JANE
SIBBETT
Interview With Jane Sibbett mit Afterellen.com.
Ich glaube, dass es eine lesbische Starseite ist.
Jane hat ja einige lesbische Rollen gespielt.
by
Whenever a list of queer TV firsts is
compiled, an episode from the second season of
Friends titled "The
One With the Lesbian Wedding" is included among the milestones.
The episode, which originally aired Jan. 18, 1996, on NBC,
centered on the wedding of Ross' ex-wife, Carol Willick (Jane
Sibbett), and Susan Bunch (Jessica Hecht). It also featured out
lesbians Candace Gingrich and Lea DeLaria as guest stars.
NBC affiliates in Port Arthur, Texas, and Lima,
Ohio, refused to air the episode, but that did not stop it from
being the highest-rated TV program for the week it aired.
Carol and Susan were recurring characters on
Friends throughout its run, providing occasional prime-time
glimpses of a loving lesbian couple for nearly 10 years. At the
end of the first season, Carol gave birth to her and Ross' son,
providing an unusually lighthearted depiction of lesbian parenting
on television.
We have Ray Romano to thank for Jane Sibbett's
longtime work on Friends. She had been offered the part
of Raymond's wife, Debra, on Everybody Loves Raymond by
CBS and DreamWorks. But when Sibbett found out that Romano wasn't
aware that she had been hired for a role he wanted Patricia Heaton
to play, she graciously stepped aside.
That graciousness and integrity extend to
Sibbett's beliefs in social justice. She has been an outstanding
ally for the LGBT community, especially during the press brouhaha
surrounding the lesbian wedding on Friends.
Sibbett, who was a presenter at last
year's
POWER UP benefit, was
raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She moved to Southern
California to attend UCLA and lives in Topanga Canyon with her
husband, Karl Fink, and their three children, though they are
currently preparing for their long-dreamed-of move to Hawaii.
In the midst of it all, she recently took time
to speak with us about Friends, lesbian relationships and
her disappointment about not being able to kiss Jessica Hecht
on-screen.
AfterEllen.com:
How does it feel to be part of an episode that will forever be
known as one of the milestone moments of broadcast TV, the first
lesbian wedding?
Jane Sibbett: I love that. That
makes me so proud. I think everyone wants to be the first, but to
be the first at something significant like that?
I wish I could take more credit, that it was a
really thoughtful decision. I really did it because I loved the
writing so much. I think that's how the producers of Friends
approached the characters. They didn't want it to be so
landmark; they wanted everyone to realize how very normal it was.
And how very beautiful and special it is in its own way, just like
any relationship is. So, to find the icing on the cake — that it's
made a difference for people — that's been a real pleasure for me
to be a part of it.
AE: What do you
recall about the reception "The One With the Lesbian Wedding"
received?
JS: When we first did interviews, I
met with all sorts of contrasting opinions, and I was always
surprised. And it's funny, because I came from a pretty
traditional background. But I came to Los Angeles, and I went to
UCLA, and one of my dearest friends is a lesbian — and, you know,
it just seemed normal to me, that it was a regular thing.
So, when I saw that it was a big deal to so many
people for different reasons — it was a big deal in Lima, Ohio,
and in Texas, for instance, they blacked us out, which was the
best publicity we could have ever had — I didn't realize that it
was so hard for a lot of people to accept, and, on the other hand,
how much it meant for other people who were working so hard
because it was time, that we needed representation of the
gay and lesbian community.
AE: Did any
advertising get pulled?
JS: I don't think so. Two TV
markets blocked it, but many people were having vigils around the
TV stations [that did air it]. It was really amazing. I did the
talk show circuit, and on Geraldo I got into it with a
fundamentalist woman about the Bible, and I had this fabulous book,
What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality. I've had
to do a lot of research to defend my beliefs on all fronts. …
But when you come down to it, it's about the
heart anyway. The main message is about spreading love and all
that. So, I've had no issues at all. I've been really glad to
extend my heart to embrace people who have been challenged like
that, who don't understand.
AE: What I
remember about seeing the lesbian-wedding episode for the first
time — with a group of friends on the night it aired — was
everyone saying, "They didn't kiss!"
