Bi, 'L Word.' Hi, future

As lesbian soap comes to an end, star Leisha Hailey rocks out with spin-off project and debut album

Leisha Hailey, the sweet-as-sugar actress on "The L Word," can pretty much do it all - act, play guitar, sing, sell breakfast food and be hot. She's also a journalist, albeit on a lesbian soap opera, so what reporter wouldn't have shaky knees and enough forehead sweat to put out a forest fire? When we found out how we did, we were relieved.

"You have a nice approach to how you ask questions," the 37-year-old flatters. "I think the trick with the person doing the interview should be just making it feel like a conversation, which you do very well."

Alice Pieszecki, the cute-as-a-kitten character Hailey portrays on the Showtime hit (which will begin its sixth and final season in January), would know best. Fans familiar with the show, about a les- bian, bi and trans- gender clique living in West Hollywood, know quirky Alice for "The Chart" - a graph document- ing affairs among her friends and ac- quaintances, which she began on the back of a napkin during season one. Most illuminating about her character is that she is - or was, rather - bisexual.

"Oh my god, I've been blessed just getting the opportunity to play that part," gushes Hailey, who's openly lesbian. "I don't think the bisexuality aspect of it really got explored too much. I think I called myself bisexual for a season and then we really didn't get to see it played out. I've pretty much dated women the whole time. In a sense, I think it was a lost opportunity to really dive deeper into that whole sexuality but, you know, Fm just an actor and I just play my lines."

After this season's series finale, Hailey will carry the lesbian torch into a yet- to- be- named spin-off she's shooting in December. No air date - and no network - has been announced, and she can't say much: "It's top secret," she insists.

Until the pilot films, Hailey will keep herself busy with singer-producer Camila Grey, her Uh Huh Her bandmate. On a month-long tour, which stops at 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, the indie electro-pop duo just pulled into a San Diego venue, the first stop on their trek.

They're out supporting their August debut, "Common Reaction," which boasts new wave-inspired dancy nuggets dressed in synth sheen. It's a definite departure from the sound of The Murmurs, Hailey's first - and only other - band. She was never part of ones in school: "I wish I was that cool. I envy people who had that early on. I was a bit nerdier than that."

Now part of the in-crowd, Hailey is also yummy, according to AfterEllen.com, who put her atop their Hot 100 List last year. "Leisha gets more beautiful every season, and her acting skills have flourished too. ... She became our Sunday-night crush," the lesbiangeared media site wrote.

"I'm not hot at all," she says, coyly. "I'm like the most - I don't know - boring, down-to-earth person. There's really nothing sex symbol-y about me. That was a big joke, but it was very, very flattering."

Shockingly, she's not good at everything. Math isn't her forte. And it's a good thing she wasn't driving to the venue: "I never know which way is up or down or east or west."

Outside of acting, looking fine - and sucking at math - the actress, who was born in Japan while her father was in the Air Force and moved to America at age 4, is known for dating k.d. lang (the two were in a serious relationship) and hyping a dairy product. Hailey's starred in several commercials for Yoplait yogurt, but she's not really into the fruit-on-the-bottom type.

"I usually skip over the fruit," she says. "I'll eat all the way down to the fruit, and then I don't eat that part. Too sugary."

Not like she's short on "sweet," anyhow.

[Sidebar]

TICKET GIVEAWAY

Wanna see Uh Huh Her at 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Magic Bag in Ferndale? Send an e-mail to chris@pridesource.com with "Uh Huh" in the subject line, your name and phone number. Submissions must be received by 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 1.

[Sidebar]

"I'm not hot at all. I'm like the most - I don't know - boring, downto-earth person. There's really nothing sex symbol-y about me."

-Leisha Hailey

[Sidebar]

Camila Grey and Leisha Hailey (right) of Uh Huh Her released their debut album, "Common Reaction," In August.

[Author Affiliation]

Chris Azzopardi is the entertainment editor of Between The Lines. To reach him, send an e-mail to chris@pridesource.com.