The career hitch was thankfully brief, however. In 2002, Moennig landed a regular gig as Shane, the rocker-type Casanova of The L Word, the Showtime original series about a group of girlfriends living in Los Angeles.

Despite her experience with the fickle world of TV, she was willing to tackle another small-screen project because this one was on pay cable ‑- no ratings to worry about.

"Cable shows are like miniature films," says the now-28-year-old actress, who is a huge fan of HBO's Six Feet Under. "And this was a show that had never been done before. I knew it would make an impact. It was not a run-of-the-mill TV show ‑- it had a point."

That's an understatement. The L Word not only delves into the lives of a group of successful, articulate and highly educated women, but while most TV shows concentrate on the ditzier side of femininity, this one deals exclusively with sexy, passionate, beautiful lesbians.

Like its (mostly) heterosexual counterpart on HBO, Sex and the City, this sudsy drama tackles larger issues like wanting a family and the heartbreaking search for love. And yes, there's a lot of love going around, with Moennig's Shane acting as the chief bed-hopper.