~ Convention Report ~ "Xena" Fans RockAt the Pasadena Convention
By Dinamarsh
The Hercules/Xena Convention in Pasadena, May 4-6, 2001, offered a great time for everyone. Large amounts of money were raised for various charities. Fans enjoyed meeting each other and discussing their favorite show and fan fiction. No doubt, sizeable funds were made from the selling of "Xena" memorabilia. Particularly in the cabarets, several former "Xena" stars showed polished singing talents of which fans had been unaware.
But just about everything from Friday until 4 p.m. on Sunday led up to the event for which most of the fans were there -- the appearance of Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor on the same stage.
LUCY LAWLESS AND RENEE O'CONNOR
Apparently, for their entrance on stage before 4,000 enthusiastic fans, Lucy Lawless played a trick on her good friend Renee O'Connor. Renee led the way on stage in the most unexpected way - singing. She'd gotten through a few bars of "Last Dance" when she realized she was out there, singing alone. Then, Lucy's stronger voice came forth to join hers as Lucy, dressed like a punk rocker (from "Spiderman") with a nose ring, walked on stage.
Renee commented that she hadn't expected to be singing on stage alone. That usually her singing was confined to the shower with only her husband, Steve, listening. She said that Lucy had sent her a suggestion that she and Renee appear on stage singing in tou-tous. Renee said that at five months pregnant, she didn't think so.
Just two years before "Xena," both women had undergone "crisises of faith" about acting as their career. Fortunately, they decided to stay with it a while longer.
About "Xena" Lucy said, "You don't get many roles like that in your career." She feels fortunate her roles in "Hercules" eventually resulted in her selection as Xena.
Renee's acting work with James Garner set her up for the part of Gabrielle in New Zealand. "The part of Gabrielle pushed me beyond what I thought I'd ever do," Renee said.
For one of their first meetings, Lucy invited Renee to her house and introduced the young, naïve Texan to some friends who taught her Mouri words she'd need to know. According to Lucy, "Becoming really good friends started on about the eighth episode after we began to hear about the subtext, which made us work tighter."
Renee said, "Lucy set the tone for the show." However, Lucy replied, "It's always been a two star show. I thank God every day for her."
The show "was all about love, every minute of every day," said Renee
"By the fifth season especially we worked well together and took bits of one another's acting style, Lucy said. Renee analyzes character motivation a lot, whereas Lucy is absolutely connected to the material when she comes in. "In the end, we get to the same place -- listening," Lucy said.
"I learned so much from all the departments as a director," Renee said. Her first directing experience was rough due to the tight time schedule. By her second assignment, "Dangerous Prey," Gabrielle had a small role, so she could focus even more on the other players and action she had planned.
Did directing help her any as an actress? Not really. "After the first day, I'd forget what I'd learned about camera angles and things like that and get back to acting," Renee said. "However, occasionally, she'd mention to Lucy how the camera was viewing a scene, and that helped Lucy.
Renee laughed about her shrinking costumes over the seasons. "I started with 'Little House on the Prarie,' and everything got smaller. "Not the boobs," Lucy interjected. "That's just a benefit of nature," Renee said touching the swell of her pregnant abdomen. Lucy told the audience that even at five months pregnant, Renee still had strong abs under there.
Renee's pregnancy has brought her even closer to Lucy. "We've talked a lot about motherhood tips," Lucy said. "I knew what she was going through" in early pregnancy on the set.
The only special treatment expectant mom Renee asked during the production of the last few episodes was that the costume people lower the belt some on her abs revealing costume so it could be looser.
After having the baby in early autumn, Renee plans to tighten her abs again on her stretch ball and probably stay fit with kickboxing, too, she said.
Lucy said that after resting a while longer, she'll probably go back to Pilates exercises to keep fit.
Renee's favorite costumes were the pearled one from the India trilogy, her Cinderella gown, and her go-go outfit.
Speaking of fitness, Renee said, "I've never been so sore in my life as after doing that dance in the Calligula episode."
Asked to tell something people don't know about Xena, Gabrielle laughingly replied, "She never brushes her teeth."
About bring tied together in the "Haunting of Amphipolis," Renee said, "Luckily, we didn't have to use the bathroom at that time." In that episode food with real maggots were put on her plate next to food without them. Renee said she just had to be careful to bite into one that was maggot-free.
