It was probably to this day one of the most amazing moments that I've experienced in my career. It was a character that I absolutely loved. When I thought about the cast I was joining, and the acclaimed actresses that I'd be working with, and the fact that it's also an all-female cast is also extremely intimidating. Where there's women, there's a lot of estrogen and a lot of drama can be going on! I was terrified for that more than anything, I think. Once I got there, I was accepted immediately, and everyone treated me like I had been there the whole time. I had a really good experience. As far as the material, I was ready for it. I knew what the show was, and for me as an actress, I felt like it was a way to really explore and be someone completely different, which is the whole point of acting. For me it was a great experience. I was thrilled about the content. I mean, there was maybe a little more nudity than I thought there would be for my character at least [laughs] but you just gotta go for it. I didn't think about that because the most important thing was just portraying the character exactly how she would be, and she was somebody who probably would be naked a lot!
THE STAR SCOOP:
You're no stranger to controversially themed shows. Did you worry about being type-cast having done South of Nowhere?
KATE FRENCH:
I don't think so. I thought about that. I mean I look so girly, and in the relationship, I kind of took over. I was definitely more of the boyfriend in my relationship with Jenny, Mia Kirshner's character. It was funny because I didn't even know that about me! To see that I kind of wore the pantsI don't think so. I feel like acting is all about taking risks and taking on characters that you might not normally play. Although I was associated with South of Nowhere, I didn't play a lesbian in that. Even if I did, I loved representing and being in that kind of relationship. I would never turn down a role if I thought it was important to play again. Some of my best friends are, and I just felt like it was great to be a part of their world, and I learned so much. Relationships are relationships.
THE STAR SCOOP:
It is the last season of The L Word. What should fans expect for the final season?
KATE FRENCH:
It's gonna be interesting. They kind of put a new spin on the last season. I actually don't know how fans will respond to it. I'm hoping they will enjoy it. It has an interesting premise. It's definitely gonna be completely different than any of the other five seasons, which I think is a good thing as well. It kind of makes The L Word go out on a very memorable platform. None of us actually really know how it ends. They shot a few different endings and we did a lot of stuff in front of the green screen, so it really has the opportunity to put whatever behind us pretty much. We had no real idea. I think they did it purposelythey really wanted to keep it very secretive as far as what was going to be the final ending. I actually have no idea. I'm so excited for it to start so I can figure it out as well. This is a very interactive season for fansit's like a murder mystery. The fans become extremely involved in figuring out what's going on. It hasn't lost its charmjust because the tone of it is kind of a little bit darker this season, it doesn't necessarily mean it's changed the whole spin on The L Word and what it's been about the whole time. It should be good.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What will you take away from playing Niki?
KATE FRENCH:
I should enjoy things a little bit more. I'm always so focused on getting things done - playing adult, being very responsible. I love having a good time an