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by david beebe
photography jesse hill
makeup jane cohen/factory artists
hair daniel erdman/artists by timothy priano
stylist jessica simpson

published in venice magazine, november 2000 issue

Amazingly, actress Valarie Rae Miller shows up right on time for our breakfast interview at a small and trendy Los Angeles restaurant. Miller strolls in sporting a big friendly smile that instantly warms up the joint, though she doesn’t think the breakfast hangout is all that hip. "No, I don’t think it is. Wait until you try the food," she says, it’s just like good old home cooking." However, Miller quickly realizes just how popular the place is when Julia Roberts shows up and has breakfast right next to us.

Miller isn’t sharing the big screen with Roberts yet, but you can catch her on Fox’s futuristic action-packed sci-fi series, "Dark Angel." Executive produced by James Cameron, the popular series showcases Miller as the vivacious young lesbian character, Original Cindy. Her character works as a messenger alongside Max, a genetically enhanced girl with superhuman strength and speed, played by Jessica Alba, the Dark Angel herself. The two girls stick together as Max runs from the bad boys who created her in a military lab with the intention of turning her into a soldier. "My character is the kind of girl you want to be friends with because she’s always got your back. And the way they treat her being a lesbian is very matter-of-fact, like having brown eyes—no more, no less." Miller shares that same attitude when people ask about her sexuality in real life. "I don’t think it should matter," she states, "it’s not important—that’s not what makes me who I am."

Miller is so down-to-earth in reality that it’s hard to imagine that she’s been in front of a camera since high school when she went on some auditions and landed a commercial gig for Radio Shack. She continued to appear in national commercials and paid her way through college at the University of North Texas. During a summer break, Miller visited Los Angeles and tried many things, including stand-up comedy. The response was positive, so she made the move to the big city, but, ultimately, decided to drop the comedy act and continue to pursue her acting and hosting career instead.

Valarie Rae Miller switches roles on the weekend to host the kids’ morning show "One Saturday Morning" on ABC. Prior to that, Miller appeared on PETV for the educational network Channel One. Miller isn’t one to be caught up in the Hollywood scene, either. "I really don’t do that many exciting things. I hang out with my friends at the mall and we ‘people watch’ for hours. I also knit and walk my dog Miss Rae at the park. But right now, I’m headed home to take a nap. I’m all about naps," she laughs.