Shooting of the kiss in the Rhinegold Trillogy, Lucy said, began in a way that I didn't want the effect to be a grubby little one. It was never in our hearts (for the subtext scenes) "to be a crummy joke. These two characters love and care about one another. We wanted to work with the relationship."
About the two-part end of the series, Renee said, "It has heart-wrenchingly beautiful moments. It's heart and soul are trying to bring the series to the very best end." "Closure," Lucy said. "When I saw it, I cried through both episodes," added Renee who had seen the two completed shows. Lucy said, "We gave the ending every ounce we had. I love the way it ends."
One fan asked Lucy and Renee, "If you could go back in time, would both of you do 'Xena' again?"
Lucy replied that Xena was a product of "magic. Due to who Renee and I were at the beginning. We aren't the people we were during the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons in particular. We are not the young, naïve, innocent people we were (in the beginning)." She doubts they could capture the early qualities of the characters that were part of their personalities several years ago. "Ignorance was bliss" when the series began. "We had no idea what we were going to do. How we were going to play these characters," Lucy said.
"I've grown up completely on the show," Renee said. "I've made some of the best friends of my life." Lucy said, "As Renee sorted out what she wanted Gabrielle to become, Renee became more assured."
Planning activities instead of projects is foremost in Lucy's mind right now as she winds down from the grind of doing "Xena" for so many years. "I like to muck around singing with friends."
Renee touched her abdomen and said, "Well, I have a project planned." She said she is also enjoying being back in close touch with her family. Asked what she was going to do with her hair length and color, she said, "I'll just go with the flow."
Renee said she did not know the sex of her baby yet. Lucy elaborated on that more by relating that when Renee was about to find out the sex, the baby turned modest and dropped its arm down so the ultrasound couldn't detect the baby's sex.
Lucy, who has cut her hair to about shoulder length, said she might let her hair go back to its natural blondish color because she hated spending the time to get it dyed every six weeks.
At the audience's request, Lucy treated them to singing a little of a Stevie Nicks song.
After portraying Gabrielle for all these years, Renee says, "I'm more assured." Lucy finds herself being "more empathetic now, although I was always sympathetic." Lucy considers Renee to share one of Gabrielle's personality traits. "Renee makes all her decisions after thinking about them."
"I really want to thank you guys," Lucy said, "for being a force for good. We really hold on to that stuff where you are doing great stuff for others.
Hudson Leick
On Friday, Hudson Leick made her first of several stage appearances. In a drop dead, sexy, red sheath evening gown, she launched into an act that would out-Marilyn Marilyn Monroe and flirted with everyone in the audience. Initially, only the stagelights were on, so she couldn't see the approximately 3,000 people focusing attention on her. "So," she purred. "It's going to be like this… where I can't see you, but you can see me…in the dark." The houselights were brought up. Looking over the crowd, she said it was the largest audience she'd seen at one of the "Xena" conventions.
"At every convention I've been to lately, I've been donating my clothes," she continued to purr. Running her hand over her body she asked, "You want it? My dead skin cells are all on it (the gown), so it's worth more." Voices from the audience instructed her to "take it off now." She said that the sales of the gown was to raise money to help children with cancer, or whose parents have cancer and the kids have to stay home with them. The auction of the gown brought $5,000. With the auction over, Hudson moaned, "My dress is sold. I'm going to be naked soon."
When initially tested for Callisto, she was asked if she could ride a horse because she'd have to be able to do that to get the part. "Uh-huh," was her reply. What, she thought, could there be to riding a horse? Motioning as though driving a car, she reasoned, "You say go and stop. Un-huh," she said she discovered.
Of her "Xena" roles, she said playing Xena was the most challenging. "It was difficult to play someone else's character. Xena's very stayed, and I'm not. Also difficult was portraying an angel. Her best role in the series was as the "demon on the rock." Her favorite Callisto saying is, "Here comes trouble."
About the fight scenes she said, "I liked all of them. They felt good. I had a great deal of pleasure from them."
"There's not a big difference between" her personality and that of Callisto," she said. "I've got too many voices in my head without even you guys here." One of the ways in which she described her personality is, "I'm funny."
About the series she said, "Where else can you play a psycho and get paid for it and be one?" A little latter, she got down on the floor and rolled around on the stage.
Asked about her feelings about impregnating Xena and becoming her child, she responded, "I didn't enjoy it; it was far too quick for me."
Squatting down in her evening gown to talk with a girl at the edge of the stage, she had some problems with her skirt. The girl said, "I can see under your dress." Hudson replied, "Now, you know what color my hair really is."
