-Oh, I'm so happy you're here. Welcome.
-Oh, my God, I'm so happy to be here,
and your opening was everything.
-Oh, my gosh. I can't even talk to you right now.
-I was, like, crying in the back just laughing so hard.
It was fantastic.
-I got to say, wearing that sweatshirt felt pretty good.
I mean, you rocked it, clearly.
This right here was --
[ Cheers and applause ]
This was actually based on your actual sweatshirt, right?
-Yeah, it was an accident. It was based on a fashion accident.
I had my favorite sweatshirt in high school.
And I put it in the dryer for too long and at really high heat
so the neck part shrunk and I couldn't get my head through it.
So I just cut out the hole and I wore it
to a wardrobe fitting for "Flashdance."
And Adrian Lyne, the director, really loved it.
And Michael Kaplan, the costume designer, loved it.
So he just made a much better version of it for the film.
-And then it became totally iconic.
You're like, "Yeah, that's me."
Do you have this sweatshirt still?
-Yeah, it's in storage somewhere.
-Good. I love that, yeah.
-And also that red band jacket thing.
-Oh, really? -Yeah, I have that somewhere.
-I read a story once about -- tell me if it's true.
When you auditioned for "Flashdance," you got it,
but you were like, "I'm also -- I really want to go to school."
-Yes, yeah, yeah. -And school, I will say Yale.
-Yes, yeah. -So, that's a real school.
Wow, so, you were like, "I don't know what to do."
-Well, yeah. I mean, the audition process was very long,
and I kind of -- I have to say I did enjoy it
because I never thought it would happen, you know?
And once I got to school, my agent called the dean, I think,
because I didn't have a phone and got me the message saying
you know that "you got the part."
And I was, like, "Okay.
I have to think about this for a moment.
Let me just take the weekend to think about it."
-Yeah, because you didn't know what's gonna happen with "Flashdance."
-I could hear her silent scream on the other end of the phone.
[ Laughter ] Yeah.
-But then you did it, and you go -- Did you know
it was going to be a big hit or change your life or no?
You just kind of -- -I didn't even think that way.
I didn't think that way at all. -You're just, "I'm just going to
do this and then --" -Yeah, I'll do this thing,
and I'll go back to school.
-But then the soundtrack. Then it was everything.
It was part of everyone's life. You're like,
"Oh, this is actually bigger than I could even imagine."
-Yeah, it was like this weird meta experience
when you're walking down the street and you see everybody
in the cutoff sweatshirts. It was an interesting moment.
-Why do you think it was so popular with everyone?
-I think because it was really aspirational and it really
encouraged people to go after their dreams.
I mean, I got letters from, like, lawyers who decided
to quit their jobs so they could go and become this other thing
that they had always dreamt of.
-Follow your dreams and work hard.
-Yeah, yeah. -It makes you feel good when you watch it.
Let's talk about your new movie,
"Luckiest Girl Alive" on Netflix.
And also I should mention your series,
"The L-Word: Generation Q," which you star in
and executive produce. [ Cheers and applause ]
Returns for season three on Showtime November 18th.
Congrats on that. -Thank you.
-What can we say about season three?
-As always, it's about love.
And there are some true parenting challenges
that Bette and Tina have.
-I heard you say before it's about love.
It's about getting love or finding love
or what can we do for love.
Love is the highest thing. -Yeah. Yes.
The "L" is also for love.
-Yeah. I do love.
Speaking of the letter "L," "Luckiest Girl Alive" premieres
Friday on Netflix, based on the best-selling novel.
Can you tell everybody who you play?
-I play LoLo Vincent.
-Yeah. That's a great name. -I do.
-Yeah. She's a fantastic character.
The movie stars the goddess known as Mila Kunis.
-Oh, we love Mila Kunis. -We love Mila Kunis.
And she's phenomenal. -You two together too.
-I played her mom once, so this is really interesting.
Like, I've had like a little trajectory.
-Isn't that hilarious? -Yeah. I loved it.
Well, I love her. She's a total girls girl,
and she's brilliant and she's a great leader on set.
She also produced the film.
But she plays a character called Ani Fanelli.
And Ani is living this seemingly Instagram-perfect life where she
has this sought-after job at a glossy magazine.
She's brilliant. She's beautiful.
She's engaged to this wealthy guy who loves her.
And they're going to have this fantasy wedding in Nantucket.
But you understand through the voice-over in the film that
her internal dialogue is at complete odds
with this seemingly perfect life that she has.
So you know that there's going to be this reckoning.
And then in walks this person from her past
who makes her confront her secrets.
-Yeah. -And so it becomes a story about
a woman who, in confronting their past,
finds their voice in the present.
-I want to show everyone a clip.
Here's Jennifer Beals in "Luckiest Girl Alive."
Take a look at this.
-Miss Fanelli.
Right at home, I see.
I need three to five cover line tries for
the simultaneous-orgasm story by the time I get back from lunch.
LoLo Vincent, editor and chief of the "Women's Vibe."
-Aaron Wickersham, independent filmmaker.
-Oh, that's right.
I saw your short at the Toronto Film Festival a few years back.
Are you our hot guy of the month for December?
-Actually, I'm working on a documentary
about gun violence in schools.
I'm hoping to talk to... -Don't say it.
-...Tiffany.
-I always forget that's your name.
-Well, Ani's pithier.
-Jennifer Beals, everybody!
"Luckiest Girl Alive" premieres this Friday on Netflix.
And "The L-Word: Generation Q" returns to Showtime
November 18th.
Lea Thompson joins us after the break.
Stick around, everybody!