NZ New Idea Magazine

3 August 2002

Confessions of the Stars - Why We Love Lucy

Lucy Lawless becaem a TV Icon as Xena, Warrior Princess. But what makes her tick?

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PASSIONS:

1. Her husband Rob Tapert
'Rob is the finest man I've ever known.'
 

2. Her Children

'In addition to Daisy, who is experiencing all the joys and horrors of the early teen years, I have Julius Tapert, who's in the terrible twos. Then there's sweet little Judah Miro Tapert, my new baby. They're my greatest blessings.'

3. Her Family
'I have five brothers and one sister. We're this big, sprawling Irish Catholic family. I don't live that far from any of them.'

5. Fishing
'It's become a passion -and it's a sport I share with my husband. Rob loves the sea.'

6. Ice Hockey
'I'm a staunch supporter of the Detroit Red Wings because Robert is.

9. Xena
'Xena doesn't rely on a man for help, and she doesn't come across as stupid. I loved playing her. It gave me a husband, a beautiful family and a home. It is probably the best role I will ever play in terms of scope and range.'
 

11. Tennis ace Gabriella Sabatini
'I modelled Xena on her. She's how a warrior princess ought to look.'
 

12, Natural Childbirth
'Women are having babies in paddy fields all over the world, out in the bloody rain, not that I'd want that. But I do believe in home birthing, a gentle water birth.'

14. Guest appearance in The X-Files

'I always loved watching that show. It was a must-see at my house. I wish I could have done more episodes.'

16. Languages
'I find them fascinating. I speak German, French and some Italian.'

17. Grease

'I did Grease for seven weeks on Broadway, the Rizzo role that Brooke Shields and Rosie O'Donnell have
 played. Did you think they'd cast me as Olivia Newton-John? Get real! I studied voice and dance to prepare.'
 

18. Rosie O'Donnell

'I went to Broadway because of her. I was on her TV talk show and we were talking about Grease and she asked me to sing a song. And it went from there.'

21. Sci Fi Movies

'They're fun. I liked Prophecy and Predator and Aliens.'

22. Hercules' Kevin Sorbo

'He's my big brother, and I love him.'

26. Music
'I once studied opera but gave it up when I realised I didn't have the passion for serious training. I love Lyle Lovett, Nina Simone, Lenny Kravitz, Diana Krall, Annie Lennox, Etta James, Freakpower, The Grateful Dead, k.d. lang, Neneh Cherry, jazz.'

28 Lord of the Rings
'I found it fascinating and I recorded an audio visual journey through the varied New Zealand landscapes Peter Jackson used. It's the only place that could have been Tolkien's Middle Earth.'

29. Her mentors
'Susan Sarandon and Helen Mirren are sensual, fiercely intelligent, and bloody good at their jobs.'

31. Eating
'I love to eat. I eat beans with sausages for breakfast or porridge and a couple of eggs.'

 

PET HATES:


1 Her 10-month pregnancy
'My due date was April 29 and Judah wasn't born until May 7. He weighed 8lb 8 oz - but those last few weeks were trying, really trying.'

2. Miscarriage
'After Xena wrapped, I lost what would have been my second child with Robert. Looking back, I knew that something wasn't right. It wasn't the way I felt with other pregnancies -but it's a heartbreak when it happens.'

3. Pregnancy fears
'I guess they're inevitable, but waiting out the results of the amniocentesis test was torture.'

4. Terrorism
'It's ghastly, quite awful. I was stranded in Los Angeles when terrorists struck New York's World Trade Center last year.'

5 Making another Xena-like commitment?
'Episodic TV. especially a one-hour drama, is not for me right now. I'm putting my family first.'

6. Being a Bond girl?
"It wouldn't suit me at all. I'd want to be James Bond.'

8. Astrology
'I'm loath to believe in New Age mumbo jumbo.'

9. Unco
'It was my nickname at school. Unco stands for uncoordinated.'

10. Dye
'I'm naturally fair-haired. It was really brutal on my hair to dye it raven black for Xena.'

11. Failure
"I haven't failed yet, but I live in fear.'

13 Being considered a role model:
'It's too much responsibility to bear because it's all I can do to be a good role model to my children. I don't need other people's kids on my plate.'

14 Comparisons with Madonna:
'I think Madonna's an admirable creature, but I never intended to model my career on hers. Xena's breastplates never went all pointy.

16. Divorce
'It's awful. You feel like you're losing your kid and you can't defend yourself. You can't speak ill of The father. There have been moments when I've had to fight every natural urge to strike back.'

17. Xena's costume
 'I often wished it was a kaftan, but you can't high-kick someone in a kaftan.'

20 Her computer ineptitude:
'I'm a computer retard.'

23 Her Inability to Fight
'I sat in a restaurant and watched a man hit his girlfriend outside in the street. I wanted to intervene, but I can't really fight. Instead, I talked to the woman when she came in to the restaurant, telling her she didn't have to stand for that.'

24. Getting Hurt
'I was covered with bruises when I was filming Xena. But you learn to live with it and your pain tolerance goes sky high. Then I was injured taping a skit on horseback for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I got multiple pelvic fractures.


25 The discomfort of Xena's breastplate:
'It's very tight and heavy leather. The problem is: nothing looks like leather. Lycra films shiny. Then there's the copper plating on the outside. I felt as if my whole abdomen was in a straitjacket.'

26 Questions about her shoe size:
'Why would anyone be interested in that? It's a size 10.'

28 Fans sending gifts to her
'I'm grateful, but I make a healthy living so I beg people to keep their hard-earned cash for themselves and their families - or donate it to charity.'
 

29. Posing Nude for Playboy

'I've been asked - but I believe they ask every woman in show business.'


By Susan Granger