Bianca Lawson

If you don’t know you her name, you know her face. Actress Bianca Lawson has played memorable parts on several television shows, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dawson’s Creek to her more recent role of Emily on The Vampire Diaries. And if you have some how missed all of these shows, you’ve definitely got to remember her as Nikki in Save the Last Dance.

Now 31, Bianca has maintained a successful career, making appearances on Bones, The Cleaner, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, among several others. But she’s officially been introduced to a new generation as one of the stars of ABC Family’s hit new series Pretty Little Liars. As Maya St. Germain, Bianca is 17 again, playing a lesbian character with an interest in Emily, who isn’t out to anyone in her life. But someone knows Emily’s secret, just like they know all of her best friend’s secrets, too, and is threatening to tell the people she doesn’t want to know (which is pretty much everyone.)

Bianca took the time to answer some questions on how she got the part, what we can expect from Maya in the future and how she has stayed so youthful looking through the ’90s and beyond.

BL: I actually have to confess I love Heather’s PLL recaps. I read them like every week religiously. She’s hilarious! I love them.

AE: So this is your first lesbian role, is that right? BL: Well not really! It’s really funny because Elodie [Keene], who directed the party scene where Emily and I have our first kiss, she actually, the last time I saw that director was when she directed me on a television show called For the People, and I played a lesbian - well, I was a college student, very Type-A — kind of like Spencer’s character on Pretty Little Liars — and my roommate ended up being murdered. So they end up arresting me because think think I murdered her out of competition or something but really we were lesbians and we were in love and she had to break up with me and I guess it was a murder of passion.

AE: That’s typically how the lesbian roles go on television, which is why we’re all so excited about Pretty Little Liars. It’s actually a positive story. BL: Yeah, I think the way that they’re treating it is so lovely. It’s believable — it could easily be a heterosexual storyline but it’s with two girls.

AE: Definitely. What attracted you to the role of Maya? What was the process of you getting the role? BL: You know, it’s really interesting. I actually — the whole time I auditioned and went to the studio and network was actually for Hannah. And then Ashley and I went to network together and they were like, "Would you like to play Maya?" And I didn’t know anything about Maya up until that point. I hadn’t read the books and I hadn’t read any of her stuff, so I said "Oh OK" and then I read it and I said "Oh my god, this is a kick ass part!" It’s unusual, it’s something I’ve never played before. I immediately connect with her. So I think things happen for a reason and the parts you’re supposed to play come to you.

AE: She seems so sure of herself, especially compared to Emily who is kind of figuring things out. I know you can’t tell us too much about what hasn’t been shown yet, but I did see that Jamie Babbitt will be doing a "coming out" episode for Emily so there has to be something - is Maya a big part of that for her? BL: Yes, Maya’s involved. I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say!

AE: Will Maya become a bigger role on the show? BL: Well Maya sticks around. For me, I actually never really know what’s going to happen with Maya until I get the script for the next episode. So I find out with everyone else! I’ve read the books, obviously, and thus far they’ve been pretty true to the books but they have changed a few things here and there. The safest answer would be is Maya is still involved and will be continuing until season ending.

Beyond that, I don’t know too much — what the next chapter will be exactly. Yeah, I’m not allowed to reveal too many secrets but it’s going to be really good. Everyone will be really happy with it and I think the writers are doing such an amazing job, especially this storyline and I think they’re really making it really kind of honest and deep and not sort of that typical kind of cheesy lesbian thing. They’re really — there’s a kind of — delicacy isn’t the right word. There’s a lot of heart in it. But that’s one of the reasons why I’m so glad to be on the show and why I’m so proud to be on the show.

AE: And the show has been successful so far. Did you ever have any worries about ABC Family fans taking a lesbian storyline on the show? BL: When we did the pilot, it was funny because to just read the line, Maya obviously has always been confident and self-aware and she — one thing I love about her is she just kind of jumps in fully. She’s not testing out the waters — she knows what she wants, she knows who she is, she feels a kindred spirit in Emily, and I think she really sees Emily’s bull and is like "OK — why are you denying this?" or whatnot.

The lines, they could have come off a little more maybe forward or seductive and because they weren’t sure how much ABC Family was going to allow — like a subtextual thing versus right on the surface, so everything, so even if the line was more seductive and obvious, I kind of had to say it very innocent and opposite. "Was that — is she a lesbian?" It seems to me that once the pilot aired, they were like "OK!" They’ve really embraced it and I don’t feel like anything has had to be tiptoed around. I wasn’t sure but I was also on The Secret Life of the American Teenager and they tackled some serious stuff on there. So it’s interesting.

I wasn’t worried, I was curious about how it would evolve. Things have been really great and we kind of jumped right in there.

