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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1996)
just out T january 19, 1990 ▼ 15 reminiscent of my own. Sibbett: I had Candace Gingrich presiding over my ceremony also. [Laughter.] How was working with Newt Gingrich’s les bian half-sister? Sibbett: Fabulous! We met her at the GLAAD Awards last year and very briefly had this little photo opportunity with her. It was fun to reacquaint ourselves and to actually sit down and chat fora long time. She is incredible. She is definitely the kind of gal we’d hang out with all the time. Hecht: She’s extremely funny and a great impro viser. She kept making up parts of the ceremony when the camera was rolling, just to, you know, goose up her part. It was very funny. She was wonderful. Did either of you ever hesitate before accept ing your respective roles? Sibbett: No. Not for a moment. Not for a mo ment. Hecht: No. I think, actually, if the writing was really not up to par, you would be afraid of stepping in. But anything that’s well written, you love. Play ing characters like these has been amazing for both of us. What kind of research have you done? Sibbett: Well, Jessica and I try to sleep together as often as possible. [Laughter.] Hecht: And then we talk about the experience a lot. [Laughter.] What kind of research do we do? Let’s see, well... Sibbett: Research? Gosh, you know, we’re just playing people, really. I don’t think there’s any research to really do.... As Jessica said, the writing is really so well crafted. It’s not as if we’re uttering words that might be incorrect. Do fans of the show recognize and stop you on the street? Sibbett and Hecht: Yes. Sibbett: They’re always very positive about our characters: “Oh, we love your characters! They’re so great!” Hecht: The thing about television is you never know who’s going to be on that week. I guess TV Guide helps. [Laughter.] But in general, people always ask, “When are you guys going to be back on?” And people are really psyched about the wed ding. It makes me feel so welcome that they’re really invested in what happens to us. Isn’t it fascinating to have your work become part of the country’s consciousness? Sibbett: Yeah. You don’t really think about it. You kind of think about it as a job, and then suddenly, people are coming up and saying to you, “Thank you for making a difference in our lives.” I had this woman come up to me at one of my friends’ birthday parties for their kids and say, “Thank you. I’ve never watched the show, but I’ve heard about you and I am so grateful that you are doing this part.” Wow! Gosh, I’m really making an impact on some people. What other feedback have you received from gay and lesbian viewers? Sibbett and Hecht: Positive. Sibbett: They’re just grateful to have some posi tive role models, people they can look up to. Hecht: Somebody—in fact, maybe it was David [Crane]—said that he had spoken to a young girl whose parents are two moms, and the little girl said, “Hey, I saw someone like me on TV.” And it was Ben, you know? It was great. Also, I got this letter that was really nice from a young college guy. [He] wrote me this very articulate letter about feeling that he had never been comfortable with the idea of lesbianism. Seeing these characters on tele vision really changed his mind. HAL JONES AUTOMOTIVE JOY ENTERPRISES Bili Joy 1939 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland Do you see yourselves as activists for gay and lesbian rights? Sibbett: Hum. Never thought of it that way; simply as artists, basically, just doing our job, and We’re gentle activists. [Laughter.] Hecht: We really feel so fortunate to have been able to make any kind of contribution to this cause. It really is acause. Janie had this experience of going to an honorary event in July. [To Sibbett:] I guess you can tell exactly what it was. Sibbett: It was the Gay and Lesbian Parents’ Coalition International, and it was incredibly mov ing for me. I had to get up and receive an award on behalf of the show. Jessica was getting married that night, and David was on Fire Island, so I had to go and receive the award and give a speech. It was the most beauti ful evening I think I’ve ever had in terms of people and their love and their commitment and their strength and bravery. I was so moved, I was so moved. Moved to tears. It was really an incredible night. Hecht: They gave her a standing ovation. Sibbett: Well... [Laughter.] I think they were giving it for the whole show. [To Hecht:] And you were included in that. Tell me about how your own friendship has deepened since you began working on the show. Did you know each other at all before? Sibbett and Hecht: No. I’m keeping