Many thanks to Tanya for the transcript

Starlog Magazine
#287 - June 2001

ALL ABOUT EVE-

Finding the way of the warrior, Adrienne Wilkinson becomes Xena's daughter.

by Maureen McTigue

I love it, love it, love it, love it!" These might not sound like the words that would come out of the mouth of Livia, the brutal Roman warrior maid taking her cues from Ares, or from Eve, the peaceful, redemption-seeking daughter of Xena. Yet from Adrienne Wilkinson, the actress who plays them both, nothing could be more natural. Talking about her time on Xena: Warrior Princess, Wilkinson's enthusiasm is unstoppable. She tapped into the warrior nature of both characters, and made them her own. Of course, if things had gone differently, Wilkinson never would have made the journey. "This is a funny story--fans will think I'm crazy when they hear this," she begins. "I was involved in this music project last year and we had a very specific schedule, so I actually turned down the Xena audition--not because I didn't want the job, but because I couldn't make it to the appointment twice. "By that time, I thought I had absolutely no chance. A couple of weeks passed, and it was the very end of January and they called me back. I had time and jumped at the chance. I went in there and fell in love with it. The whole thing was great!"

GIRL POWER Wilkinson's memory of that moment is still fresh. "There are moments when something magical happens and it's one of those days it just clicks," she says. "They were so down to the wire and they just needed somebody. I pre-read with the casting director and met with the producers a day or two later. They called me back a few times that day and just kept talking to me, so I knew it was good. When they were casting, they were only casting Livia. It had nothing to do with Xena or Eve. It wasn't until I got the part and read the script that I realized the character's importance. I didn't know what they were looking for, and being that Rob [Tapert] was there at the casting, he was probably looking for things that reminded him of Lucy [Lawless], which I was completely unaware of. So you know, good surprises." Playing two completely different characters in one body, Wilkinson has equally contrasting opinions. "You can see shades of Eve and Livia in each--obviously--being that they're the same person. It's interesting what brings them out. Eve has now had these experiences and they have changed her whole perception, her whole persona. It has really been invigorating. "Livia definitely is more fun to play," Wilkinson admits. "Livia is so self-satisfied, she's just yummy. I love doing voiceover for Livia, it's my favorite thing in the world. She's always self-absorbed, kinda catty--every time she's around Kevin [Smith, who plays Ares], she just purrs. So I love to do it. "I have to say, above and beyond, Eve is a larger challenge. It's harder for me to relate. Being that I was introduced to Livia first, it's occasionally hard for me to justify the choices they have Eve making. So I have to sit down and figure out how I can make her OK with this. The most obvious example is that Livia was smarter than everyone; she could read everyone like a book and manipulate them. Eve is so honorable, she's certainly no less intelligent, but she's just so driven and focused that she doesn't notice all the stuff Livia would have. A good example is in 'Heart of Darkness' when Eve doesn't get the game her Mom is playing. I think Livia would know in a second. Livia would be helping Xena seduce Lucifer, whereas Eve is so focused on doing good and working for the right reasons that she never considers that there's another option. Eve's an interesting character to figure out as she goes along. "Eve is also far more of a challenge emotionally. Livia was just so in love with herself that she was slightly predictable in how she would react, because she was so confident," Wilkinson says, "where Eve is maybe not as charismatic but has many more degrees of interest in her, layers that you don't necessarily see immediately."

