L-Word.com News Stories

By B&TF

Family, painting, charity work, auditions and filming Gigantic, all this makes Laurel Holloman’s life really busy. Before the wonderful dinner that I shared with Laurel and other winners of Maasai action, I sent her a few questions that I’ve been collecting. Laurel was kind enough to find time to answer them and I hope that later we could do a follow up interview.

B&TF: What do you prefer? What’s your favorite?

LH:

Blue or green: Green

Morning person or night person: Morning

East coast or west coast: East

Books or movies: Both

Classical music or Pop music: Neither, indie folk, rap, funk

Italian or American food: Italian

Mexican or Chinese food: Chinese

Red wine or white wine: Both

Cocktails or beer: Ugh neither, rarely a margarita

Comedy or drama: Dramedy

Horror or action: Action

TV or theater: Theater

Reading or writing: Reading

Dancing or singing: Dancing

B&TF: When did you first began painting and how long did it take to get where you are right now?

LH: In college. Well, let’s say college was a while ago

B&TF: You said on your Maasai auction website that you’ve “always been part tomboy and had a very free southern upbringing … Somehow painting brings all of that back for me.” Could you please elaborate on that?

LH:  It’s the freedom of it.

B&TF: What is your preferred technique when you paint and why?

LH:  Oil on canvas.  I’ve used everything from my fingers to kiddie paint to whatever it takes to explore an image.

B&TF: When I looked at your paintings after reading your comments about them, I could see what you’d envisioned but without knowing your input, I’d probably see something else. What are your thoughts on sharing your creations and knowing that others might not see your inspiration behind your vision?

LH: I think people seeing other things in your art is great or even not seeing.  I just want them to feel.  I just want to touch them somewhere.  Also, a painting in your house should make you feel great that it’s there every time you look at it.  It’s personal.

B&TF: Where do you find inspiration for your paintings?

LH:  Everywhere.  Mostly life…  You just have to pay attention.

B&TF: When you begin working on a new painting do you approach the blank canvas with an idea in your mind or the ideas come to you based on your emotions in that moment?

LH:  An idea comes, but it always morphs into something else.

B&TF: What are the most enjoyable and the most frustrating things about painting?

LH:  Not having to talk. I love the silence. Having to stop.

B&TF: When you begin painting and image is not coming to you, do you stop and move on to paint something else or continue until it’s finished?

LH:  Stop

B&TF: You mentioned before that painting for you was more of a release. Has it changed since the auction, now that you know you can do something good with it?

LH:  It’s still a release.

B&TF: You also said that you usually paint best when you’re sad or angry…what happens when you feel happy?

LH: I don’t paint. But I can always find something that’s bothering me.

B&TF: You said that your painting “Unconditional Blonde” is about motherhood. When you were painting it did you reflect on your journey as a mother and what did you learn about yourself?

LH:  I missed Lola as a baby when painting it.  Nala still feels like my baby, but Lola is now a girl.  It goes fast, and it’s so time consuming and overwhelming and emotional.  The skin to skin that is in that image is what is so great about bonding with your baby.

B&TF: Your blue painting called “Untitled”, which was not up for auction, is going to be a part of a larger series. Can you tell more about the series and what inspired you to work on it?

LH:  It’s a series on the cycle of life: birth through death.  It’s all abstract.  I’m also interested in bones as images.

B&TF: After the Maasai auction you got an offer for two exhibits? Do you have more information about it, like when and where it’s going to happen?

LH:  No promises until I finish Gigantic and pilot season. I’m really busy now.

B&TF: If you could choose, would you give up acting to paint full time?

LH:  Yes, in a second if I could make it work.  I would probably still go for independent films and maybe theater, and only cable series.  I definitely would skip the other stuff. I know I will walk away someday either to do more charity full time or explore art. Or go back to school.  I just feel it’s too limiting to only be an actress.  Plus this industry offers so few opportunities to women when they are older.  I find them most interesting then.  Our show had some great older women.  Right now I don’t analyze it too much because I still get some great opportunities for auditions for great directors.  So I’m having fun with it still.

B&TF: We have all heard Miki Turner’s story of her meeting with you but would you like to share your side of the story on how did you meet and how that meeting involved into such an incredible friendship?

LH:  It feels private to me.  She’s a great friend though, one of the best, really.

B&TF: You recently became very active on Twitter despite your aversion to too much Internet. What do you think of Twitter and how does it help you to connect with your fans?

LH:  I love how it helps connect people and you have to be creative with so few words.  I love hearing what fans have to say.  It keeps you on the pulse of things.

B&TF: What are the most enjoyable and the most frustrating things about acting?

LH:  I just love it when you have a great scene partner and a great director at the same time.  The high you get after a great take.  The frustrating part is the trendiness of the business and the boring casting decisions mainstream TV makes.  Reality TV is taking jobs away from so many creative people.  I get frustrated waiting around, sitting on the set all day, too. We are all still really blessed though.

B&TF: When you were new to Hollywood what were your dreams, what did you expect to accomplish by now and did you?

LH:  I just wanted to work.   I think I have some better work in me yet.

B&TF: When you audition for the roles, what influences your decision in choosing certain scripts?

LH:  Good writing, good directing, and who’s in the cast so far.

B&TF: Working on a show/movie could be very intense, emotionally and physically. What do you do to relax after a day of shooting?

LH:  Bath, glass of wine.

B&TF: When you’re in between the projects and you’re not painting, how does your typical day looks like?

LH:  Kids, kids, and more kids. Eat, play, sleep.

B&TF: Any movie or TV show you passed on you wished you hadn’t?

LH:  No

B&TF: How do you balance work and motherhood?

LH:  I barely do it well. I always feel guilty when I’m away from them, but feel more balanced (a better mom) if I work a bit.  But I am lucky because my hubby is very hands-on.  He can cook great too.

B&TF: When I talked to Ilene Chaiken after Tina interrogation tape was posted on the Internet, she said that you had an input on what was said there about Tina’s family. Whose idea it actually was to have Tina to confess that she was practically raped by her older sister and that Bette wasn’t her first?

LH:  It was Ilene’s, but I agreed.  She was my boss and I knew I could play it. I like her challenges.

B&TF: What is your personal take on Tina’s revelation about her sister?

LH:  Whatever, sad, you know, but it happens.  It explained her early co dependency. It would have been nice if I was told that earlier.  In a feature you know these things.  TV is hard that way. But it was ok.  It worked.

B&TF: What do you think about Tina’s interrogation tape in hindsight and how did this sensitive subject affected you personally when you were filming that scene?

LH:  I don’t think of it much.  It didn’t affect me at all really.  It was just work.

B&TF: I had recently interviewed Jennifer Beals and she told me a little more about her upcoming book of photographs from the set of The L Word. Jennifer said that she let the cast choose photos they liked while she interviewed them. What was your involvement in this project and why did you chose that one particular photo of you pregnant, which is also one of Jennifer’s favorite photos?

LH:  I didn’t choose it, just approved it. I love that photo. Jennifer is a great photographer

B&TF: While you were looking at JB’s photos did it bring up any particular memories from the six seasons of The L Word and what were your most memorable ones?

LH:  No, but I liked the dance episode.  Such fun.

B&TF: Besides Castle and Gigantic, are there any other projects, TV shows or movies that we might see you in the future?

LH:  God, I hope so.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 9:13 pm and is filed under Laurel Holloman, Television, The L Word. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.