my fingers crossed Sibbett: It’s such a gift that that Carol, Susan and Ben will be we got to meet one another. We spun off into a show of their own. adore one another. She ’ s a won Sibbett: From your mouth to derful friend. God’sears. [Laughter.] Jessica and I Hecht: Janie is, too. There would love to work together like are a lot of interesting things in that. our friendship that are in some ways linked to the way you What would you like to see as have a romance. Jane is very far as Carol, Susan and baby Ben’s spiritual and has these great future on the show? beliefs. And you know, when Sibbett: Spin-off. Spin-off. Spin you get involved in a relation off. Now you’ve got me thinking of ship with somebody, you want a spin-off.... Obviously, we hope to know how they think and that we get to play this out more and what’s interesting to them and see how the family grows, how the how they perceive the world. dynamic works with bouncing the That’s a big dynamic in our birth father. Hecht: I think one key thing that friendship, and I think it has, of friends co-executive producers David Crane, Marta Kauffman and Kevin S. Bright Janie just said was, “how the family course, been really beneficial grows.” I actually would love to have more children hopefully opening up people to a greater truth: that to have that underlying whatever we do on the set. as part of our family unit. I think it would be really we’re all one. Sibbett: We do deeply love one another. interesting to see how Ross deals with that.... Also, Hecht: Yeah. “Activist” is such an aggressive Hecht: We hang out like a married couple when whether or not the fact that we’ve gotten married word... we’re on the set. It’s so funny. We go to our dressing makes him feel sort of more left out of the equation. Sibbett: Active. It’s an active word. room and have a little snack together. [Laughter.] And I love being with all the Friends together. I love Hecht: If you look at it on a purely literal level, “Let’s go have dinner.” “Let’s go have a snack.” that. we are like voices. We speak the words of people “Are you warm enough, honey?” We’re getting Sibbett: Because that definitely pushes buttons who very often don’t get a voice in popular enter matching jogging suits. [Laughter.] for everyone else, too. I mean, certainly with tainment. That’s a pretty aggressive thing to do. Courteney’s character. She’s feeling her clock tick Sibbett: I don’t think either of us considers W hat have you learned about the gay and ing. We are a shining example of a beautiful rela ourselves activists, although we heartily support lesbian community from your involvement with tionship that the rest of the Friends can aspire to. everything that we’re doing and the gay and lesbian Friends '? community. We’re notout marching and stomping, Sibbett: I think we had a pretty good feel for it. Isn’t it marvelous that Carol and Susan have but we go to as many of the events as we can. We certainly hadn’t gone to a lot of the gay and the most stable romantic relationship on the lesbian functions before. show? In many ways you’re doing work that is as Hecht: The performers—different people who Hecht: [Laughter.] A lot of people say that. significant as that of people who are out there have come out, and different people who still feel Sibbett: [Laughter.] We’re the only ones who marching and stomping. like they can’t for whatever number of reasons— can hold it together. We’re the smart ones. Hecht: That’s so kind of you to say. You want to that’s been quite affecting to me. To see how many do all that you can. people have this really vital part of their own exist Friends airs Thursday nights at 8 pm on NBC. Sibbett: And we wish we could do more.... ence that has to be hidden a little bit. I mean, I may Travel the world, but call us first... 232-5944 1 - 800 - 232-5944 sound naive, but that’s been a constant source of surprise. Sibbett: And we have great empathy for those people who can’t fully be who they wish they could be, who can’t come out for one reason or another. It breaks my heart. I am so glad that [Carol and Susan] have come out. Wouldn’t that be the best dream: for everyone to finally realize who they truly, fully are, and be embraced by society in that? Ron Joy We love our just out customers. See us fo r your automotive needs. 5111 NE Fremont Portland, OR 97213 I simply do it better! Whether it's listening to your wants and needs, developing a presentation of properties, or negotiating your transaction, be assured that your satisfaction is my ultimate objective Call me at Bridgetown Realty — because there is a difference B rid g e to w n Realty 288-1130 Donald Falk M illion D ollar Producer (503) 287-9370 (503) 655-8015