SWORD PLAY As Xena's daughter, Wilkinson of course must handle a blade. "The fighting has been crazy. I remember in the audition," she says, laughing at the memory of what Tapert expected of her, "Rob said, 'Can you wield a sword?' And I looked at him like, 'Are you crazy, are you really asking me that?' I remember telling them, 'Well, I have no idea. I'll handle the acting.' Rob said, 'OK, we have stunt doubles if it turns out all bad.' They had enough confidence for me to try, and it turns out I love fighting. I just miss it so much now that Eve doesn't fight. I had no idea what I was doing and the first few days, I'm sure I was horrible. It was just getting the confidence up to actually hit somebody. Obviously, the swords aren't real, but it's still possible to get hurt and I'm so afraid of hurting somebody, but I got over that quick enough." The actress was never a tomboy, so all the play fighting, swords and even the aggression was new to her. "I was never into little boy toys and all that stuff. I certainly never wrestled in the backyard. This was my first experience with fighting and it was so, so empowering and just great. There's nothing like it, it gives you such a rush. Also, for me, it's so different from my normal character, so extreme from how I am every day. I'm so careful," she sighs. "Livia was such a different girl--like a great set of clothes to put on for the day. I'm so in love with that costume." Of course, clothes don't make the warrior princess, but Wilkinson notes, Livia/Eve really had her personal path set out for her by one person, her mother Xena, who went missing for 25 years. "I'm a firm believer in this particular storyline. In life in general, you can't just ignore your genes; they sneak up in the least unexpected places. It's an interesting dynamic," the actress explains about the mother/daughter situation and those lost years. "My only regret about the show this season was that Eve and Xena never sat down and discussed all the issues. It would be interesting to see that conversation: 'Where were you for 25 years?' 'What's going on?' 'What happened to your other child?' 'Who's my Dad?' There's all this other stuff that Eve kind of knows, but they never really touched on, so it makes you wonder exactly what the specifics of their relationship are. No matter what I think of Eve," Wilkinson says, "it's her place in the story and it's who her character is. I think Eve is just Xena reliving everything again. Eve is a constant reminder to Xena of the past, of why she's trying to find redemption. She's watching her daughter live her life all over again. That's why their fights are so vicious, why they're so sensitive to one another. And that's why their battle was so huge when they first met, 'cause they're both incredibly independent, very smart, very hard-headed and strong-willed--basically just too much alike. They're oil and water, they're always going to be fighting over who's dominant. "And fortunately, Eve was able to see the light and learn about her past and be thrilled with it. Eve has always been desperate for love. She spent 25 years as Livia searching for attention and any sort of respect and just for anyone to claim her. I think the only love and attention she got was shen she did well on the battlefield. So they stuck her in training, as babysitting, and when she got old enough and blossomed, she got a different kind of attention from the emperor, but by then she was old and smart enough to use it to her advantage instead of being fooled into falling in love. That's why Livia made such a great partner to Ares--exactly as Xena did. She has so much fire, drive and hunger that it made her an easy thing to use, to further Ares' goals. What do I know, though? That's just what I think."

DEATH BLOW The whole Xena experience has been more than a joy to Wilkinson. Every aspect of the series, and her participation in it, has made a mark on her. In fact, ask her for a favorite episode, and there are no easy answers. "I like them all. I've had magical experiences on every single episode," she says. "But my favorite to play was 'Eve'. I really felt into the character, and I loved what she was going through. I loved the stuff with Gabrielle in the tent and the scene with Ares when they're no longer intimate and she is confronting him, but they're both smart enough to realize they can still use each other. The only depressing part is poor Ted." It's in "Eve" that the aged Joxer (Ted Raimi) meets his end. "Ted playing Joxer is such a huge character. We all wish we could have given him more focus in the episode as his final alive show. I have mixed emotions about the whole thing," she observes in regard to Joxer's death. "As a person, I love Ted; he's one of the funniest people I've ever worked with in my whole life. I didn't get to work with him very much, but when I did, he was generous and wonderful. That particular [death] scene was hilarious because, of course, it's Ted, but we were filming during summer and Ted was wearing so much makeup and it was so hot that the makeup was always melting. Also, he couldn't see very well since he couldn't wear his contacts with that makeup. So Ted's running towards me and I'm supposed to turn around on my cue and stab him. And the poor guy, I turn around and he tripped four feet before he got to me. I wasn't sure at first if Ted was doing as a joke or not, but it was really funny and hard to get through that episode being mean." Wilkinson also finds it hard having to deal with Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) in the show. "It's funny, there always seems to be some little thing in the script, some unconscious thing, when Gabrielle and I aren't 100 percent close, where there's always still something there," she says of the strain between Eve and Gabrielle created by Joxer's death. Wilkinson finds it "funny, because Renee and I do not feel that at all. We don't believe that we should still be dealing with that storyline, we think we should be fine with it by now or we would have already done something else about it. "I truly believe that Xena and Gabrielle have forgiven Eve. I don't think she was killing Joxer to irritate Xena; there was a good reason why she did it, but I don't think that was her original plan. It was the worst thing to do, yet it was sort of a matter of circumstances that led to her redemption." With that one swift sword thrust, Wilkinson also took her fateful turn into Xena fan lore. "And there's another thing, that Ted and I talked, where I've inherited many of the people who didn't like Joxer, and for the same reason: Joxer was the third wheel, always in the way and coming in at the wrong moments. Many people see Eve that way--as a threat to the relationship or just as a problem that Xena must deal with. "It's really odd," she admits, "because on the set we don't see it at all. I have a wonderful relationship with Lucy. We love working on the mother-daughter stuff; we both wish that could be explored more, so it's not something I ever would have been aware of had I not checked out the forum one day." Wilkinson relates her one day--one hour actually--on-line, logging onto Xena website and experiencing it first-hand what people think all about Eve. "I visited the net forum and was absolutely crushed by everything. It's amazing to me that people love the character so much, but I can't tale responsibility for that--I mean, it's the writing, the fight choreography, the costume. But I do get 100 percent of the responsibility when people are unhappy, when they're desperately searching for ways to get rid of my character. I just couldn't imagine that Eve offends them so much. It really shocked me.

