Katherine Moennig #5

Interviews

February 24, 2006

1.) In episode 3.06, Carmen sprays Shane with a fire extinguisher; how many times did you get sprayed before the director was satisfied with the scene. And was it hard to sit there covered in "whatever" and not crack a smile while Alice/Leisha bragged about having "9000 orgasms" with a vampire?
Katherine: i think we did that maybe 3 times. tricia [Brock - director of the ep.] was very cool and didn't want to kill me. i remember my skin feeling very dry and the taste of it was horrible. then smoking on top of it... i felt disgusting after work. this could have been the one time i didn't lose it while working with leisha.

2.) Which incarnation of Shane have you most enjoyed playing? (Player Shane of Season One? Troubled Shane of Season Two? Or Happy Shane of Season Three?) Which has been most challenging?
Katherine: all 3 have presented its challenges. and on the flip side, allowed me to do things that are fun to work with.
season 1 was the ultimate, because i worked with leisha and erin. but it was hard because i didn't want to play the idea of someone aloof.
season 2 was a great time. i loved working with mia and developing the characters friendship. and i thought the tension with carmen was interesting to play with. it felt like a real build up to something.
the most challenging would have to be season 3. sarah and i didn't want to fall into a fairytale relationship that fast. we wanted fuck ups. i like that carmen has become more judgemental this year. it makes her more real and honest. I'm glad shane cheated and stays shut down at times. it makes the relationship feel that it has the ebbs and flows of real life.

3.) What do you think it was about Cherie Jaffe that made Shane fall in love with her? And do you think it's telling somehow that when Shane (who until she met Cherie, didn't "do relationships") let down her guard and finally let herself feel, it was because of someone - Cherie - who was essentially unavailable (at least for the kind of relationship Shane was hoping for)?
Katherine: i've learned that you're drawn to people who are meant to teach you something; who are a mirror to who you are and what you have to learn about yourself. cherie was just as unattainable as shane, therefore she found someone who could play her game. she lost at the end, but i think she gained perspective to who she is and what she has done to others. but shane is human so she doesn't seem to have fully learned her lesson yet.

4.) What would you consider to be your greatest strength and weakness?
Katherine: strength: loyalty; weakness: impatience.

5.) What's a perfect day for you?
Katherine: being at the beach in the morning, then have an afternoon drink with some friends.



February 10, 2006

1.) Given your background, was classical music a part of your life growing up? Did you play any instrument(s), and if so, which one(s)?
Katherine: yes, that music was a huge part of my life. between my dad's shop and always hearing it at home, it was the first type of music i listened to. i tried the violin when i was 8 or 9 but it didn't stick. "twinkle twinkle little star..." was as far as i went. i found it to be terribly uncomfortable on my neck.

2.) In the previous Q&A, you said you censor yourself in interviews sometimes. Have you ever regretted saying something to a journalist?
Katherine: i don't know if i have regretted anything. i have just learned through practice what their hooks can be for an article. i guess i have gotten better at reading in between the lines of questions.

3.) How old were you when you started smoking? Is there a story behind your first cigarette? And did you ever try to stop?
Katherine: unfortunately i started at the tender age of 17. i would sneak one of my mom's and hang out my window... i wish i never did it. i tried to stop once. i was doing well but then 9-11 happened and all that work went out the window.
i plan on doing so this year, it was my 2006 resolution.

4.) What is the most important lesson you've learned from life?
Katherine: i haven't really been around that long in the grand scheme of things but my biggest lesson so far has been belief and faith. i guess they go hand in hand. they have helped during some tough times.

5.) When watching new seasons of The L Word at premiers or when the new episodes air on Sundays, do you get nervous about how the audience will respond?
Katherine: sometimes... i mostly just analyze my work and cringe at things that i did in a scene that i didn't like. then i pray no one else notices.



January 27, 2006

1.) Cast members frequently comment on the close relationship everyone has with each other. It seems that this would make shooting scenes easier, since you are working with close friends. Does it ever make it more difficult, though? Perhaps if the scene is very emotional, for instance?
Katherine: 99% of the time it makes the work day painless, because we spend it laughing and chatting. but when we have to work, we work. we all can very easily shift gears and focus. with leisha, we can barely get through scenes together because we laugh so much, and usually can't stop. i love that girl, but when we have to do emotional scenes we never make eye contact with each other because we know we will break.

2.) Prep school can be a weird place to go through your adolescence. What was your school like and how would you describe yourself as a schoolkid?
Katherine: my school was fantastic if you were an academic. i wasn't, so i had a hard time with most of the classes because i didn't care.
in high school, i was the usual surly kid going through puberty. i had my best friend forge notes from my mom that said i had dr appointments every other day so i could leave at noon. my other dear friend was the school president and we would sneak out to my car and smoke pot during lunch or study hour. it's a shame now, but i really just wanted to get out.

3.) Back in season 2, Shane tells Carmen she has a brother... If they decided to bring her brother into an episode, which actor would you like to play him?
Katherine: she did say she had a brother, didn't she? in my dreams i would love james franco or ryan gosling.

4.) Do you enjoy reading? If so, do you have favourite authors?
Katherine: i love reading. my favorite author as of late is augusten burroughs. he has such wit and perfect timing. i laugh out loud.

5.) Do you sometimes censor yourself in interviews?
Katherine: yes i do. for 2 reasons... #1 being that reporters have a job to do, and that usually means finding a hook to grab someone to read the article. things you say can be taken out of context, which is unfortunate. and #2 is because i can be a bit blunt at times, which is my own fault so i have to watch my mouth.