Webster’s dictionary defines genius as ‘exceptional intellectual ability or creative power, a strong natural talent.” By all means, Tucky Williams is a genius. Not only did she take what was normal for lesbian shows and flip it on its head, she did so on her own terms. The writer, producer, actress, jack-of-all trades brought us the hit web series Girl/Girl Scene which showed viewers a truer version of lesbian life than shows such as The L Word.
Williams’ next project, Dagger Kiss takes us into the fantasy world where for her, it all began. “I wanted to ride Falcor and be friends with Atreyu. I wanted to grow up to be She-Ra and Red Sonja. I wanted to be Sarah and dance with the Goblin King. I realized when I was about seven that these things would never happen. It seemed that the closest I could get to that would be if I were an actor portraying parts like those.”
In one interview I read while researching Williams she said that she thought all writing has to be autobiographical to some extent. To me this would cause one to be more vulnerable and let their true colors shine through. “It's very important that all writing comes from a place of anger or deep hurt. That's the most important thing I learned while studying. I truly believe that to become a great writer, you must learn from a master of the art. I was very fortunate to study under James Baker Hall.”
When I think of great actresses, the ones that always come to mind first are those who put their heart and soul on their sleeves for the entire world to see. Williams has an amazing ability to pull you in close and make you want her and want to cry for her at the same time. I wanted to know how Williams prepared for the more vulnerable scenes in which she showcases this talent. “Prepare, prepare, prepare. Acting is like any other profession in this way. In Dagger Kiss, I have an extremely emotional scene with Stoya. I thought over it on my own the night before. My father was a production assistant, so right before the scene, I spoke a few words to him. That got me going. Once we were rolling, Stoya was amazing. She gave exactly the right response for me to work off of. In that moment, I was truly, fully my character, and I could feel the love that my character had for hers. It was coursing through my body. It was as if I'd known her my whole life.”
Dagger Kiss is another web series that Williams will make successful. “Dagger Kiss is the fantasy genre with a lesbian twist. The problem I have with fantasy shows and movies is that it's just a bunch of dudes. Dagger Kiss is mostly girls - warrior girls, princesses, and sorceresses. And they tend to fall in love with each other. If you like Girl/Girl Scene, you'll love Dagger Kiss. All the passion is there. Dagger Kiss is family-friendly, so I hope a lot of parents and kids will watch together.”
For myself as a writer, I tend to have a muse in mind as write, but every writer is different. For Williams it was movies that were her muse. “A lot of Season 2 of Girl/Girl Scene happened with Boogie Nights playing in the background. My favorite filmmakers are Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee. I met Spike when I was eleven. Talk about learning from a master! I haven't talked much in interviews about how influential Spike has been. He spoke about the difficulty of making Malcolm X, and then the beauty that came from that strife. The things he said about being black in the entertainment industry prepared me for what I was going to have coming to me when I was a gay woman entering the field. You have to be made of stone.”
No matter how rock solid one can be, you cannot help but feel the effect you may have on someone’s life. Williams has already affected so many lives just by introducing Girl/Girl Scene to the world. When did Williams know the effect of Girl/Girl Scene? “It was when I began receiving messages from teenage girls who were saying that they had planned to commit suicide, but that Girl/Girl Scene had given them hope for a better life. Having an impact like that is unbelievable. And it was many messages, from many girls. Those messages are still coming, but now they also come from adults, women and men from the far reaches of the world. I hear from many people who live in small villages in the Middle East. They will never have the opportunity to live and love as they would like, so watching Girl/Girl Scene is the closest they will come to experiencing that.”
Williams doesn’t just stop at influencing others via her remarkable shows, she also provides influence in real life by being open about her epilepsy. “What I want most is for others to learn about the condition. One in ten Americans will have a seizure in their lifetime. Epilepsy can strike at any age. I was an adult when I had my first seizure. There were NO warning signs. No one in my family has epilepsy. One day I was healthy; the next day I was a person with a seizure disorder. It's like a heart attack or cancer - more people need to realize that there's a chance it will happen to them.”
I asked Williams if there was anything fans would be surprised to learn about her. “Loads! People seem to forget that I'm a meteorologist. I love politics - now that it's a presidential election year, I have to have one of the news networks on at all times. I have a puppy-shaped birthmark on my lower back.”
For me, I first approached Williams about advice on how to write screenplays and I’ve come full circle by being able to interview one of my muses. Williams has done the same, “…last year I met the actor who played Atreyu. We were both signing at a Con. He was wonderful. He gave me the biggest hugs. I guess my dreams really did come true.”