She’s Elizabeth Keener and This is Her Interview with Cherry Grrl

So we all watched Elizabeth Keener play Dawn Denbo on The L Word and laughed along with her each and every time she entered a scene. On a show that had already established itself as groundbreaking, incredibly entertaining, and packed full of high quality talent, the introduction of Dawn Denbo and her lover Cindy managed to take it up a notch. In real life though, Elizabeth Keener is more like Shane than Dawn Denbo. She’s actually even more like Alice than she is Dawn Denbo. Keener is effortlessly cool, strikingly attractive, and has a sense of humor that you wouldn’t expect from the woman who tried to take down Kit Porter and her powerful lesbian crew. Since The L Word has gone off the air, Elizabeth has been keeping herself busy – making appearances at events like The Dinah, writing, producing, and starring in new projects, and always taking her time to meet fans and give back to the community that loved to hate her. Cherry Grrl recently caught up with the friendly and outgoing actress and discussed her time on the hit lesbian series, where we can find her next, and what she’s watching on TV in a post L Word world.

Cherry Grrl (CG): So we last saw you at The Dinah. Did you enjoy yourself out there?
Elizabeth Keener (EK): Yes, but it was a lot of work! I did the hosting for the comedy show on that Friday night – the Margaret Cho Comedy Hour – and I hosted the Celebrity Dodge ball, and each day there was just a lot going on. But, you can’t help but have fun in that atmosphere. Like, everybody just wants to have a good time – so even when I’m working… it’s all great.

CG: And had you been to a lot of Dinahs in previous years?
EK: Well my first was last year – I did the Be Seen event and a couple of other things for The L Word. So actually last year I just worked. I just zoomed in, worked, and left and didn’t even have a chance to have any kind of fun. So at least this year I had a really good time. And I’m good friends with Mariah Hanson, so I had a ball. She’s great and she put on a great four-day party.

CG: So now you’re back in LA – we know there is a project with Here Networks that you are set to star in and have been involved with the development of (“a cross between Silence of the Lambs and Twin Peaks” that centers around a you as a lesbian FBI agent). What can you tell us about that and other work you’re involved with?
EK: Yeah, I’m back in LA and we’re still working on the Here series and our writers are getting close with the script but we don’t have a title yet. I like to call it: “The Untitled Elizabeth Keener Project” (laughs). But it’s still great – I’m Producer and lead in that and then I’m also working on this web series that we’re in pre-production of, but it’s moving quite fast. And that’s with Danny Ducovny, David Ducovny’s brother, as the Director of that and he’s a great Director. And so I’m writing, producing, and starring in that – so that’s pretty great. Right now it’s called “The Greenbergs,” and we don’t know what it will eventually be called yet but it’s really funny. And we’ll see, right now it’s scripted for the web but we don’t know, we might sell it if we can. So that’s kind of fun. And the rest… I do a lot of voice-overs but it’s very quiet in this town right now. There are a lot of these casting agency mergers – these big companies are merging and letting go of a lot of agents and it’s kind of a very slow business right now. I think the writers strike really crushed it a bit and then the possible actors strike… So kind of taking it where you can get it is what you have to do right now but it’s not a lot. So I have kind of come from the philosophy – just like ever actor and writer should – just like make the work happen. Do it yourself, find a way, and then it will come. So that’s what we’re doing with these amazing people that are already on board for this web series. So I am very lucky to be doing that.

CG: It seems like the web series is really taking off lately, in terms of the entertainment world.
EK: Yeah – you know that was what the strike was all about. The Producers act like they don’t know what the internet is – you know what I mean? (laughs) Or where it will go. So actors are getting no residuals – that’s really what it was all about. Like, zero residuals for anything that people download or movies they were in or series that they download for two dollars. You know, the actors get none of that. But that’s kind of what it was all about –the internet. So we’ll see. But yeah, web series are the way to go because you can do it for almost nothing. I mean look at You Tube – you can do it for nothing and look at people become whatever they become… I mean they want their 15 minutes, which is very different from being an actor or a writer, but just for almost nothing you make something happen. You do it with your friends and who knows – you might get money out of it. You might be able to get a job out of it. But at least you do something that you love with your friends and if you’re working, you feel great. You feel better than sort of waiting, sitting back, hoping that someone calls you or knocks on your door.

