"The L Word" star Jennifer Beals finds the opposition to gay marriages in the US "absolutely absurd".

The 41-year-old actress, who credited her lesbian TV drama for breaking down homosexual stereotypes and enabling people to see another side of life, said she is "shocked" by the level of prejudice generated by same-sex weddings, reported the Internet Media Database.

"I'm always shocked that gay marriage is such a big deal. You have to realise how precious human life is, when there are tsunamis and mudslides, when there are armies and terrorists - at any moment, you could be gone, and potentially in the most brutal fashion," the Yale-educated Beals said.

"You have to realise that love is truly one of the most extraordinary things you can experience in your life. To begrudge someone else their love of another person because of gender seems to be absolutely absurd," she said.