JS: Yeah, Jessica and I had a hard
time with that one too. We wanted to do the kiss as well. I don't
know where the decision came from, but we didn't [kiss]. It was a
long time ago. … I do remember that we had discussions about it,
and we wished and put our intentions in that we really wanted to
kiss.
But what I also remember about that episode is
that the wedding was really the fringe — it was the B or C story
line, really. To us, we wanted it to have more significance, but
all the swirling around with what Marlo Thomas [who played
Rachel's recently separated mom] was doing grew in significance.
It was what we wanted to do, and I mentioned it
afterwards. We snuck in as much sex as possible. We did all we
could do to make it as normal and loving a relationship as
possible.
AE: So, you didn't
actually originate the role of Carol on Friends, right? I know
Anita Barone did one episode on Friends as Carol — the second
episode of the first season, where Ross finds out Carol is pregnant.
JS: What happened was that I had
initially auditioned for one of the main parts on Friends, and
they wanted to cast me. I asked my agents if they had told the producers
yet that I was pregnant, because that was one of the things I had said
initially — that I wasn't going to go in unless you tell them I'm
pregnant. And they said, "Oh, we thought it would be better if you just
go."
And I said, "That's not ethical." So they did tell
them, and of course the producer said, "Thank you for telling us, and
you're right, it won't work out. But we'll keep you in mind for
something else."
And I loved them. I loved going in and working with
them and had the best time. That kind of laughter that happens after an
audition where tears are rolling down their faces … I just had so much
fun with them. They're just so inspired.
Anyway, I told my agent to tell them that if they want,
I'd be happy to play the pregnant lesbian — that that would be a really
great alternative for me. But they said no, that still won't work out
for the schedule. So I said, “Keep me in mind,” and they said they would.
I came home from the hospital, the day after my son
was born. A phone call came in and the producers said, "Can you help us?
We really need you take over this part … and you'd have to start
tomorrow." And I had just got home. I could hardly walk!
And they said, "We promise, we'll make it easy for you.
It'll be great. You can bring your nanny," and I'm like, "I've got my
mom." They said, "We'll give you a dressing room," and I said, "I don't
need that. I just have to think about this for a minute. …" And they
said, "We promise, it's just two episodes max, and we'll make it super
simple for you."
So, I said OK. And I figured that being a pregnant
character, I certainly didn't have to worry about my body — I could be
big and tired. And anyway, long story short, 10 years later … that's how
I got the lovely opportunity to play that wonderful character.
AE: When they told
you it was going to be two episodes, was that their intent for the
entire arc of the character?
JS: That's a really good question. No
one's ever asked me that before, and I don't think I ever asked them.
Perhaps. … When you're doing a show and you're brand
new, you have no idea if you're going to get picked up past six episodes.
I think their initial order was six. I don't think they had a
full-season order at that point, despite the fact that they were
gangbusters right out of the gate. You know how networks are. At that
time they were pretty slow to commit to a full-season order.
AE: One thing I
remember vividly was the two-parter from the sixth season, "The One That
Could Have Been," where it was like an alternative reality — what would
have happened if things had gone differently. One section was the
threesome that Ross and Carol, then still married, had set up with
Susan. Watching it, I remember thinking, "Wow, they're really being
physical." You and Jessica were touching each other a lot.
JS: Yup, and we were on our way into the
bedroom. So, the implications were still there, but we let it exist in
the minds of the viewer. …
We did what we could for an 8 o'clock show. They
pushed the envelope on that on many fronts. I remember a scene between
Ross and Rachel where there was a premature ejaculation joke, and at
that stage in their life, it wasn't appropriate for my kids to watch!
The producers never wanted it to be an 8 o'clock show.
They always wanted to be a 9 o'clock show, but they said, "If you want
us to be an 8 o'clock show, we don't want to dilute our jokes at all."
And the network said, "That's fine."
AE: The kiss for the
wedding — that was glaringly absent, though; it was a hole.
JS: I agree, I absolutely agree. I can't
tell you want happened. We were in and out of it really quickly. We had
Candace Gingrich's wonderful speech as the officiating minister. …
AE: And then they had
the comic relief with Phoebe, who was being inhabited by the spirit of a
dead woman, saying, "A lesbian wedding — now I've seen everything," and
leaving her body. Instead of the kiss.