AE: ABC Family lately has been tackling some issues that might have been thought of too taboo for the age group they’re going for. With Aria dating her teacher, I was interested myself to see if someone might be offended by the lesbian relationship but not the girl dating her teacher. BL: It’s sort of a new day and people — there are some things that people are always going to have a hard time with lesbian storyline because more people are sort of coming out and speaking out about it. And networks like ABC Family is really trying to explore it in a loving way. I think people that aren’t actually open minded, I think there’s more that are like "This is awesome and a really positive thing."

I feel like there are always going to be people that have a hard time, but there’s a much bigger audience now especially the youth as it is right now. Young people are a lot more accepting and a lot more open and progressive than maybe they would have been if it aired 10 years ago.

AE: It seems like you’ve had so many roles on pivotal teen television shows like Buffy, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, My So-Called Life throughout your whole career, so you’ve been playing a teenager for more than a decade now! Do you not age? BL: That’s really, really sweet. I think it’s genetics. I’m not a super-healthy person! I am kind of lazy, I eat tons of junk food ... I feel really blessed that I get to play all these great characters even though they might be a lot younger or whatever their age. I feel happy about it. It’s so funny people ask me that, if it’s weird. But as I get older I feel like I’m regressing a bit, like Maya is a lot more mature than I am. [Laughs]

AE: What role do you get recognized for the most? BL: I definitely think I get recognized for Buffy and Save the Last Dance. Every time I meet people, they’re like "Oh my god — I thought you were going to be such a bitch."

AE: You used to be such a bitch in so many things! BL: I know, I know! I think it’s my face. It’s nice now. But I have played other parts, it’s just that the ones I’m always noticed for were always kind of that same role. I’m happy that with Maya I’m being allowed to explore other facets.

AE: Do you get a lot of good roles coming to you or do you ever feel as a woman of color you don’t get opportunities other women might? BL: Hmm. It’s an interesting thing. I never feel like — I know that it’s not totally balanced but in my personal experience, I have to say I haven’t, but I’ve seen the struggle for my friends that are actresses. I’m extremely lucky to be working all the time and get really exciting characters so I’m grateful. But I know for my friends that are actresses of color that it has been a struggle.

I think it’s getting better, I do. I look at someone like Zoe Saldana or Paula Patton or Kerry Washington and I see them playing these really complex characters so I think it’s getting better. ... The parts that I’ve had to kind of obsess over and claw my way to end up coming out and nothing kind of happens with it and the parts that are the most rewarding to me are the parts that kind of come to me and I didn’t necessarily even know it was going to be as amazing as it was. I’m kind of one of those people that let’s the universe do what it’s going to do and not obsess about it. When I obsess about something, it doesn’t work out.

AE: You do realize that now you’re going to have a huge lesbian fanbase, although you probably already had it started from being on Buffy. BL: I’m excited. I’m excited to have a lesbian following!

AE: One thing I really like about Maya, too, is her style. Was that something from the book? BL: In the books, she’s a little more Bohemian and I think from the pilot through the second episode through the rest of them, she went through a sort of transformation with the clothes. But our costume designer that we have now is amazing. What’s great about her is ... she’s so invested in the characters — she has a reason why the character would wear this or wear that. And so I go in and try on a bunch of things and she also wants to know how the actors feel about the outfit. But I have to say it’s all her! She’s absolutely incredible.

AE: And I like that Maya and Emily don’t look like the stereotypical lesbian character. BL: Yeah I love that they both are feminine, girly and sexy and typical lesbian look. They’re a little soft and I think they’re doing a good job with it.

AE: They’re real cute together, too — especially in that photo booth. BL: [Laughs]

AE: When you were preparing for the role did you do any lesbian research or did you just go in and do your best gay? BL: I just dove right in because I never look at her like "she’s a lesbian character." She’s a person and this is what she’s gone through and these are her characteristics. This is the person that I love; not this is the girl that I love. This is the human being that I love and this is why I love her — I feel connected with her. So that’s how I approached it. ... With any lesbian or gay boy friends that I have, I never feel like they have a big flashing sign over their heads saying they’re gay, it’s just that’s who they are! So maybe something subconsciously has settled at the back of my mind and is channeling their queerness.

AE: Were you ever concerned that after taking this role you might be typecast at all and just get offered lesbian roles? BL: No and if that’s my fate, then that’s OK! I don’t know, I never think about that. I just try to do the best I can in my work. I think fear runs your life and it can become your fate. You never know how people will relate to something or how things will turn out. ... I try not to think that far ahead and I didn’t have any apprehension. I was just excited to play Maya and be on the show and be with such an amazing group of people.

AE: Shay is more of a new actress so I wonder if she had any qualms about playing a lesbian at all. BL: I can’t speak for Shay but to me she seemed totally open and relaxed about it from my interaction with her. I don’t think she had any apprehension about it. ... She’s a beautiful girl, it was very easy. It wasn’t like "Oh it’s so weird!" It’s like any other kiss; like kissing a boy. It really didn’t occur to me.

Catch "Pretty Little Liars" on ABC Family every Tuesday night.