Asked by the audience to scream, she said she had to think about that for a while to work up to it. "Be quite so I can scream," she said as she psyched herself up to the task. "I'm going to take my dress off, too." Then, after warning the mike handlers, she let loose of a scream - definitely not one that resembled a scream born of fear.
After walking out into the audience to throw candy kisses to eager catchers, Hudson said, "I've got to take my little tart self off stage now."
Sharron Delaney from Creation Entertainment, the mistress of ceremonies at Friday afternoon's program, stated, "No one wears a dress like that woman!"
As mistress of ceremonies for Friday night's cabaret, Hudson's gown again was auctioned off, this time for $1,500 for charity. She also introduced her parents, who were in the audience.
Claire Stansfield
To say that Claire is "colorful" doesn't begin to cover it. After the thunderous applause that greeted her appearance on stage, she stated, "I fucking love you guys."
She considered the purpose of the convention as a "bitter suite" celebration of Xena because the show is over.
Her attitude toward the ending of the show is, "That sucks!"
The Alti character has made a difference in Claire's acting ability, she says. "I've been able to act strong, be strong, and be a big chick" who makes the most of her height. "I'm not naturally Hudson Leick-like (doubtful any could tell that at this event, however). During the shooting of the series, Hudson and she never met, but Claire said, "Hudson's been saying she could kick my ass."
Claire based Alti's voice on that of the wicked witch from the "Wizard of Oz," who sounded the most frightening of anyone she could recall. Yet, in building the Alti character, Claire says, "Lucy gave me some balls." Lucy kept encouraging Claire to play Alti really big with big movements. Now, she signs some photos, "Xena's big bitch."
In terms of her career, Claire prefers part "where I don't have to take off my clothes." She enjoys doing sitcoms, but laments the part of feeling like "a guest" instead of like one of the cast. She said, "As the little Olsen trolls said about me, 'She's not a super model.'"
"I feel comfortable in my own body because I think women get much more beautiful as they grow older." She also said, "I believe in true love and don't take it for granted."
Her personal inspiration to act came from being a fan of Anne Bancroft in "Mrs. Robinson" when she was young and now living with a 20-year-old guy and doing just what Mrs. Robinson would do.
Recently, Claire has begun directing short films for Internet. Now that digital videos are being recycled, she's doing something with Claudia Christian, formerly of "Babylon 5," who's also a friend of Alexandra Tydings.
After the auction of a chakrum actually used on the show and signed by Lucy brought $40,000 for charity, Clare kissed the woman who made the purchase.
Later, during the Saturday evening Cabaret, Alexandra Tydings and Clare entertained the audience with a reading of XXX Xena fan fiction - BEDTIME FOR WARRIORS AND BARDS by LN James, DOWN HOME by CN Winters, and three skits by Mil Toro, XENAFANADDICTS R US, SINFUL ADVENTURES and XENA'S KISSES which features this last sentence...
"Xena looks around one last time, then draws Gabrielle close to her in a passionate kiss. Their one kiss rivals the heat of all the other Xena kisses combined."
Photos of the long, passionate kiss between Alexandra and Clare kiss appear on Alexandra's site: http://www.alextydings.com/photos/cabaretkiss.htm
ALEXANDRA TYDINGS
After several years of appearances in "Hercules" and "Xena" episode, Alexandra Tydings says she now know "Valley-speak better than most people in Los Angeles."
She says, "Renee O'Connor is gorgeous, so easy to work with, never mind how many takes."
Alexandra thinks, "American culture particularly is really tough on blondes" and portraying them as dumb. However, on "Xena" and "Hercules," she said, "I finally got to be a woman who had sex, liked sex, and didn't have to get killed."
Recently, she has been acting in "Sheena," where she managed to fall over a log and have a devil of a time trying not to get bitten by an actor who apparently would like to strike her and happens to be cobra.
TED RAIMI
One fan mentioned to Ted Raimi that Joxer always paid for everything Xena and Renee got when he was with them. "Hey, that's right!" he replied. "Those guys owe me!"
At Friday night's Cabaret, Ted Raimi and Bruce Campbell clowned around with Ted asking as "Swami."
Presently, Ted is taking piano and guitar lessons. He demonstrated his really good, smooth singing voice Saturday night as he performed Dean Martin-Frank Sinatra tunes from the 1950's. At the end of this nearly everyone in the audience was standing to applaud him.
