Lucille Frances "Lucy" Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealand actress, activist and musician best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess. She is also widely known for her role as Number Three on the re-imagine...
I was black and blue for about two years, but it's paid off tremendously. You know, if you get enough whacks, your reflexes pick up, and I've become quite good - if somebody throws keys or something, I can catch them.
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For the first time in my life, I put my body and reputation on the line to stand up for my beliefs and do the right thing. I hope I've encouraged other people to do the same.
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I am waiting for a sign that will indicate to me what meaning I must give to my life, but right now my existence is satisfactory.
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My plan is to shock people with what I can do, because I've got a few sides to me that I've never used on screen.
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We live at the edge of the world, so we live on the edge. Kiwis will always sacrifice money and security for adventure and challenge.
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I don't take business seriously, I take acting seriously. I take my job really seriously, but a lot of the job is not about acting, but I don't take business seriously.
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Usually? I don't even consider myself usually. Soccer mom, that's what I consider myself. Yeah, I think I'm a funny person. I started out in comedy. You know I remember the moment I realized the value of comedy is when I was eight years old and I was sitting in class and I realized that if I just acted really stupid, I could get away with a lot of stuff. And it would diffuse a lot of tension and the teachers would focus on you. I just found out the value of being a funny dunce at times.
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Treat everyone the same until you find out they're an idiot. Lucy Lawless, Starlog - Savage Sword of Xena.
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Fact
1
According to the book "The Evil Dead Companion", Lucy Lawless was horrified by The Evil Dead (1981) and wondered what kind of people could make such a movie. Not only did she end up working with these same people, since Sam Raimi later created Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995) and Xena: Warrior Princess (1995), she ultimately married one of them, producer Rob Tapert.
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Sadly suffered a miscarriage between her second and third child.
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Lawless says she had "no regrets" about boarding and preventing an oil-drilling ship from leaving a New Zealand dock, a protest action that saw her plead guilty on Thursday June 14, 2012 to trespass charges.
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Gave birth to her third child at age 34, a son Judah Miro Tapert on May 7, 2002. Child's father is her second husband, Rob Tapert.
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Gave birth to her second child at age 31, a son Julius Robert Bay Tapert on October 16, 1999. Child's father is her second husband, Rob Tapert.
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Gave birth to her first child at age 20, a daughter Daisy Lawless on July 15, 1988. Child's father is her first husband, Garth Lawless.
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The dwarf planet Eris was originally informally named Xena, with its moon nicknamed Gabrielle (after Xena's sidekick). The official names, Eris and Dysnomia, refer to Greek goddesses associated with lawlessness, another wink to Lucy Lawless.
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A vocal supporter of gay rights, Lawless is considered something of a gay icon. After the cancellation of Xena: Warrior Princess (1995), Lawless has said she considered her character a lesbian. Since that time the actress has also worked to support equal protections for gay and lesbian couples including protesting Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian couples of the right to wed in California.
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Member of the Starship Foundation board of trustees since 2000. Starship is NZ's main children's hospital.
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Awarded the New Zealand Order Of Merit (NZOM), Queen's Birthday Honours 2004, for services to NZ entertainment and the community.
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She was offered the role of "Ellen Tigh" in Battlestar Galactica (2004), but she refused. That role was played by Kate Vernon and the scriptwriters created another role for her, the evil "D'anna Biers".
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She said that her partner at Xena: Warrior Princess (1995), Renée O'Connor, has been one of the few people who have joined her true friends from youth. As an example, she invited her to her wedding with Rob Tapert. They also act together on conventions stages.
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Is a natural ash blonde before coloring her hair black for the role of "Xena".
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Was asked by Peter Jackson to audition for the role of "Galadriel" in "Lord of the Rings", but declined because her pregnancy would stall production.
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Owns a holiday house at Taupo on the shores of Lake Taupo, New Zealand.
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Speaks German, French, some Italian.
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Wanted to be an opera singer until she was 16. Then she learned they have a strict diet and can't stay out all night. After that she changed her mind but still sings. Her vocal range is contralto.
Lucy suffered a miscarriage immediately following the filming of the last episode of Xena: Warrior Princess (1995). She considered canceling the appearance she was going to make with her "Xena" partner, Renée O'Connor (Gabrielle), at a fan convention. However, she decided to show up despite the tragic event just a few days earlier and even though Renee was 6 months pregnant with her first baby.
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Studied drama at the William Davis Center for Actors Study, under William B. Davis. [1991]
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Fractured her pelvis after falling from a horse. She was practicing a scene for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992) . [October 1996]
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Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1997]
$15 Million
