GaydarNation

A smart and sexy, tall drink of water, Dante’s Cove’s Michelle Wolff has cast a spell on her lesbian fans. Since her breakthrough gay role as a soft butch experimenting with S&M in the candy-coated romp, Mango Kiss, not only fans, but casting directors and network execs have noticed Wolff.

Wolff, a northern California native born to first-generation German immigrants, earned a B.A. in theatre from the University of California Santa Cruz. But it wasn’t long before Wolff made the move from stage to small screen when her finely tuned acting chops landed her a recurring role on Chicago Hope. From there she appeared in Nash Bridges, Boston Public, Providence and ER, among a slew of other top-rated shows.

As an openly gay actress, Wolff’s not one to shy away from playing to her home crowd. Last March, she made a memorable appearance on the catwalk of Honey Labrador’s smokin’ hot fashion show at the Dinah Shore Weekend.

For Dante’s Cove’s second season, Wolff became the show’s first openly lesbian cast member - and Jenny Shimizu and Jill Bennett have since followed. Wolff had already made an impression on here! in the Alexandra Paul vehicle Trapped. But as Dante’s Brit, a scuba instructor / bartender who lands on Dante’s turbulent shores, Wolff’s added some great eye candy to the already attractive cast. Her frequent bikini costuming not withstanding…

Wolff chats about Los Angeles v. San Francisco, mainstream S&M in Mango Kiss, her more rabid fans, and a professional crush on Dante’s resident matriarch, Tracy Scoggins.

It’s a pleasure to chat with you. I hear you’re on vacation in Hawaii.
I’m in Kawai sitting on a beautiful porch staring at the ocean.

I’m jealous. L.A. can be such a grind; it’s good to really get away.
Absolutely. You can’t just do Palm Springs.

Do you enjoy living in LA?
I do. I feel like you have to enjoy where you’re at. It’s easier to get through the day. I miss San Francisco though. I was there for six years and it’s like my home.

How’d you end up here?
I’d been doing theatre. I was looking for an agent and was in LA for three months. Through a friend of a friend I got an audition on Chicago Hope.

And you landed a recurring role…
Right. It was my very first audition. I thought, “This isn’t so hard.” (laughs) It became a recurring role for 3 ½ seasons. I got my SAG card, appeared on Nash Bridges and did some fitness modeling…

When you got the role in Mango Kiss, which was shot in San Francisco, were you already an L.A. lady?
I was living in L.A. I booked Mango Kiss here. They flew me back to San Francisco for the movie.

"It was great doing gay and lesbian work and contributing to the community in that way."

I love that movie. It’s such a fun, bubblegum, pop look at S&M that makes it very palatable to a wide audience.
It’s a subject that makes people uncomfortable. But the movie was very non-threatening. I loved that about it. It was originally a stage play and the movie has some of that feel of a stage production. We had a month and a half of rehearsal time.

That’s a rare gift for a film.
On Dante’s we don’t need any time. People get that it’s fun, campy, over-the-top. We shoot in six weeks and it moves really quickly. You’re lucky if there’s time for a second take.

Was Mango a breakthrough for you?
It was a huge vehicle for me. It was great doing gay and lesbian work and contributing to the community in that way.

You’re a pretty hot openly gay celeb these days. Do you get hit on by fans?
I did a lot at the Dinah. Everyone’s used to it here in L.A. But there I had some pretty inappropriate hits. It happens more online than in person. I get crazy stuff on my website. Some of it’s funny and some is gross and scary.

The ladies can be pretty aggressive. You worked on a major network show like Chicago Hope and now you’re on a no-holds-barred gay network. What’s it like on the set of Dante’s compared to some of your past experiences?
It’s not like everybody talks about your sexuality. But there’s no weirdness about it either. It’s all really open. It’s much more relaxed. Last season I was the only lesbian. A lot more of the cast was straight.

Now there’s Jenny Shimizu and Jill Bennett adding to the real-life lesbian element.
It’s important for the network to support gay actresses. And now we have Reichen too.

Right, Dante’s got way gay this season. You know, when I initially read about you and Jenny playing a couple, I thought that was interesting casting.
I did too. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that kind of pairing. I’d worked with Jenny in Honey Labrador’s fashion show at Dinah but it kind of caught me off guard. I thought, “Oh wow.”

I really like the two of you together though. We don’t have that kind of pairing on The L Word. Shane’s always getting with a super femme.
They were really going for something different with that. For some it will really work. It’s something we’ve never seen. I like that.

"It’s not like everybody talks about your sexuality. But there’s no weirdness about it either. It’s all really open. It’s much more relaxed."

And I hear it’s really tough shooting in Hawaii.
Yeah. We shoot in Oahu. There’s a peace about the islands. I get up and work out and jump in the ocean. When all my friends are putting on their parkas to go shoot in Vancouver, I’m packing my bikini.

How is it working with the lovely and quirky Thea Gill?
She’s one of those artists I love to watch work. She has this ability to go to these places with her work. And she’s genuinely sweet and nice. But I’ve not gotten a chance to really work with her. I’d love to work with Thea.

And Tracy Scoggins is such a pro. I was in love with her on The Colby’s.
I loved her on The Colby’s! Tracy is an insanely powerful and talented woman. She’s just balls to the walls with her experience and her professionalism. I’ve really learned from her. And she’s down to earth. I was excited from the second I got there to work with her, and halfway through my first shoot, Tracy and Erin Cummings took me out to dinner.

Dante’s is just out on DVD, so you’re probably enjoying that for a bit but do you have some other projects cooking?
I’m working with here! on a script. We’re thinking about another series, which would be great. But not with the same character from Dante’s. here!’s putting out so much content right now. LOGO’s out there doing a lot of the reality stuff but I like that here! does more of the scripted stuff. I really love that I get to work with them.

You’re having a great ride.
I’m really lucky to be able to pay my bills. I have health insurance. There aren’t a lot of people in the business who can say that. There’s about one percent that actually do well. There are so many people who struggle in this industry. I don’t know of many jobs where people are insanely excited to work.

Speaking of working and not working, and you’re on vacation, I’ll let you go and enjoy it.
I’m about ready to go jump in the water.

Do you surf?
I’m a scuba diver and a swimmer. I’ve competed in swimming. I took a surf lesson but I’m not very good yet.

You look like someone who just belongs in the water…a water baby.
I do enjoy it. I love to scuba dive. When I got the role of Brit they said, “Are you going to be okay in the water?”

I guess they got their answer...

Find out more at www.dantescove.com and www.myspace.com/dantescove.

Read our reviews of Dante’s Cove, Season 1 and Dante’s Cove, Season 2, plus check out our interviews with Reichen Lehmkuhl and Charlie David.

Dante's Cove - Series 3 [2007]
Studio: TLA Releasing
Released: 28 July 2008
ASIN: B00175I5R2

Buy Dante's Cove - Series Three online now. You'll save money to put towards Dante's Cove - Series Two and Dante's Cove - Series One.