Jennifer Beals on Flashdance, The L Word- and Taylor Swift!

Jennifer Beals knows a thing or two about the zeitgeist.

- JUSTIN RAVITZ

The actress started a new company, Run-A-Muck, to create projects "in the same vein" as The L Word.

The actress, 61, became a pop culture icon in 1983 as Alex, the legwarmer-clad protagonist of Flashdance. In 2004, she struck gold again, playing Bette Porter in The L Word, Showtime's lesbian drama. And it was deep-hearted nostalgia for that groundbreaking series that inspired her latest project: The L Word: A Photographic Journal, out April 8. “It’s a way to hold onto a moment in time that was incredibly special,” she tells Us, calling the tome “a love letter to the cast, the crew and the fans....It's about remembering the joy and connection we all felt.” Beals tells Us more about the book, Flashdance memories and her (surprise!) status as a Swiftie.