KYSM Mankato, MN. April 24, 1997 (abbreviated radio host comments) R: a very special guest ... one of the highlights of my broadcasting career .. a lot of people knew about this, Renee O'Connor's on the phone line, hi Renee. ROC: hello, good morning. R: How are you? ROC: I'm great. R: Santa Monica CA, is that where you are? ROC: yes. Sunny and beautiful. we just had the Santa Anas roll in here so there's this warm breeze .. R: (intro) It'll be hard for me not to call you Gabrielle, because I talk to you on tv like "Gabrielle, behind you, look out." ROC: I appreciate that, actually. R: (how long in the business?) ROC: Since I was about 16 - well, I started studying acting and playing around in costumes, but I started being paid for it thank goodness, at about 18, 19. R: how old now? ROC: aahhh 26! R: and that's old for you, you think? ROC: aahhh, R: aw, that's not old. So What's it feel like - you're on the .. Destined to be the number one show in America. ROC: oh, well, hmm. Way to go! That's awfully nice. It's so strange for us in New Zealand, the show just started a couple months ago again and, it's very quiet down there so we have no idea that it's so popular. Every now and then one of the producers might say, "Hey, you know we're not doing too badly." R: you've got a big following and I told you earlier on the phone that I've gotten letters and e-mail. There are people who drove (to get within broadcast range to hear this). ROC: Well, hello everyone! R: from TX?, parents are way behind you on this I'm sure? ROC: Houston. They are fantastic. I have family in Houston and Austin as well. Everyone wants to come to New Zealand. They've always been very supportive of me. R: New Zealand is a beautiful place. ROC: It's very rural. You can probably tell from the show. It's untouched. R: (about the shooting set) ROC: We mostly film on a farm called, ooo, I shouldn't tell you this, Sturges (?) Road R: I won't come haunt you, if that what's you're worried about. ROC: oh, no no no! We have this farm that's in the middle of nowhere, I don't know that you'd be able to find us anyway. We have castles and street markets out there that we've just put up, you know and change it every week. R: The castles look real, you guys do a great job on the set. ..... ROC: (kidding him about the castles being real) Some of it is real, absolutely! - we scrub rocks that are hundreds of years old, yeah! There ya go, put some foil on it and a little bit of rubber, never know the difference! R: You're a heck of an athlete, are you really a fighter?... are you taking karate or ..? ROC: I would love to [learn more about the martial arts field]. I just find it fascinating that someone so small can .... R: Kick butt? ROC: possibly actually kick butt, yeah, there ya go R: do you get hurt, hurt people? ROC: do I hurt people? No! Well, accidently, that might happen. R: ever taken out an eye or busted a nose or anything fun? ROC: no, I haven't yet. Every now and then I might hit someone and I'm so embarrassed about it, I keep apologizing .... yeah, it's pretty hilarious. R: And Lucy is probably one of the toughest women in the world, is she not? ROC: That's right! R: what's it like to work with Lucy? ROC: It's funny to say, because I just think so highly of her, that it's hard to put into words. She's just one of my best friends and my best mate. R: you hang out a lot together? ROC: We're always together on set. So we're together, it's probably at least 12 hours a day, if not longer, five days a week, sometimes six. R: so it's hard not to be friends. ROC: yeah, I think we're lucky that we get along SO well. R: do you meet people there? ROC: I live in Auckland which is a cosmopolitan city so there's a lot of cafes and restaurants and I can see people that are outside the show, believe it or not. R: (is show on there, do they know you there?) ROC: They do. They had the show on the air from last Sept. through Oct. and then they took it off for a few months and just brought it back on. But that's standard of New Zealand Television - they'll have a certain network show on for 2 or 3 months and then change it and put something else and then bring the show back. It's because we don't have very many channels over there. It's our form of channel surfing. R: (Do fans notice/bother you?) ROC: Not really. Most people, if they say anything at all it's just that they enjoy the show. R: do you hear it in the states? ROC: Well, this is my first time back in about 9 months. It's a long time. R: nice to be home? ROC: I was really looking forward to it. As much as I enjoy New Zealand, it's nice to come back and be in the country and know that I am closer to my friends and family. R: do they come over? ROC: I've had my mom come out a couple times. My dad's been out once. A couple friends have come out to visit, which is great for me but so far away, that it's pretty extravagant for anyone just to pop on over. R: (about shooting the show. Did any show not work?) ROC: We haven't had an episode yet where we've cringed and said "oh, I wonder if this will work." Because we're all very comfortable with the different elements of the show whether it be mocking ourselves, or laughing at the fight scenes or the extravagant moves or some of the more dramatic moments. R: Did something not go right? ROC: Not that I know of. R: that's my favorite scene of the show so far. Were you nervous? ROC: the bathtub scene? R: if anybody watches the show, they're not gonna forget this scene. ROC: I know .. R: and you know that. ROC: Weeellll, R: if it makes you nervous ... ROC: It's something that Lucy and I have a good time with. We know that people read whatever they want to see into the show and, for the most part, we're just good friends and as long as we keep the friendship of Gabrielle and Xena true and honest, then anything we do that might be a little more intimate, it's just very honest, very natural and just sweet. You know it's a friendship. R: everybody wonders does it go this way or that way? ROC: Well, people can read into it whatever they would like to see. R: so you're not going to prove or disprove the fact of what's actually happening? ROC: No, no. I think that as long as, you know, what you, women who have an honest friendship, then what can be more natural about that? R: Exactly! If women can go to the bathroom together, I say, back in those days, you guys can take a bath together. ROC: as they do. R: I'm totally fine with that ...... R: You're one of the hugest "sidekicks" ever. Like Robin. ROC: Thank you. R: Like Lois and Clark. It's totally a big following here in MN. I know all across the nation too. You've got a couple home pages. some web sites people can check out. ROC: I do! The fans have been wonderful about that. They create a lot of fan fiction where they have poems and literature about the characters and just expand with their own creative energy. R: (asks her if she knows the web address) she doesn't R: Everybody in Minnesota totally loves ya, and thanks to the people who drove down here just to listen. ROC: Yes, I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you all for watching us and joining us today! R: very very cool, next time you're home will you come back on? ROC: oh sure! Love to. R: (X:WP promo)