EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Rosanny Zayas from ‘The L Word: Generation Q’

Rosanny Zayas plays ‘Sophie’ in “The L Word: Generation Q” the reboot to the 2004 show, “The L Word.” A new addition to the L Word family, Zayas plays one of the producers for Alice’s (Leisha Hailey) television show. As well as the partner to another new comer, Dani, played by Arienne Mandi.

“I feel really lucky, honestly. How many times can an actor say, ‘Yeah I’m on a show where every week there are watch parties, just to watch an episode of this show, all over the country and all over the world. So I feel really lucky to be apart of it.” Zayas says. “At first It was scary, when I first got the job, its such an established show, and these characters are very well established and so it really put me on the spot in terms of how can I make this character as specific as possible like what tools do I have, and what people around me do I have that can help with that.”

Showtime’s “The L Word: Generation Q” highly anticipated second season premiered on August 6 2021. After the first season, viewers had to wait an extraordinarily long time to find out how the cliff-hanger ending of season one would end, due to delays from COVID-19 that effected much of the film and TV industry in March 2020, according to Deadline and Variety. Though “The L Word: Generation Q” was one of the first shows to tackle intimate scenes amid the pandemic, according to The New York Times.

From L Word Fan to L Word Star

“I did not think this was going to happen. I have no words. I remember our first day on set meeting Leisha, and Kate, and Jen, and being like, ‘Oh my god I’m sitting next to Alice!’ ‘Oh my god, I work for Alice! Oh my god, Alice is telling me her personal secrets! What is happening here? So that was really really a trip.” says Zayas.

“I couldn’t watch the “The L Word” as soon as it came out. You know it came out on Showtime super late at night, and I was in high school, and I had to wait till my Mom was asleep so then she wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh my god you’re watching porn!’ And I’d be like, ‘No I’m not watching porn! I swear to god! That’s after The L Word!” says Zayas with a laugh, “So, yeah its pretty crazy to be in the reboot.”

What’s Coming Up in Season 2?

“I think we can expect Sophie to continue to make some tough choices and go down a road that I don’t think she was really expecting. And having to live with those choices still. Even after the whole wedding thing, there’s still so much more to come. And I’m really excited for people to see that, and hopefully can connect with it in a way.” says Zayas, “It really keeps me on my actor toes, to be part of a story where the character one second feels one way, then the next second feels another way. Constantly judging whether or not they are making the right decision. I have to be on the ball all the time, and its something completely different and you just have to go with it.”

When speaking about the creation of the reboot, showrunner, Marja-Lewis Ryan said, “The show for me was always focused around Sophie. She’s kind of my book ends, my anchor, the point of view that I’m most chasing. I relate to her in a million ways. Rosanny and I are both loud people from Brooklyn so I think that I relate to her voice most.”

“Marja is from NY, I’m from New York, Jillian Mercado is from New York, and we all have a very similar vibe and it seems to be a very blunt one.” says Zayas, “On top of that we’re Dominican, if you go to New York, its Dominican central, and it’s out community and it’s so beautiful, and Marja grew up around that. So it’s easy for us to hear each other’s language. It’s one of the few moments where we can be our crazy New York-selves.”

“For the first time, people are seeing someone from their community represent them as people, as who they are”

“I do try and sit down and think about shows that are like “The L Word,” and I still can’t come up with any. There have been different versions of it, and after the original came out there was “The Real L Word” and that had its own impact. “Queer as Folk” is great too, but in terms of what “The L Word” did when it came out, I don’t many other shows that have had the same impact in the LGBTQ community as “The L Word” did.” says Zayas, “So the fact that I’m saying that, and it took 10 years for the show to come back, and still after 10 years there’s not another show like it, is pretty insane. I hope that not just with LGBTQ+ community, but the Black community, people of color, people from different backgrounds, that these kinds of shows can start to be made without having to having to wait for the 10 year reboot.”

“I hope that people still feel the same kind of level of drama as the original felt. I definitely know it’s there. But I also hope people can see themselves represented a little better than the original did.” says Zayas, “We went to a watch party to surprise fans, and when Gigi, Sepi, came on the screen, the Persian community went insane in the bar. And it was so beautiful, for the first time, people are seeing someone from their community represent them as people, as who they are. And I hope that continues to happen, not just in this season, but with more seasons to come.”

Follow Rosanny Zayas on Instagram to keep up to date with all her projects, and catch her as Sophie on Sunday nights on Showtime.

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