The True Meaning of a Lesbian Following
Counting down to AfterEllen's Hot 100 List coming out Monday (so excited!), I've been wondering what my Hot 100 list would look like. I ended up only with 70, after deciding not to put the actresses who I only followed in a specific role on the list. So, I present 70 women who I've lusted over, admired, and respected. Actresses I've watched in any film or TV show, no matter how awful or boring, just to catch a glimpse of them. Countless magazines purchased just for their photos and interviews. It is no accident that many of these women have played lesbian/bi characters, acted in movies with GLBT themes, or just played characters seemed to hint at a gay subtext. Once you attract a lesbian's attention, you will have a lesbian following for life.
1. Tina Fey (30 Rock- went on a date with the lovely Stephanie March, SNL, Mean Girls, Baby Mama)
(pic from www.tina-fey.org)
2. Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU’s Olivia Benson)
(pic from www.mariska.com)
3. Jorja Fox (CSI’s Sara Sidle, played a lesbian on ER, guest starred as a lesbian on Ellen- the sitcom)
(pic from www.jorjafox.net)
4. Simone Lahbib (played lesbian/bi Warden Helen Stewart in Bad Girls, Wire in the Blood)
(pic from http://www.truexena.com/badgirls/simone.htm)
5. Olivia Wilde (played bi as both The OC’s Alex & House’s Thirteen)
(pic from www.oliviawilde.org)
6. Jodie Foster (The Brave One, Nell, Silence of the Lambs, recently came out!!! Yay!)
(pic from http://dorothysurrenders.blogspot.com)
7. Maura Tierney (ER’s Abby Lockhart, NewsRadio’s Lisa Miller, Baby Mama)
(pic from http://www.icelebz.com/celebs/maura_tierney/)
8. Nicol Paone (The Big Gay Sketch Show)
(pic from http://www.myspace.com/nicolpaone)
9. Stephanie March (Law & Order: SVU’s Alex Cabot, played a lesbian on 30 Rock)
(pic from http://wolfstories2.tripod.com/id111.htm)
10. Diane Neal (Law & Order: SVU’s Casey Novak)
(pic from http://dianeneal.hostbus.com/)
After the top 10, the actresses are no longer ranked in order. it was way too hard to decide rank!
11. Leisha Hailey (the out lesbian actress plays The L Word’s bisexual Alice)
12. Jennifer Morrison (House’s Allison Cameron)
13. Elizabeth Mitchell (played a lesbian in Gia & ER)
14. Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Sarah Connor, played a lesbian in Imagine Me & You)
15. Piper Perabo (played a lesbian in Lost & Delirious & Imagine Me & You)
16. Natasha Richardson (The White Countess & Nell w Jodie Foster, played gay in Blow Dry)
17. Angelina Jolie (Foxfire & Gia)
18. Mary Louise Parker (Weeds, lesbian in Fried Green Tomatoes)
19. Mandana Jones (played lesbian inmate Nikki Wade in Bad Girls)
20. Jill Hennessy (Crossing Jordan’s Jordan Cavanaugh, played a lesbian in Chutney Popcorn)
21. Laura Linney (while she’s never played a lesbian, she was in The Laramie Project (about slain gay man Matthew Shepard), played a fag hag in Tales of the City, is very supportive of the LGBT community (she was part of the HRC’s Talk About it Campaign)
22. Lena Olin (Alias’ Irina Derevko, Chocolat, played bi? in The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
23. Julianne Moore (played gay in The Hours)
24. Nicole Kidman (played possibly bisexual Virginia Woolf in The Hours)
25. Marg Helgenberger (CSI’s Catherine Willows)
26. Julianne Nicholson (Conviction’s Christina Finn, Law & Order: Criminal Intent’s Megan Wheeler, played a lesbian in Puccini for Beginners)
27. Laura Innes (ER’s lesbian Kerry Weaver)
28. Parminder Nagra (ER’s Neela Rasgotra, Bend it Like Beckham- the script was rumored to originally have her and Keira Knightley as girlfriends).
29. Marlee Matlin (played a lesbian as The L Word’s Jodi Lerner)
30. Jennifer Beals (Flashdance, played a lesbian as The L Word’s Bette Porter)
31. Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables- a story I insist has lesbian subtext between Anne and Diana)
32. Mary Stuart Masterson (lesbian in Fried Green Tomatoes, Law & Order: SVU’s Dr. Rebecca Hendrix)
33. Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada, played a lesbian in My Summer of Love)
34. Ellen Page (Juno, Smart People, the SNL skit where she wanted to hug a woman with her legs)
35. Holly Hunter (Saving Grave, The Piano- filmed in my mother’s homeland New Zealand, She played lesbian icon Billie Jean King in When Billie Beat Bobby, but the film didn’t touch on her sexuality)
36. Erin Daniels (L Word’s lesbian Dana Fairbanks)
37. Melina Kanakaredes (CSI:NY’s Stella, Providence)
38. Natascha McElhone (Califorication’s Karen, Mrs. Dalloway)
39. Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer, played a lesbian in What’s Cooking?)
40. Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love’s Margene- on the show she feel in love with a woman she wanted to be the 4th wife)
41. Anne Hathaway (Devil Wears Prada, Ella Enchanted)
42. Meryl Streep (Devil Wears Prada, played a lesbian in The Hours, queer-themed Angels in America- in which I believe she kissed Emma Thompson)
43. Gina Gershon (played a lesbian in Bound, bisexual in Prey for Rock n Roll & Showgirls)
44. Julianna Margulies (ER’s Carol Hathaway, played a lesbian in What’s Cooking?)
45. Ellen DeGeneres
46. Amy Adams (Enchanted, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day)
47. Sarah Shahi (Life, The L Word’s Carmen)
48. Helen Hunt (Mad About You, A Good Woman, What Women Want)
49. Bernadette Peters (Broadway shows Sunday in the Park with George, Gypsy, and Annie Get Your Gun)
50. Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy’s Addison, played gay in Under the Tuscan Sun)
51. Keira Knightley (Bend it Like Beckham, Love Actually)
52. Rachel Shelley (played a lesbian in both L Word & Gray Matters)
53. Joely Fisher (Ellen (sitcom)- shared a kiss with Ellen)
54. Portia de Rossi (the out actress played a lesbian in Nip/Tuck)
55. Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, About a Boy)
56. Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray, Dangerous Liaisons)
57. Ellen Pompeo (Grey’s Anatomy’s Meredith Grey, Moonlight Mile)
58. Sandra Bullock (While You Were Sleeping, Two Weeks Notice)
59. Natalie Portman (The Other Boleyn Girl, V for Vendetta)
60. Jennifer Garner (Alias’s Sydney Bristow, Juno)
61. Audrey Tautou (Amélie, A Very Long Engagement)
62. Liv Tyler (Empire Records, played a lesbian in Dr. T & the Women)
63. Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, Little Women, played a vampire in love with Catherine Deneuve in the Hunger)
64. Catherine Deneuve (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Belle de jour, played lesbian/bi? in 8 Women, played a vampire in love with Susan Sarandon in the Hunger)
65. Emily Procter (CSI: Miami’s Calleigh)
66. Juliette Binoche (Bleu, Dan in Real Life, Chocolat, played bi? in The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
67. Julia Roberts (Charlie Wilson’s War, Notting Hill)
68. Minnie Driver (An Ideal Husband, Return to Me, High Heels and Low Lifes, and Good Will Hunting)
69. Mädchen Amick (ER)
70. Elisabeth Röhm (Law & Order’s Serena Southerlyn- a la “Is this because I’m a lesbian?” fame)
1. Tina Fey (30 Rock- went on a date with the lovely Stephanie March, SNL, Mean Girls, Baby Mama)
(pic from www.tina-fey.org)
2. Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU’s Olivia Benson)
(pic from www.mariska.com)
3. Jorja Fox (CSI’s Sara Sidle, played a lesbian on ER, guest starred as a lesbian on Ellen- the sitcom)
(pic from www.jorjafox.net)
4. Simone Lahbib (played lesbian/bi Warden Helen Stewart in Bad Girls, Wire in the Blood)
(pic from http://www.truexena.com/badgirls/simone.htm)
5. Olivia Wilde (played bi as both The OC’s Alex & House’s Thirteen)
(pic from www.oliviawilde.org)
6. Jodie Foster (The Brave One, Nell, Silence of the Lambs, recently came out!!! Yay!)
(pic from http://dorothysurrenders.blogspot.com)
7. Maura Tierney (ER’s Abby Lockhart, NewsRadio’s Lisa Miller, Baby Mama)
(pic from http://www.icelebz.com/celebs/maura_tierney/)
8. Nicol Paone (The Big Gay Sketch Show)
(pic from http://www.myspace.com/nicolpaone)
9. Stephanie March (Law & Order: SVU’s Alex Cabot, played a lesbian on 30 Rock)
(pic from http://wolfstories2.tripod.com/id111.htm)
10. Diane Neal (Law & Order: SVU’s Casey Novak)
(pic from http://dianeneal.hostbus.com/)
After the top 10, the actresses are no longer ranked in order. it was way too hard to decide rank!
