Actress Marsha Thomason, who plays
lesbian special agent Diana Barrigan on the detective series White
Collar, says she's honored to play gay.
Cabler USA Network premiered the third
season of the show on Tuesday.
And while Diana's sexual orientation
isn't a secret, her girlfriend Christie remains a mystery.
But
in an interview with lesbian entertainment website AfterEllen.com,
the 35-year-old Thomason said that would change this season: “I
used to joke that last season, Diana would be arriving home and
calling out Christie's name but Christine was, for some reason, never
home. I was like, 'She has a phantom girlfriend. She doesn't even
have a girlfriend. She's a liar!' So this year you'll meet her
girlfriend and Christie.”
Producers have recruited 30-year-old
Israeli actress Moran Atias to play the role of Christie. Atias
appeared in last year's The Next Three Days, which starred
Russell Crowe.
Thomason said Christie will appear in
the third episode of the new season, and added that she was honored
to play lesbian.
“People are people and I feel like
Diana is who she is, and being gay is one small part of who she is.
I just play the truth of what's on the page. No, I didn't feel I had
to do anything special, although I'm definitely aware of the fact
it's a real honor to play an out lesbian character on a show because
it's a voice we haven't been hearing a lot.”
“I do think things are changing in
television,” she added. “There are more gay characters on TV now
than there ever have been. I'm so glad to be a part of that.”