The L Word Biography: Katherine Moennig as Shane McCutcheon

After the amazing success of the Showtime series Queer As Folk which chronicled the lives of several gay men, the company decided to flip the script and produced a lesbian based series called The L Word. The instant hit stars Katherine Moennig as Shane McCutcheon an edgy hair dresser sure to turn the heads of men as well as women.

Katherine Moennig was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to father, William Moennig a violin maker and mother, Mary Zahn a Broadway dancer. Creativity is a staple in the family with an aunt in actress Blythe Danner who has been honored with both Tony and Emmy awards and a cousin in Academy award winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Moennig began her journey to stardom after moving to New York City at the age of 18 to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Art. While in New York, Moennig modeled and performed on stage. Her acting career began and has been scattered with parts as a transgender character. She first appeared on television playing a girl passing for a boy in order to gain entrance to an all boys academy. In the television show Young Americans, Moennig's character Jacqueline "Jake" Pratt later falls in love with a boy and is eventually usurped as a girl.

Moennig has battled the question of her true sexuality for years trying out for parts such as Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry and playing a pre-op transsexual for an episode of Law and Order. Even her cast mates on The "L" Word are not sure whether she is truly gay, straight or bisexual.

In 2004, Moennig began her role as Shane on The "L" Word and has become a staple character in every season since. Moennig has yet to reveal her sexuality opening but a profile posted online on Our Chart listed the qualities she most liked in a woman as "Wit. Confidence. Honesty. Maturity".

Despite her busy schedule with The"L" Word she has managed to accept roles in an off-Broadway production of Guardians and a minor film Art School Confidential.

The "L" Word is a fanatical hit with no doubt some of its success attributed to the sex appeal and luster of actresses like Katherine Moennig. On stage, off stage, in life and off-Broadway, Shane is a prevalent character flirtatiously pulling us all into her life of excess and sensuality. She makes me watch every episode more than once.

FILMOGRAPHY

17th Annual GLAAD Media Awards (2006)
Dead Girl's Diary (2005)
Art School Confidential (2006)
Invitation to a Suicide (2003)
The L Word (2004)
Shipping News, The (2001)
Love the Hard Way (2001)
Slo-Mo (2001)
Ice People (2000)
Young Americans (2000)

TV APPEARANCES

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Law & Order (1990)

ON STAGE

Williamstown Theatre Festival

As You Like It
Comedy of Art
The Theory of Total Blame
Morning in the City

Broken Chair Theatre Company

Nolan
Love Letters

American Academy of Dramatic Arts

The Shadow Box
The Murder of Lidice
A Late Show
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Burn This
Alone at the Beach
Lovers
Anna K

"Katherine Moennig." The L Word Online. 19 May 2007 http://www.thelwordonline.com/shane.html

"Katherine Moennig." Wikipedia. 19 May 2007 .

"Blythe Danner." Wikipedia. 19 May 2007