CG: So obviously it’s a really tough industry to succeed in. What is it about being an actor that drives you to do what you do?
EK: You know, honestly, I really started in the backyard… one of those kids with like neighborhood friends and my brother Joe. I came from wanting to make people laugh, that was my thing from the beginning, but then I love acting – I love making everybody have every kind of emotion. So it just really started there and I toyed with the idea of other things… lawyer, this, that, veterinarian – just different things that kids think of – but it always came back to performer or actor and writer and eventually I hope to direct. That would be a nice thing. But I’m now segueing into producing too, with this web series and with the Here project, because I really like that too. I like both ends of it. But it’s all really gratifying, it definitely is.

CG: Well as far as your desire to make people laugh goes, you definitely accomplished that with Dawn Denbo. Was that a fun role for you?
EK: Ha! (laughs) Oh my god, think about it – even if you weren’t an actor like, wouldn’t you love to play that role just for five minutes in your life!? (laughs) You know what I mean? Just like, where you know you aren’t that kind of person – I mean, she was terrible – but it was freeing, it was so fun. I approached this character as, even though she was horrible, she didn’t think so. So in her life it was more like she was just getting what she deserved – you know, everything was hers…everything. She worked hard for what she had and she had a good time getting it by making people squirm. (laughs) Which is kind of fun because think about it, haven’t we all had someone do that to us? Whether it was in a business setting or just in general…driving, anything – somebody maybe had an off day and they made you squirm. So it was nice to just kind of say, alright… that’s where I’m coming from. And I don’t think she came from humor but she came from sass and sarcasm and that’s where the humor came from for me in the Dawn Denbo.

CG: And as horrible as she was she is so loved and has so many fans. Have you been surprised by the kind of reaction that you have gotten since playing that character?
EK: Oh it’s been amazing. I was very surprised. And I was so appreciative of it because, I’ll tell you, I really did try to do that. I didn’t want to make her one note so I really wanted you to love to hate her – and somehow there was something fun to watch with her. So I was very overwhelmed last year. And this year it seems there has been even more of a reaction. Like at The Dinah there were people from all over the world that knew me and the character. I mean, I met these women at the Dodge ball game – there were like six of them – they were from Germany I think and they were lovely and they knew Dawn Denbo and were huge fans and it was really nice. And I love being quoted, that’s the best. People will go, “This is my lover Cindy,” but if they are with their girlfriends: “This is my love lover Heather.” And the thing is, for the two days at the Convention Center they had the parties at The Dinah and I kind of walked in the first time without anyone – because I don’t care about a wrangler (someone who takes care of the talent and walks them around just to make sure everything is okay) – and so I just kind of walked in with a friend and everyone wanted to take a picture and I’ll tell you, to me, it was the sweetest. If I can do it, time-wise, I’m happy to do it…I really am. Every fan has been so kind – just nice things to say all the time with a big smile. Even when they came up and would say like, “Oh my God I hated you, but I loved you. Can we take a picture?” You know? (laughs) So it was really fun. It was nice… definitely overwhelming with all of it – I think I missed half of Lady Gaga and a bunch of Katy Perry because I was taking pictures – but I honestly didn’t care. It was very sweet. And from The Dinah Shore side of it too because some of these people have never and will never again be a part of that – they save their money to go to The Dinah. And I know it’s a big party but some people come from all over the world and they bring their friends and come to this just to get a sense of community and things like that and then for them to see someone that’s on TV that they really liked because of the show – because of The L Word, which was really important to them – it’s huge. And if I can just have a little part in it to make them even happier and have a greater experience… you know, what’s the harm in that? No skin off my back.

