Many thanks to Kim for the transcript!
TV Hits
September 1998
Issue 121
pgs 24 and 25
GIRL POWER
No-one can stop the awesome Xena - except TV Hits,
of course! We sat down with our fave super hero - also known as Lucy Lawless - for all the
goss!
*What's the best thing about being a Warrior Princess?
LL: People won't mess with you! (laughs)
*Is it fun being a super hero with a Girl Power message?
LL: I think the show's popularity among women stems from the fact
that Xena carries the message "Yes, I can" in both her actions and her
demeanour, "Yes, I can" - all alone, with no male support. That's a very
positive thing for women. We haven't had this kind of role model for quite some time, and
not ever in episodic television.
*Has your life changed sides Xena's popularity?
LL: My life has changed in every conceivable way. The only thing
I own from my pre-Xena days is a pair of socks. But I've never been happier.
* Are you getting recognised around the world a lot?
LL: Well, I've only been to America since really. But
I've been to Turkey once and places where Xena was filming, but no, not really.
* How does your daughter feel about your role on Xena?
LL: I think it gives her a bit of trouble, but she is
enjoying it at the moment and she is very proud of me. She's
a really lovely little girl.
*Are you mostly on a film set or do you travel on location a lot
around New Zealand?
LL: Well, once in a blue moon we go down-country or film in the
plateau area up in the high country up where we always film in some place spectacular.
*What's the atmosphere like on set?
LL: Fantastic. It's a very loving and caring crew. We have a lot
of laughs, and we always try to keep the mood light because we work such hard, long hours.
Otherwise, people would want to leave!
*What's been your favourite episode?
LL: The one's where we went down-country and filmed a story where
Xena was a bad girl. She did a musical, which was very exciting.
*What are your memories of your first day on set?
LL: I remember the very first day I played Xena was when she was
a character in three episodes of Hercules. I had only been playing the part for 20 days
before that, but I came on set, and it came to the make-up and I said, "I'm not
ready for this!" and burst into tears! They said, "Oh, you are!". They
pushed me up, squeezed me into a costume and pushed me out there and I was fine. But it
was that heart stopping moment where it all came crashing down on me - the weight
that I had on my shoulders.
*What's the hardest part of your work?
LL: The producers and writers are constantly throwing fireballs
at me, and I thrive on that. I think that's the beauty of the show. You don't really
know exactly what you're going to get every week - you just know you're going to get
terrific stories with heart. What's great is that our writers feel comfortable sending
Xena and Gabrielle to hell and back, knowing that Reneé and I as actors are always
looking for the love in the scene.
*Is is difficult to film all the physical stuff, like fighting?
LL: Well, I love to go to work every day so it's not the most
exhausting thing. I'm always challenged by the role - intellectually and emotionally. The
physical difficulty of it just continues as ever, but I'm a little fitter and a lot more
at home with the schedule, so it just seems normal to me. I continue to do all the fights
- I just don't do anything that's too dangerous. The rule of thumb is that if you don't
see my face it's probably not me.
*What things do you think of when you hear the word Australia?
(Laughs) I think of the outback!
***Hey guys, watch out for another
familiar face on Xena and Hercules next year, when Aussie Scott Michaelson
joins the cast! In both series, this former Neighbours spunk will play Apollo, Herc's evil
half-brother. Cool!***
********************************************************************
And fast forward a few pages to see a snippet about Reneé's TV
Guide pictures..page 54
*Reneé O'Connor, who plays Xena's mate Gabrielle on Xena:
Warrior Princess, has glammed it up for US mag TV Guide. Sure looks like she'd
have trouble fighting evil in this outfit, right? (pic..ROC in slinky blue dress found on
the inside cover of TV Guide)
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