Katherine Moennig

How did you go about preparing for your role on the L Word?
I kind of just went by instinct in regards to the character. I put myself in her shoes to see how I would handle the situations.

Do you ever find it difficult getting into character or into particular scenes?
Yes, when it comes to cutting hair. I get a massive tutorial on that to do it properly.

What is your average day on the set like? When does it start, end and what usually happens?
Our days vary depending on the workload. It usually starts pretty early but it's painless because I love who I work with. We spend our time laughing.

Do you see any similarities between you and your character?
Yes, but I don't want to name them all.

How did you hear about this role and "The L Word?"
It was just like any other role: got a call, read the script. Read for it in New York and tested in Los Angeles.

If we were to walk into your trailer right now what would we see?
Me lying on the couch watching a movie.

Any funny "behind the scenes" stories from the set?
They are countless at this point. Everyday there is something funny.

Eric Mabius

How did you go about preparing for your role on the L Word?
I think a number of things affected the character I endeavored to create. I think anyone who's had tumultuous/difficult relationships (who hasn't?) will find common experiential threads with Tim Haspel. It'd be hard to pinpoint a specific method of preparing for this role because with TV, unlike film and not unlike daily life the character one inhabits changes and grows every day. New information is gathered as new experiences occur. We had constant lengthy discussions with our co-stars and directors and with Ilene, the force driving our creative universe.

Do you ever find it difficult getting into character or particular scenes?
Not on this series, not yet. The directors have been so capable and thorough in our rehearsals/discussions before we'd shoot and my co-stars so well prepared and open to discovering new aspects of our relationships, my work has been far easier than I could have hoped.

What is the average day on the set like? When does it start, end and what usually happens?
Part of the reason I love acting is that no two days are the same. There are no 'average' or 'usual' days. When I arrive on set I feel that part of my job is to forget everything that happened the day before, especially because we often shoot scenes out of order, I can't use the knowledge of future events to inform my actions in an earlier scene. We, as human beings, have no clue what might occur tomorrow or else we'd always be trying to change our actions before the fact which ultimately results in a static existence (anyone seen Groundhog Day?)

What do you do to keep yourself amused in-between shooting scenes?
Music, music, music: to pass the countless hours in an instant, to maintain and elongate a specific emotional pitch, to bring my home closer, to escape whatever I choose and most importantly, to celebrate the project I'm working on. I always find myself making CD mixes that end up defining each new endeavor I'm involved with. The L Word seems to have brought around a lot of electrifying 60's& 70's Jazz---Fela Kuti, Cannonball Adderley, Eddie Harris but also present-day newly-coined 'Emo' bands like Modest Mouse and Mogwai have been providing serious balance for my aural satisfaction.

Do you see any similarities between you and your character?
I've said this since I read the first episodes---Tim is in many ways the guy we all try to be but cannot seem to muster the patience, foresight, perseverance and humility to follow through with. Granted he 'loses it' at certain moments but only after the seeming trials of Job have assailed and exhausted his sense of decency and tolerance.

How did you hear about this role and "The L Word?"
I had read the pilot last year and was quite honestly impressed. However, I initially passed on the project, before Jennifer and Pam were attached. I remember thinking, "Yeah, that's a totally original idea and the writing is great," but I didn't think they would find someone who could bring the scope of what was on the page on to the small screen... I loved being proved wrong.

If we were to walk into your trailer right now what would we see?
Clothes flung around the room, a few dozen empty water bottles, leftover lunch plates, and CD's, lots of' em.

Jennifer Beals

What do you do to keep yourself amused in-between shooting scenes?
I knit. I take photographs. I play with my dogs. And I listen to Kate, Erin and Leisha play the "back-handed compliment" game.

Do you see any similarities between you and your character?
We share varying degrees of bossiness, ferocity and romanticism. She has the more extreme of the first two qualities.

If we were to walk into your trailer right now what would we see?
You probably wouldn't be able to walk into the trailer because you would be greeted by two large, barking dogs. But, if you should make it past Cereberus, you would see chaos. Papers. Books. Yarn. Dog treats. And empty water bottles.

Mia Kirshner

Do you ever find it difficult getting into character or into particular scenes?
Without sounding corny or over the top, there are very few difficult things about this job. The cast has become my friends and I am terribly close with the crew - these people make me giggle all day long. They are the anchor to the show.

What is your average day on the set like? When does it start, end and what usually happens?
It always starts with a triple shot soy latte, cappuccino - New York Times, a good gossip with the girls (the cast). We like to call them our morning chats, lots of music and giggles. Maybe more espresso.

How did you get this role?
I gave a cold reading while in New York doing "Party Monster." It was one of the only times in my career that I have done this. I read for "Out of Order" that day as well.

Erin Daniels

How did you go about preparing for your role on the L Word?
I played more tennis than ever and spent lots of time talking to friends and family about what their experiences were when they were closeted, when they came out, and how it affected them in any way. I also spent as much time as I could with my friends, knowing that I wouldn't see them very often for the next six months.

Do you ever find it difficult getting into character or into particular scenes?
I see lots of myself in Dana, so finding her in me is not that difficult. It's when Dana is going through something particularly rough, something that I identify with, that it's difficult. It forces me to confront my own issues and that can be tough sometimes.

What is your average day on the set like? When does it start, end and what usually happens?
It starts super early. I get to set, drop off my dog and my bag at my trailer, go to hair and makeup and eat some breakfast in the chair, change into wardrobe...then spend the rest of the day shooting, reading, taking the dog out as often as I can (accidents in the trailer are bad!). When the day ends about 12 hours later, I go home. There's lots of coffee involved.

What do you do to keep yourself amused in-between shooting scenes?
I read books, write and watch movies with Kate [Katherine Moenning] and Leisha [Leisha Hailey] usually, since the three of us work together a good part of the time. We also spend some of the time at Craft Service, talking, making fun of each other…good times. Good times.

Do you see any similarities between you and your character?
Undeniably. Everyone has their insecurities.

How did you hear about this role and "The L Word?"
My manager called me about it. When I read, I knew it was something special and Dana's a fantastic character, a very real woman, figuring out who she is. As a woman, I felt drawn to this project on lots of levels. What actress wouldn't?

If we were to walk into your trailer right now what would we see?
Henry, my dog, and all of his toys. My computer, some DVDs, a big bag filled with all my stuff, and probably my clothes folded on the counter (I'm pretty anal). A couple of candles, a blanket and a pillow from home on the couch. Sometimes, you'd find Kate or Leisha, too. It's family around here.