Violet Tendencies unspooling at QFest Saturday, July 17 at 9:30pm at the Ritz East, is a sweet film about women who love men who love men—and the men one of these women loves. Violet (Mindy Cohn) is a 40 year-old “fruit fly” who is supportive of her gay male friends, but wants a relationship of her own. She has a series of standard rom-com dating disasters, until she meets Vern (Armand Anthony), an architect who encourages her heterosexuality. Cohn spoke with Aroundphilly.com about the film, getting into character, and the facts of her life.
GK: How close are you to Violet? Are you a fruit fly?
MC: I’m vastly different from Violet. I’m not that girl. Jesse [Archer, the screenwriter] and I had this conversation. I’m definitely a fag hag. Not a fruit fly. I earned my fag hag-dom. In LA, fag hags are different than the ones Jesse knows in NY. I don’t want to be a gay man, or have sex with gay men, but I do identify with the relationship between a straight woman and gay man. It’s quite dear and quite precious.
GK: What’s the distinction between a fag hag and a fruit fly?
MC: It’s more politically correct to be a fruit fly, than a fag hag. But [to me] fag hag is a term of endearment, like “diva.” If Liza can be a fag hag, than I can, too.
GK: Had you ever heard of fag stags—straight men who hang out with gays—before? Do these mythical unicorns exist?
MC: I think Jesse coined the term. I think there is such a thing. I’m madly in love with a guy in Toronto who’s a total Fag Stag. 100% straight, no proclivity to be with guys, and totally secure with gays. Like Hugh Jackman!
GK: Violet has some horrible dates—what is your worst dating disaster?
MC: Oh there are so many! My worst is that I turn into a pathological liar. I’m a chameleon on a plaid carpet. It’s my go to default when I’m uncomfortable or nervous. When I’m not myself, it’s because I know it’s not a match, and I try to get a free meal by becoming something I’m not.
GK: You are pretty outrageous in the film. You talk filthy dirty, and wear some wild outfits, like a catsuit. How did you rise to the challenges of this role?
MC: What I realized is that Violet is Jesse’s fag hag, and I was hired to play the role. I really wanted to honor that. 
I embraced it. It was an opportunity to become unencumbered and not self-conscious. She makes no apologies, so I dove in. I have to tell you that I was nervous. One reason I wanted to be Violet is that I was just scared enough to do it. I can say “pussy,” but being uninhibited and free can be really hard for me. I’m comfortable in my skin, but having said that, I don’t want to be running down Central Park South in a slip. That made me uncomfortable—but that was the challenge. Violet has no inhibitions, and that was liberating.
GK: Did you do your own stunts—like wrestling with your hot co-star Samuel Whitten?
MC: I came home and it looked like I came home from a tour of duty! I was f*cking black and blue! Another scene that annihilated me was flailing on the steps by the Bethesda fountain. I learned to tuck and roll. I came home in such agony I needed stunt pay. I was crankypants for two afternoons!
GK: I have to ask you about The Facts of Life. Can you dish about the show?
MC: I’m not really a disher. The stories are all from 25 years ago, and hold such little relevance now. I knew George Clooney 25 years ago. It’s like asking what you remember about someone in second grade. What I see today is who they are. There wasn’t really drama or gossip on the negative front.
GK: Given that most of us know you from TV, what should we know about Mindy?
MC: There’s always been that belief that people do know me, and I’ve grown up with that. I have one of those faces and personalities. I’m interested in people, and people do think they know me. They don’t. They may think they do. I think what people don’t know about me is everything!
AroundPhilly Staff
