At The L Event cast members attended a general question and answer session. Laurel and Rachel did their session together. This is part one (of three) of their Q&A session. It was a delight to watch them, they clearly have a warm friendship and proved to be somewhat of a comedy duo. I hope you enjoy it.
Q. - For Rachel - what was Helena’s relationship with Tina, was it love was it possession, was it to make Bette more angry? For Tina was it love for her, sex or independence?
Rachel
I played Helena as her falling heavily for Tina, she was falling in love and then I guess she got her fingers burnt, but I know most of you probably don’t see it that way, but that’s how I saw it she was falling very heavily for Tina. I don’t think she ever did anything in order to be nasty to Bette, I don’t think she is malicious. <audience laugh>.
Laurel
<looking puzzled at Rachel> Excuse me?
Rachel
I think she doesn’t allow people to get in the way of what she wants, I don’t think it was a malicious thing, and I don’t think she ever really did anything that was particularly malicious.
Laurel
I think for Tina well it was quite obvious my other relationship was very unresolved and I do think that Tina is not someone who jumps into things. So I think it was something where she was very touched by Helena and she was…..<audience laughs> …..<laughing>…..she was touched by Helena’s sensitivity, excuse me! And I think she felt really beautiful with Helena and I think it was a time in her life after being betrayed that she didn’t feel so beautiful and she was pregnant. there are a lot of complex feelings you feel when you are pregnant that you can’t control. I don’t know if it was love, it might have been a little bit of lust and I think she just wanted to feel loved again and admired in some way and I think she got that from Helena. But I think once she got her independence she realized that she wanted to go back and work on the relationship she had invested so much in, so that’s what happened.
Q. - What do you think of the response you are getting, we’re happy to have you but what do you think of us
Rachel
We think your amazing, I am quite overwhelmed by this, I haven’t ever done a convention before
Laurel
And nor have I
Rachel
And last night when we did the thing up here it was really quite incredible to come out and see everyone. It was so exciting. I was overwhelming it really was. I think you’re all amazing for coming so far to come and see us, it’s very flattering, it’s great, it’s fantastic, what can I say. I am really overawed by you all.
Laurel
I felt the same way. And as I said last night I did feel speechless and I think that comes from….you feel quite emotional when you care about a part, a character, a job, a show and then you see that touches people and you see the response and its so genuine. When you’re inside the show and you’re working on it you don’t get what that is, you have to see it this way. So it was kind of overwhelming.
Rachel
You can sometimes feel that when we are in Vancouver you are, not in a bubble exactly, but you’re not in LA either, so we do work in a bit of a bubble
Laurel
We do
Rachel
We don’t really know what the reaction is until you come either to places like this or in LA where we have done a few Q&A sessions that we have done together, you just don’t know until you come here, and it is, it makes you feel, it just makes you feel…..brilliant
Q. - Hi Laurel - Nice t-shirt by the way
Laurel
<Laurel was wearing a Union Jack on her t-shirt> I wouldn’t even dare wear one from my own country right now.
Q. - Whenever the show finishes how would you like to see all the characters and in particular yours, rap up. What would you like to see happen?
Laurel
How would I like to see my character rap up? You mean if we were to finish in a couple more years?
2 years, 10 years, 20 years whatever
Laurel
10 years? I don’t know if anybody wants to watch that long! Jennifer and I have this joke that we will be with our walkers saying hello to each other “hi sweetie…..oh my teeth” <pretending to use a walker, and her teeth falling out> <audience laughs>. You know I was really excited in season 2 that there was some more growth of my character and her finding her independence and I think that continues on through the 3rd season and there are lots of twists and turns in 3rd season. I hope it continues. I like that my character, I’m trying to say this without revealing anything it’s very tricky……..<”go on” shouted from the audience and Laurel laughs> I think my character feels very complete once she has her baby, and it really starts to blossom for her, her life in a way, But there is a lot of other complexities with the relationship so I just hope they explore that and how that grows and where the relationship is going to go. And all the dynamics and friendships of the group, I think it’s really starting to grow. It’s very interesting how Helena becomes very incorporated into our group it’s a really great story. I don’t have any set plan because we don’t have any control over the writing
Rachel
We have no control. They can surprise you at any point and suddenly make you……… they can spring things on you and tell you that you have a history of this or a history of that.
Laurel
All of a sudden you’re an alcoholic, or you’re insane!
Rachel
For my character it’s, as Laurel was saying, in the third season that we are just finishing off now. My characters role was obviously to come between Bette and Tina <audience hisses> which, is was fun to play, it was really good fun to play, but it’s nice that in the season we are doing now my character has more shades, more colors. Hopefully you wont all be going “sssssssss” then!
Laurel
I think you're much more vulnerable
Rachel
Much more vulnerable
Laurel
I think people love to see that.
Q. - What did you like or dislike about your character and what were your favourite moments were on set.
<a rude noise comes from the sound system – Laurel looks at Rachel> <audience laughs>
Laurel
Was that you? Good thing we broke up.
Rachel
That’s why we broke up!
Laurel
You're right
Rachel
We can’t give away all our secrets
Laurel
Ok! I like that my character is very soulful and very loyal and very generous with her friends and her friendships. And that’s a nice quality. What do I like least? Um I think she loses sight of herself. I like it least but I like to play it, because I know when I play something and I feel uncomfortable then it’s probably a good thing for me to play. I think first season Tina was very dependent and I think it borderlines on a dysfunctional co-dependency where a lot of her identity came from Bette or Bette’s job or Bette’s successes. And it’s not really going on with my character any more but, well it’s hard to play some of that, but I think, you know, maybe I like it least but you gotta go somewhere to get somewhere against broader change.
And my favorite moment? Not to embarrass Rachel, but I liked being pregnant in the pool with Rachel! <audience cheers> because we instantly got along and the pool made me feel very buoyant when I felt very heavy, and the baby was floating. I think my daughter knows her voice because of the scenes we shot. When Rachel comes over to visit my daughter wont go to sleep, she’s hanging out with Rachel.
Rachel
There is something you wouldn’t have got. In the stage directions for that scene, didn’t it say something like “Tina’s in water she’s like a……..”<turning to Laurel> what did it say? “Like a………”
Laurel
“……..a whale” <audience laughs>
Rachel
….it didn’t it said she’s like a dolphin
Laurel
Like a dolphin……
Rachel
She’s agile and she just moves beautifully and…….
Laurel
.....Leaping out of the water <laughing>
Rachel
It was a lovely image and it was a bit like that because it was quite liberating. We were in the pool in this very fancy hotel in LA and we’d got it all to ourselves.
Laurel
It was the nicest hotel in LA. Jim Morrison stayed there, Jim Belushi killed himself there,
Rachel
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