11. Leisha Hailey (the out lesbian actress plays The L Word’s bisexual Alice)
12. Jennifer Morrison (House’s Allison Cameron)
13. Elizabeth Mitchell (played a lesbian in Gia & ER)
14. Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Sarah Connor, played a lesbian in Imagine Me & You)
15. Piper Perabo (played a lesbian in Lost & Delirious & Imagine Me & You)
16. Natasha Richardson (The White Countess & Nell w Jodie Foster, played gay in Blow Dry)
17. Angelina Jolie (Foxfire & Gia)
18. Mary Louise Parker (Weeds, lesbian in Fried Green Tomatoes)
19. Mandana Jones (played lesbian inmate Nikki Wade in Bad Girls)
20. Jill Hennessy (Crossing Jordan’s Jordan Cavanaugh, played a lesbian in Chutney Popcorn)
21. Laura Linney (while she’s never played a lesbian, she was in The Laramie Project (about slain gay man Matthew Shepard), played a fag hag in Tales of the City, is very supportive of the LGBT community (she was part of the HRC’s Talk About it Campaign)
22. Lena Olin (Alias’ Irina Derevko, Chocolat, played bi? in The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
23. Julianne Moore (played gay in The Hours)
24. Nicole Kidman (played possibly bisexual Virginia Woolf in The Hours)
25. Marg Helgenberger (CSI’s Catherine Willows)
26. Julianne Nicholson (Conviction’s Christina Finn, Law & Order: Criminal Intent’s Megan Wheeler, played a lesbian in Puccini for Beginners)
27. Laura Innes (ER’s lesbian Kerry Weaver)
28. Parminder Nagra (ER’s Neela Rasgotra, Bend it Like Beckham- the script was rumored to originally have her and Keira Knightley as girlfriends).
29. Marlee Matlin (played a lesbian as The L Word’s Jodi Lerner)
30. Jennifer Beals (Flashdance, played a lesbian as The L Word’s Bette Porter)
31. Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables- a story I insist has lesbian subtext between Anne and Diana)
32. Mary Stuart Masterson (lesbian in Fried Green Tomatoes, Law & Order: SVU’s Dr. Rebecca Hendrix)
33. Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada, played a lesbian in My Summer of Love)
34. Ellen Page (Juno, Smart People, the SNL skit where she wanted to hug a woman with her legs)
35. Holly Hunter (Saving Grave, The Piano- filmed in my mother’s homeland New Zealand, She played lesbian icon Billie Jean King in When Billie Beat Bobby, but the film didn’t touch on her sexuality)
36. Erin Daniels (L Word’s lesbian Dana Fairbanks)
37. Melina Kanakaredes (CSI:NY’s Stella, Providence)
38. Natascha McElhone (Califorication’s Karen, Mrs. Dalloway)
39. Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer, played a lesbian in What’s Cooking?)
40. Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love’s Margene- on the show she feel in love with a woman she wanted to be the 4th wife)
41. Anne Hathaway (Devil Wears Prada, Ella Enchanted)
42. Meryl Streep (Devil Wears Prada, played a lesbian in The Hours, queer-themed Angels in America- in which I believe she kissed Emma Thompson)
43. Gina Gershon (played a lesbian in Bound, bisexual in Prey for Rock n Roll & Showgirls)
44. Julianna Margulies (ER’s Carol Hathaway, played a lesbian in What’s Cooking?)
45. Ellen DeGeneres
46. Amy Adams (Enchanted, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day)
47. Sarah Shahi (Life, The L Word’s Carmen)
48. Helen Hunt (Mad About You, A Good Woman, What Women Want)
49. Bernadette Peters (Broadway shows Sunday in the Park with George, Gypsy, and Annie Get Your Gun)
50. Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy’s Addison, played gay in Under the Tuscan Sun)
51. Keira Knightley (Bend it Like Beckham, Love Actually)
52. Rachel Shelley (played a lesbian in both L Word & Gray Matters)
53. Joely Fisher (Ellen (sitcom)- shared a kiss with Ellen)
54. Portia de Rossi (the out actress played a lesbian in Nip/Tuck)
55. Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, About a Boy)
56. Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray, Dangerous Liaisons)
57. Ellen Pompeo (Grey’s Anatomy’s Meredith Grey, Moonlight Mile)
58. Sandra Bullock (While You Were Sleeping, Two Weeks Notice)
59. Natalie Portman (The Other Boleyn Girl, V for Vendetta)
60. Jennifer Garner (Alias’s Sydney Bristow, Juno)
61. Audrey Tautou (Amélie, A Very Long Engagement)
62. Liv Tyler (Empire Records, played a lesbian in Dr. T & the Women)
63. Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, Little Women, played a vampire in love with Catherine Deneuve in the Hunger)
64. Catherine Deneuve (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Belle de jour, played lesbian/bi? in 8 Women, played a vampire in love with Susan Sarandon in the Hunger)
65. Emily Procter (CSI: Miami’s Calleigh)
66. Juliette Binoche (Bleu, Dan in Real Life, Chocolat, played bi? in The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
67. Julia Roberts (Charlie Wilson’s War, Notting Hill)
68. Minnie Driver (An Ideal Husband, Return to Me, High Heels and Low Lifes, and Good Will Hunting)
69. Mädchen Amick (ER)
70. Elisabeth Röhm (Law & Order’s Serena Southerlyn- a la “Is this because I’m a lesbian?” fame)