CG: And speaking of The L Word, it’s so sad that it’s over and a lot of people complain that there’s nothing to watch now. What do you find yourself watching on TV these days?
EK: Here’s the funny thing, there are a lot of scripted things that I don’t watch, but that doesn’t mean I watch reality shows. It’s like, the only scripted one that I watch is SVU with Mariska Hargitay… I really like her (laughs). But I’m a weirdo because I like Court TV, like really court television. I’ll watch a case going on or I’ll watch Case Files or things like that. And I’m a bit of a poker buff. So on ESPN – even if it’s the World Series of Poker from 2005 that I’ve already seen – I’ll watch it. I just enjoy it. So I’ll watch that stuff. And I hear there are a million great shows but I’ve yet to get TIVO because I’m not home a lot but I know if I get that, in two seconds, I would be like OK – let me watch all of Grey’s Anatomy. I’m one of those kinds of instant gratification people. But I will say that there are things like Top Chef – there are some reality shows that I really love, but it’s the ones where people have talent. You know what I mean? The Big Brother and things like that… eh, I think everybody’s looking again for their 15 minutes, you know? They all profess they’re not actors but then all of the sudden they want a contract. So I think it’s all a little fake. But things like Top Chef or Project Runway, with really talented people, I’m very much into.

CG: Well a recent reality TV show that a poker player was on was The Celebrity Apprentice with Annie Duke. Did you watch that one?
EK: Oh, yes! (laughs) Oh my God! Well here’s the interesting thing, if you watch her play poker there is an air about her…she’s in her element. She’s like, “I’m going to win. That’s it.” That’s where she comes from. So the funny thing is that I am absolutely thrilled that it came down to the two of them because I really love Joan Rivers. I think, to me, when someone has gone through a lot in their life and they still have humor and want to make people laugh – that’s great. And she’s gone up and down – I don’t know her, personally – but you just know. And it’s not about tabloids; it’s real life – her story. She’s really gone up and down and up and down and she just is wonderful – always still trying to make people laugh. Trying to find the funny in this world that we live in right now where it’s really rough for everybody and, I don’t want to be a downer, but people are killing themselves thinking there is nothing beyond now. So I just love that it came down to the two of them.

CG: Actually, Annie Duke is a little bit of a Dawn Denbo when you think about it.
EK: (Laughs) You know what?! She is! Annie Duke is like Dawn Denbo! But here’s the funny thing though, she needs to find the humor! Because she comes from, rightly so, that she made all the money on the show for charity and did a lot but I think because she’s a poker player, she’s not used to being a team player, which there’s nothing wrong that, there are just different kinds of people. Like in the one with the jingle, she kept saying, “ I did – I did.” And you know, she may have done the whole jingle but a team player would say, “We did this together. We did it.” Even if you did the entire jingle yourself a team player would make the other person go, you know what – we did this, we’re a team. So that’s the little difference. And Joan is the opposite; Joan did whatever was best for the team. So it was the poker player mentality and there is no team in that. It’s just you… you and the cards against the table. That’s her world, that’s where she was – me against the table. And the table was Joan and everybody else.

CG: Now, on another note, what – if anything – can you tell our readers about your personal life?
EK: You know, I have my answer – I was doing an event once and they asked me “What’s your sexual preference?” and the audience was like ooo-ing and ahh-ing and I said, “I’ll answer it… I’ll answer it. My sexual preference is that I prefer really good sex.” (laughs) You know what, I mean, I don’t hide anything… I just am. But I am a very private person. I don’t hide anything but I’m a very private person when it comes to my sister, when it comes to my family, when it comes to my personal life… just private. It’s just not one specific thing that I’m private about.  I will just say it’s always the person for me and I know that’s a cliché sometimes but truly, when people who mean it, say it – it’s the truth. So take that as you will. The person I fall for is the person I fall for. And I don’t hide it.

Elizabeth will be appearing next at Sin 6 in Austin Texas on Saturday June 20th, 2009 with Jamie Lauren from Top Chef. For more information about the event visit Sin 6.