Amber Benson

Amber Benson first caught the eye of many a lesbian and bisexual viewer when she joined the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1999 as the lesbian love interest of main character Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan). Since then, Benson has gone on to write, direct, produce and act — always maintaining a warm relationship with the gay community.

She has written, directed and produced two films, Chance (in which she also starred) in 2001 and Lovers, Liars and Lunatics in 2005. Her animated web series for the BBC, Ghosts of Albion, launched in 2003, has expanded to include a role-playing game and several novels. She won the Grand Jury Award at Outfest in 2005 for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film for her role as Maggie in the independent film Race You to the Bottom. In her latest endeavor, Benson teamed up with director Angela Robinson (D.E.B.S.) to play the role of Svetlana Dragovich in the online series Girltrash!

Perhaps most importantly — at least to AfterEllen.com readers — Benson was voted one of our Hot 100 women earlier this year. In light of her enthusiastic fan following, contributing writer Jessica Jones agreed to take your questions directly to Benson, who answered as many as she could.

AfterEllen.com: What can you tell me about your new online series, Girltrash!, and how you got involved?

Amber Benson: I’ve known Angela Robinson for years, long before she was an L Word and D.E.B.S. diva! So, when she called and asked if I’d come and chill in the Girltrash! world, I was totally down. I really liked her initial concept, which was to mix something like The Departed with a hip, edgy lesbian sensibility. So far, I think the show is going well and I especially love my old friend, Lisa Rieffel, who kicks butt on it every week.

AE: What has it been like working on the series?

AB: I’ve only really done one day of work as of right now, but it was really fun. Angela is great to work with, as is her partner, Alex, who is totally shooting the whole thing. It’s so cool when women take the bull by the horns and do all the heavy lifting.

AE: Does your working relationship with Angela Robinson mean there could potentially be any guest appearances for you on The L Word in the future? AB: I would love to shake my booty on The L Word. Let’s make it happen.

AE: Do you think that your pro-gay career opens or closes doors for you? Does it create some sort of glass-ceiling effect or do you find that many people are coming to you with projects?

AB: I think playing a gay character on television opened a ton of doors for me, while at the same time closing a lot of doors for me. We still live in a world where a very Christian moral ethical code is implicit to our society. And sadly, some people have taken this and used it as a tool to divide.

I have been very blessed to work with a host of LGBT directors, producers, actors and writers, and let me tell you, who you sleep with has no effect whatsoever on the quality of the work. Believe me, being straight doesn’t make you a better entertainer.

AE: What drew you to work with the LGBT community on films?

AB: I try and choose films that appeal to me on a psychological level. Some of them happen to be about straight people and some about LGBT people. I don’t make a distinction. For me, it’s all about the project itself.

AE: Are you up to playing any other lesbian roles in the future?

AB: If the part kicks butt, then of course I’m there.

AE: You mentioned previously that your favorite movie is Antonia’s Line. If this is true, can you tell us why? Who’s your favorite character and what’s your favorite scene from the movie?

AB: I just think it’s a lovely film about love and treating the people around you with compassion and respect. I think my favorite scene is the first, where we discover that this is Antonia’s day to die. It’s so beautiful; I can’t do it justice with my explanation. My favorite character is probably Antonia herself.

AE: When did you know you wanted to become an actress?

AB: When I was a little kid I saw the Nutcracker Suite and desperately wanted to get on the stage. That was the beginning of the end for me!

AE: Would you ever consider doing Broadway theater over movies? AB: Hell yeah! Bring Broadway on! I have a friend who does Broadway [Jenna Leigh Green from Wicked], and I am so jealous of her. She has an amazing voice, and the job is well-deserved, but I’m still jealous she gets to tread the boards.

AE: I heard you’re going to star in a Dutch movie. Are you excited about shooting in the Netherlands? And have you ever been there before?

AB: I have been to the Netherlands once before, and I loved it. Right now, we are just waiting for them to finish a rewrite on the script, but I am totally excited about the prospect of going to work in the Netherlands in the future.

AE: Strictly Sexual has had some of its promotional materials filtering through the web at large. Could you talk about the characters and the movie?

AB: It’s a fun sex romp about two couples that are desperately trying to make their relationships work in Los Angeles. I think it’s a really funny movie, and I get to play a complete ball-buster, so it was a lot of fun for me as an actor. Plus, the cast and crew were totally fun to work with — a good group.

AE: If you weren’t acting, do you think you would still be in entertainment or outside of it?

AB: I would move to Tahiti and start a reggae band — me on timpani!

AE: What music are you listening to right now?

AB: I love Belle and Sebastian, Tegan and Sara, Of Montreal. And I have a total obsession with Arvo Pärt’s Te Deum. It’s beauteous.

AE: As a writer, what is your favorite genre to write for?

AB: I like supernatural chick lit. It’s fun to mix sex and monsters!

AE: How many Ghosts of Albion novels do you have planned with Christopher Golden?

AB: Right now, we only have the two published novels with no plans for another book in the near future. Chris and I would love to get back into the GOA world, but we’re really at the mercy of our publisher. It’s up to them how many more we end up doing.

AE: Do you have any other comic book projects in the works like Shadowplay?

AB: No comics on the horizon, but that doesn’t mean I’ll never write them again. I’m just waiting for the right opportunity to present itself.

AE: Will you ever publish copies of the plays you have written?

AB: Not in the near future, but that’s definitely a possibility.

AE: What’s the most important thing for a young writer in Hollywood: a great pitch, a strong drive or good connections?

AB: I think all three are extremely important. You have to have the presence of mind to be aware of an opportunity, the balls to take the opportunity that is presented, and the talent to back up the balls when the opportunity bears fruit.

AE: What brought about your desire to be a filmmaker and tell the story that you did in the film Chance?

AB: I knew lots of girls like Chance that had this mistaken idea that they had to be like men in order to compete in the romantic arena. It was so ironic because they’d go sleep with some random guy or girl, then be totally upset when said random guy or girl wouldn’t call them the next day. I just found the dichotomy interesting and really wanted to write a character that was dealing with those issues.

AE: Between Chance and Lovers, Liars and Lunatics, which was your favorite film to wear several hats for?

AB: I loved making LLL, but you never forget your first. Chance popped my movie cherry, so it will always be number one. During the making of Chance, I have a very distinct memory of walking my dog way early in the morning before we started shooting for the day, and thinking that this was the best time I’d had in my whole life. And it was true.

AE: What’s next on your plate?

AB: I’m working on a novel called Death’s Daughter, working on another script that I might try and direct, and waiting for a few independent films I’ve done to come out.

AE: How do you choose the projects that you do?

AB: Whatever pays me the most — just kidding. Basically, if I read something and it tickles my fancy then I’m down for it, no matter if I make $100 a day or a million.

AE: Do you plan on attending any more fan conventions in the future?

AB: I think I’m gonna be in the U.K. in September, so keep your eyes peeled.