THE MAGAZINE IS OUT!!!

THIS IS WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HOUNDING ME ABOUT!!!!

MY INTERVIEW WITH LEISHA!!!

A lot of the interview was edited, but I think I posted the edited parts for you guys already a while back.

Leisha Hailey is a walking array of eclectic talent: musician, singer, actress, songwriter, painter, and so much more. Even other artists have taken notice of her seemingly omni-presence. A few days before our interview with the quirky star of Showtime's lesbian themed drama series, The L Word, she was wrapping up the filming of its sixth and final season in Vancouver. Her character, Alice Pieszecki, is the animated nucleus of the shows core cast of women. The show has a huge cult following and, off camera, Hailey remains in tune with her character. She is also half of the electro-pop duo, Uh Huh Her, a band whose video has been featured on Kanye West's blog. "Yeah, we- ]UST heard that and I saw it. I was so honored and I don't have any idea how that happened." She laughs. "That was really very exciting for us." Although Hailey is familiar with West's music, she admits she only listens to it if it's on the radio. There is one hip hop artist in particular she would like to work with. "Missy Elliot is one of our favorites," says Hailey. "She's one of the people we would love to collaborate with. Cam has a really big background in that whole world." Hailey speaks adoringly of Camila Grey, [her dark haired other half of Uh Huh Her] often hailed "the mysterious one.'' Camila has worked with some big name hip hop artists, such as Busta Rhymes and Dr. Dre. Their album Common Reaction is practically screaming GRAMMY; it has become a favorite with a legion of fans across the globe. Call it divine intervention that Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey came together effortlessly and managed to produce it in a such a narrow space of time. "It wasn't rushed in the sense that we felt we would put anything out that we weren't proud of," says Hailey. Instead their focus was on doing it professionally and doing it better and cleaner while getting a really good sound." I asked Leisha, with the success of this debut, if she has thought about their sophomore project. "We've actually continued writing. Our focus right now is to promote and tour this record," says Hailey, "but we definitely have new material already. We're still going!" She has gained a musical following with UHH and the prior 90's alternative rock group, The Murmurs.

At 37, Life after The L Word holds no boundaries. Leisha is at the prime of her career. So how does she feel about this last curtain call? "We're all ready to move on, but there is sadness because you're coming to a close and you're not going to see these people everyday; we've all become a family. As cliche' as that sounds, it really does happen, and it's bittersweet. I think it's all hitting us right now; there's only about three weeks left," comments Hailey. Hailey has her career under control. Some even think she's a workaholic, but don't tell her that. Hailey admits, "I have called myself that before, but I feel it has a negative spin to it. I don't know, I'm doing two things that I absolutely enjoy doing. When it come to work, I don't feel resentful or tired because I really enjoy it."
The execs at Showtime want to keep the shows momentum going. They have signed Leisha Hailey to do a spin-off to which she will be the focal character. It is rumored that it will pick up right where The L Word left off, but who knows? I asked Leisha about the much anticipated follow-up, but she remains tight-lipped about it. "Oh I can tell you, I'm not allowed to say," she says shyly. She did divulge that filming for the pilot will begin in December.

With every opportunity that falls at her feet, it's a wonder how she fits in a personal life. Leisha guards her relationship with longtime girlfriend and fashion designer Nina Garduno. She's reluctant to discuss her private life. She yearns to be home more often and it's apparent as her voice softens. "I was just telling someone that it's my home life that I miss, my personal life that I need to prioritize more. That's really what's hard, is that you're not home as much as you would like to be," admits Hailey.
As the year comes to a close, there's no doubt that Leisha Hailey will dive head first into the ocean of opportunities waiting for her. With a hit cable series, a rising musical career, and an impending spin-off in the works, it's safe to say that she wouldn't demand anything but to be happy. "So far everything that I've done, I've done with people I really enjoy working with. I have made a lot of fantastic friends."