DARIEN TAKEL
Darien Takel came on stage stressed very attractively in a brown evening gown and sang show tunes so well that almost everyone was on their feet at the end showing their praise. Among her songs were "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," from "Evita," a role she had played on the stage, and "La Vie en Rose" in French from the "Edith Pia Story," in which she had also played the lead stage role.
She said she had loved being Xena's mother over the past several years and jokingly assured everyone that Xena had been a handful as a child.
Her favorite scene she did in the series was as a ghost in Tartarus lamenting the murder of her husband.
She said Lucy and Renee were wonderful and easy to work with.
KARL URBAN
Karl Urban admitted being severely hung over when he appeared shoeless on stage.
Adrianne Wilkenson
When hired for "Xena," Adrianne didn't know her role was to be that of Xena's daughter. She felt an additional responsibility to do the part well because that. According to her, she "learned a lot about fight scenes from Renee." Renee tends to put such energy into her swings and reactions that her fight sequences look great."
With all of the angry her character Livia exuded, Adrianne felt the need to assure her mom that what was released in the "rage scenes had nothing to do with" her, some latent mother-daughter conflict. The director, Rick, kept telling me, "Be bigger! Be larger!"
"I tried to make Livia like a teen at the stage where girls think they know everything," she said. "I see more strength (of character) in the scenes where I was Eve than when I was Livia."
"Renee and I were like the best of friends on the set, but everywhere you turn around, Gabrielle's hitting or stabbing me. I don't know if it's jealousy-based or what. So many of the issues (about Gabrielle's and Eve's relationship) were never dealt with."
Adrianne said her favorite scene, which, unfortunately was cut, was with Virgil in "Who's Gurkhan?" In that small but missing link, Virgil and she worked on resolving some of their problems.
"So many persons are hidden inside your skin, it's good to bring them out…. I'm inspired by doing and enjoying wonderful things. I like to explore characters and to be on the stage and bring the people along with me,"
she said.
About the athleticism in "Xena," Adrianne said, "Renee is an amazing athlete. She doesn't really like to dance, but she's the one who always got tapped to do it." Adrianne would have liked to dance, too, in the series.
Adrianne described New Zealand as having "so much to see. Its scenery is stunning."
At Cabaret night, Adrianne entertained by singing rock-type songs.
William Gregory Lee
William Gregory Lee said he originally was hired to play a character named Joeb, but Lucy got that part changed to portraying Joxer's son, Virgil. Initially, he was hired for two episodes but kept being asked to come back.
Lee told the audience, "It means a lot to me to see so many fans following me into 'Dark Angel.'" Dealing with this newly discovered fandom "takes some adjusting," he said. Perhaps, this is not unlike the adjustment he had to make when he moved a few years ago from his native Virginia to California, which he described as "intimidating." Yet, his brief stays in New Zealand were wonderful. "The scenery is amazing, and the people are so giving."
William's favorite film character is Hans Solo. When asked by someone in the audience if George Lucas knew that, he replied he could only hope Lucas would test him someday for the part that did so much to make Harrison Ford a major star.
Tim Ormundsen
Originally, a scene was shot in which Eli kicked Ares's butt, says Tim Ormundsen, but Kevin didn't think it was appropriate for the God of War to be brought so low by the prophet, so their fight was cut. However, "Renee was the one who saved the Eli death scene," according to Tim.
He finds Renee and Lucy to be incredible athletes. "I don't know how they do the physical stuff they do. I have never met bigger troopers than those two." If there was a big, cold mud puddle their characters had to get into, without it even being heated, the two women tackled the dirty work without complaint.
The biggest practical joke played on Tim was set up by his good friend, Ted Raimi. Ted knew Tim was already a fan of the show before he got the part as Eli. He was really excited about meeting Lucy and Renee. He got to rehearsal, but, when he met them, they didn't seem very interested in him, although he tried to get their attention. When rehearsal ended, they left. Tim was miserable and thought they weren't impressed with him at all. A few moments latter, Renee came back into the room and then Lucy, laughing and telling him, "We were only kidding! It's great to see you! Ted did that, and, someday, I'm going to get him back for that one," Tim vows.
Tim feels blessed to have worked thus far with "three most generous actresses, Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, and Tyne Daly." He regards Tyne as "one of the best actresses of her generation. She couldn't be nicer and is always funny. Every day, going to work with actresses like those three is like playtime."