JS: And how lovely and simple that could
have been. That's the big "and only if …" We tried to telegraph it with
our eyes. Did you see it?
AE: Absolutely!
JS: One of the good things about Susan
and Carol was that we were never the butt of the jokes. It was always
the dumb way people responded to them that they drew the comedy from.
It was such a pleasure, and I feel so intensely
blessed and fortunate that I was given the part. I got so much joy. I
loved every minute of it. … We were hoping to make the Susan and Carol
series —
AE: Really?
JS: Yes, there was a writer in New York
pitching the idea, but they weren't up for it. They had just tried the
Joey spin-off. …
AE: What are you up
to now?
JS: I'm not working on any acting things
now. I'm concentrating on my writing. When I was at UCLA I wrote plays,
and when I came out of there, I produced a play with some friends that
we wrote. I eventually got so busy and it wasn't so easy to continue to
do that and have a career in acting. But I continued to write. I so love
writing short stories, and I'm working on books for teenagers to inspire
them to live more bravely, truthfully and heartfully.
One of the things I've been doing for years is
facilitating circles for women, in the way that Starhawk might do, but
in a way that's trans-denominational. Women getting together and sharing
wisdom. Empowering young women, ladies and older women to find their
voices, to find out who they really are. And I do that with kids as
well.
AE: Are you wanting
to continue your acting career? How hard will it be to do that from
Hawaii?
JS: I would love to continue my acting
career, and my manager is so 100 percent behind this move. John Kirby
has been my manager for 13 years. He's like my mom. He says: "You gotta
live your dreams. Whatever it takes to make yourself happy, I'm here for
you."
And, so, when things come up and seem appropriate,
I'll make every effort to come back [to Los Angeles]. There are ways to
do this. Because of the internet, and because of YouTube, and because of
all the technology we have right now. And we have our own cameras. If I
need to send a tape rather than be in a room, I can do that.
AE: Are you still in
touch with Jessica Hecht, Susan to your Carol on Friends?
JS: We were for years, but she lives in
New York, and I'm rarely there. …
I love her. She's really just the dreamiest person
anyone could ever hope to be married to. She's just lovely. It made it
so easy to be in love with her.
Weitere Rollen:
The Nanny
Name: Jane Sibbett
Staffel: 4. Staffel
Folge: 4.21
Rolle: spielt Morgan Faulkner, eine alte Schulkameradin von Fran
aus der Highschool
Ally McBeal
- Originaltitel: Heart and Soul
- Erstausstrahlung: USA * 04.03.2002 D *
18.02.2003
- Drehbuch: David E. Kelley
- Regie: Steve Gomer
Ally schafft sich einen großen Haufen Probleme, als sie Maddie erzählt,
daß sie und Victor niemals ein Paar werden, weil er aus einer anderen
Gesellschaftsschicht kommt als sie. Denn Victor hört dieses Gespräch
unbeabsichtigt mit. Für ihn ist es ist eine Sache, daß Ally meint, daß
Leute aus einer anderen Gesellschaftsschicht nicht so viel wert sind, aber
doch eine ganz andere, daß sie Maddie diese Werte weitergibt. Richard hat
einen Fall, bei dem er ein 16-jähriges Mädchen vertritt, das bald sterben
wird, wenn es kein Spenderherz bekommt. Ihr Vater ist bereit, ihr sein
Herz zu geben und für sie zu sterben, aber der Staat läßt nicht zu, daß er
sich umbringt, um seine Tochter zu retten.
Gastrollen:
Jon Bon Jovi – Victor Morrison, Graham Beckel – Peter Feldman, Albert Hall
– Richter Seymore Walsh, Lee Wilkof – Gebietsstaatsanwalt Henry Nixon,
Nancy Lenehan – Direktorin Deborah Harkness, Ashley Johnson – Serena
Feldman, Jane Sibbett – Beth Herman, Serenas Tante, Dame Edna Everage
(Barry Humphries) – Claire Otoms, Robert Downey Jr. – Larry Paul
Musik in dieser Folge:
- I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You (Tom Waits), performed by
Jon Bon Jovi
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