Interview: Out ‘True Blood’ actress Jessica Clark

Jessica Clark, the British actress who plays Lilith on the HBO TV series True Blood, is not only beautiful but also talented and quite a delight. I caught up at the Wolfe Video booth during The Dinah, the 2013 annual Dina Shore party in Palm Springs, California the first weekend of April – a massive dance party and music festival destination for lesbians from far and wide. We spoke about the biggest girl party in the world, Clark’s starring role in the 2012 lesbian film A Perfect Ending, and about being OK with her sexuality.

Robyn Vie-Carpenter: Have you done The Dinah before?

Jessica Clark: I’m not a full Dinah Virgin. I was here two years before for like 24 hours. This is really my first time being completely immersed in it.

RVC: I couldn’t believe how many women were here!

JC: It’s the largest girl party in the world. They’re everywhere! Everyone’s here to be looked at and enjoyed. It’s so fun because it’s a safe environment. You can be free and wild as you want without sitting there with that voice in your head, going OK….

If you’re in different environments, you don’t want to be harassed or for people to say things. You shouldn’t have to worry, but in the real world you do. So, that’s why (Dinah) is so magical and fun and sexy.

RVC: Where are you from?

JC: I’m from London. I lived in New York for a long time when I first moved to the states.

RVC:Were you modeling?

JC: I was. I was with Ford [Models] for a long time.

RVC: Did you do runway?

JC: I did runway for a long time. I did runway when I was living in Paris. When I moved to New York and I switched to acting. You know, I got over not eating. [Modeling] gives you some amazing access and experience. If you’re lucky, which I was, you’re successful. It comes to a point where you say, “I appreciate all that’s been given to me, but now what can I do with that?” It’s a choice, you have to give back. We’re given so many good things; people are interested in what we have to say. What do you say?

RVC: So it gives you a platform.

JC: That’s why I am so grateful [about modeling], but I wouldn’t want to go back to it. I’m thankful for that training, that opportunity. It teaches you resilience. You become very independent, very self-sufficient, and those are life skills that are incredibly useful for all kinds of things. You’re able to transition into another creative arts, like I did with acting. I feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to make that transition. And my community has supported me, and the mainstream as well. It’s been quite the ride, I’m enjoying it.

RVC:Tell me about your new film, A Perfect Ending and how that happened.

JC: It was one of those things where everything was sort of symbiotic. I was transitioning into acting. I moved out to LA from New York and I had a manager.

Nicole Conn, who directs the film – I guess because I was sort of well known in the lesbian community and she is obviously extremely well known – saw my avatar pop up on Facebook, where they show people that you should know. I got this message from her saying, ‘please don’t think I’m a creeper. But, are you an actress?’

I knew her and I knew her work from attending Outfest the previous year. So, it really happened very organically. They sent the scripts and we met. It was a definite connection.

It’s very rare that you get a part written for a woman…on one level, OK, so she’s an escort. But the way she was written and the freedom they gave me to explore the character – there was so much nuance and so much sort of underlying things in my character and she goes through such a transformation during the film. It was my first feature film. It’s really sort of a gift that I got to experience it. Nicole was amazing and really guided me through it.

RVC: I can’t wait to see it!

JC: Yeah, we’re really proud of the end result.

‘A Perfect Ending,’ starring Jessica Clark and Barbara Nivon is available at Amazon.com or at WolfeVideo.com. Clark will also be appearing as a special guest May 28 through June 3 at the “Girls In Wonderland” fundraising event during Gay Days in Orlando, FL. The event benefits the National Center for Lesbian Rights.