Uncertain of how much he brought to the character of Eli and how much the writers contributed, Tim says the part he "loved most was when Eli didn't know what he was." Tim was aware that unless he played the prophet role carefully he might have the audience responding, "Crucify him already."
When hired, Tim didn't know which way his character would develop. "I didn't know he was going to die, but figured he wouldn't grow up to have babies with Xena."
His favorite memory from "Xena" is of when the sun was rising and the crucifixion scene with Xena and Gabrielle was being set up. He was so moved by the beauty that he latter wrote a little song about it.
Cabaret night, Tim sang love ballads in a pleasant voice and played his harmonica.
Robert Trebor
The first time Robert Trebor met sweet, then rather naïve, Renee O'Connor, he recalls, "I spent some time explaining to her the difference between a slave and an eunuch -- someone who had suffered the "cruelest cut of all."
Bob's two most favorite Xena/Hercules episodes in which he appeared are the 'Greater Good,' because of the drama that gave Lucy the first of many deaths, and the 'Men in Pink Tights,' because of the comedy. About the latter, he added smugly, "I looked more feminine."
He recalls some terror time associated with shooting the series, too. "In 'Fire Down Below" a stunt man too heavily covered with inflammable material was on fire too long. "The guy crumbled at my feet and burned for a long minute and a half before the fire was put out," Bob said. "I was warned not to move; that my boots might spontaneously combust."
In another story he suffered though a rat scratching his head as it slipped off a few times during shooting.
A member of the audience told him that he looked like the genie in the animated version of "Aladine." "Do you mean the body or from the neck up?" Bob asked. He happy to hear the response "from the neck up" because the genie's girth was quite large.
If there were a Xena/Herc spin-off, he said he'd like to work with Renee or Kevin Smith again.
One "Xena" episode he'd like to do over is "Déjà Vu" because "Renee is more experienced now as a director," he said. During the shooting of that story, they were very much pressed by the clock.
In discussing his career, Bob related, "My best inspiration is the truth." Many years ago, I saw Jack Lemmon's performance in 'The Days of Wine and Roses' and thought Lemmon made his craft look so easy. I decided right then that I'd like to be able to do what Jack Lemmon did to move me so strongly emotionally." Alan Arkin is the other actor who inspired Bob to enter the profession. "In 'Heart of Darkness' Alan Arkin can tear your heart out with just a look."
Bob is looking forward to appearing with Star Trek Deep Space Nine's Armin Shimmerman at Dragoncon in Atlanta. "You know, some people think Salmoneus and Quark are connected through the ages," he remarked.
Other than that upcoming event, he's spending a lot of time now taking "long jacuzzies and resting." He will be in Missy Good's "Tropical Storm" soon.
Friday afternoon, he entertained the audience by singing the song from "Miss Amphipolis." In the evening Cabaret, he projected his rich, stage-quality, baratone voice in "If I Were a Rich Man." He wound up his cabaret entertainment by asking the audience to join him in "Auld Ange Syne" to mark the end of "Xena."
MISSY GOOD
Missy Good voiced her appreciation for the writing opportunities fan fiction had given to her and other bards who have gone on to authoring books and, in her case, television scripts. Although she would only talk about "Xena," she did say that by popular demand she would put a Conqueror story on her to-do list for the fans.
She said she writes an average of three hours a day, recording what the character voices in her head tell her.
Her script to "Last Dance," the musical that didn't get made on "Xena" due to delaid copyrighted music approvals, was auctioned for charity.
Stunt Coordinator and Lucy's Double
The stunt coordinator and Lucy's double found one fan in particular who could twirl a sword like Lucy and do elaborate stunt moves. A few fans were given tips of fighting with swords and sais, demonstrating the techniques on stage with the pros.
Xena's stunt coordinator gave some insight into one of Lucy's many skills. "Don't play poker with Lucy. She wins every time."
The convention ended with Lucy and Renee singing and dancing to "Last Dance" and members of the cast and crew, including Rob Tapert, assembling briefly on stage. Renee was the last one to leave the stage, and paused briefly, almost as if she wanted to say something, but then went on to join the other performers backstage.
This was one heck of a great weekend! Creation is planning to release at least a video of Lucy and Renee on stage and maybe one of the cabaret acts. Tickets to next year's convention are being reserved. Lots of attendees, no doubt will be happy to invest in these to relive some of the fun moments many hated to see end. After all, everyone knows, Xena fans rock!!!