Shields Portrays Gay Woman

LOS ANGELES (AP) â€” Brooke Shields' role in Lifetime's ``What Makes a Family'' is a definite switch from ``Suddenly Susan,'' the cute single-girl sitcom that ran on NBC for four

Friday, January 19th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) â€” Brooke Shields' role in Lifetime's ``What Makes a Family'' is a definite switch from ``Suddenly Susan,'' the cute single-girl sitcom that ran on NBC for four years.

In the TV movie, scheduled to air Monday night, Shields portrays a gay woman struggling to retain custody of the daughter born to her deceased lover, played by Tony-winning actress Cherry Jones.

Shields began exploring more controversial options after her series ended last year.

``I guess you get tired just being considered a survivor, but what is my choice, what are my options? I mean, I've been around since Beta,'' Shields said with a laugh.

The 35-year-old actress told The Associated Press that she is cataloguing all the visual material of her life in whatever medium it was shot. It's a lengthy process that inevitably leads to introspection.

``When you are sort of told who you are in your life, it really is interesting to try to find out who that is, not based on what you are told,'' said Shields, who has been in the public eye most of her life.