TW is excited to bring you a video message from The L Word's own Rachel Shelley, known for her regular role as Helena Peabody since season 2.

Owing to Helena's highly pampered and snobbish nature - as well as her part in the split between uber-couple Bette and Tina - one would expect that from the get-go Rachel's character had been destined for a glum future of viewer contempt and disdain. However, from season 3, she began to appear in a different light - ultimately rounding out to become one of the most lovable roles in the program yet. Helena is one of the most fawned over characters among fans in America today!

Other than her role as Helena on the critically-acclaimed drama, Rachel played a lesbian character in the 2006 movie "Gray Matters" and often makes appearances in L Word related events. She has become known as a charming and lesbian-friendly personality.

In person, she is just as much the no-nonsense beauty that her character Helena is, but she is also an engaging and warm woman. The L Word cast, as always, stays close and at the Dinah Shore press conference the mood was energetic, humorous, and fast-paced. At one point, Rachel cutely jabbed actress Alexandra Hedison, who played Helena's love interest Dylan in season 3, for dumping and leaving Helena - causing the room to bubble with amusement and laughter.

When she heard that Tokyo Wrestling was a lesbian media resource from Japan, Helena excitedly exclaimed, "I had lived in Chiba for half a year!" - revealing her deep Japanophile roots and quickly taking the mike to provide our readers a message. Seeing that Jennifer Beals had stayed in Aoyama for a month a few years back, and Leisha Hailey stayed in Japan for several weeks with her partner, it's becoming clear that many of The L Word cast have direct connections with Japan. Now that's great news for us all!

★To get some behind-the-scenes info on our interview with Rachel Shelley, see here.