Happy Birthday to Geri Jewell!

One of my more memorable interviews in recent years was with Geri Jewell, first known for her role as Blair’s cousin on The Facts of Life then later as a regular on HBO’s Deadwood.

She had just released her autobiography in which she came out publicly as a lesbian and was preparing to make her first public appearance at a benefit for the LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s LifeWorks program.

She was a bit nervous about how she would be received and I remember telling her that, judging from other similar situations I had seen in the past, my guess was that she would be walking into a great, big hug.

Geri, who turns 56 today, was received very warmly at that event and she has since been a wonderful presence at other benefits and events. She continues to grow in confidence each time and to touch people’s hearts and also make them laugh.

Here is a LINK to my four-part interview with Geri!