SISTER HOOD What Xena has done, according to Wilkinson, is create an amazing environment, where work isn't a four-letter word. "Acting on the show has been such an amazing experience," she says. "Every time I go, I hate leaving. I'm surprised all over again at how wonderful it really is. "Xena's a hard show to film--so much to do in such a small amount of time. It's almost impossible every week, and yet everybody works together to make it happen. There aren't any ego trips." And that includes the stars. "Lucy is so helpful. She's always bringing treats to the set to help everybody, especially on the hard days. She has her little one there and her daughter visits occasionally. It's really laidback. Lucy is hilarious, very spicy, just fun to be around. She's so on the ball; Lucy shows up knowing exactly what she wants and needs. She does exactly what they need to get the shot. She can also advise you how to make it work, 'cause there are things you do, especially in an action scene, that feel ridiculous but look great on film. So you might not do them because you just feel ridiculous," Wilkinson laughs. "And she helps you out with all that. "Renee is definitely quieter but, in my opinion, just as ornery and funny. Renee is one of the most generous actresses I've ever worked with. She's there for you 100 percent every take. By the time you've done the rehearsals, the master shot and the coverage for everybody, you've probably done it 30 times and Renee gives 100 percent every time. That's something you can't take say for very many people. She's always working to make her craft as good as it can possibly be." Wilkinson is delighted by the next generation of heroes as well. "I adore Greg," she enthuses about Dark Angel's William Gregory Lee, who plays Joxer's son Virgil. "Greg and I had the best time, because we were both originally hired for three episodes. We learned the ropes together, stayed in the same hotel, dealt with the same stuff. It was wonderful to have another person there to go through it with and to see a new country [New Zealand].

He's a sweetheart and such a brilliant actor, I hope he'll be a friend for life," to which she quickly adds, "I hope all of them will. I'm so close to so many people, I'll always be in touch with them." "The adventure" is what Wilkinson will miss most now that Xena has come to an end. "Acting in general is a wonderful, challenging thing, but with this particular show, there's a new challenge every week. When you get it, when you make it work, it feels so good and you're so content that you've made it work. After every episode, I say the ending line from Hook to myself--'That was a great game'--because it's such hard work, easily 14 hours most days, and it flies by. And I'm so exhausted I can barely even speak afterward, but I can't wait to get back there. "I'm sad to see Xena end, but I'm really interested to see what everyone does next. As much fun as it is, it has made me confident and eager to move on to the next thing," Adrienne Wilkinson admits. Then, she laughs, "I just hope the next thing is as interesting as Xena."

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