Languages spoken: English (of course), good German, OK French and some Italian
Schooling: Auckland University (1 year - 1986)
Wesley Intermediate
Marist Sisters College
Favourite foods: Lamb shanks, frozen yogurt, wine and scotch
Exercise: yoga
Music: jazz and opera
Titles: Crowned Mrs. New Zealand in 1989
Mini biography
"Her courage will change the world"-- Xena: Warrior Princess. Lucy was born Lucille Frances Ryan on March 29, 1968, in Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand. She was the 5th of 7 children of Frank and Julie Ryan. Lucy enjoyed acting and appeared in many plays in high school. Later, she attended Auckland University and studied German, Italian and French for a year. As many young people from New Zealand do, she then headed for her O.E. (that's "Overseas Experience"). Lucy left college and headed for Europe where she and her boyfriend, Garth Lawless, traveled around Switzerland and Germany (to earn travel money, she picked grapes on the beautiful Rhine, "for about 3 seconds" she said later in a TV interview). Then Lucy and Garth headed to Australia to earn some more travel money; they found work with a gold mining company outside of Kalgoorlie, about 500 miles from Perth. Lucy and Garth were married in Australia in 1988 and then returned to New Zealand where Lucy had a daughter, Daisy. Lucy was chosen Mrs. New Zealand in 1989. She did a "really bad, cheesy commercial for travel" which led to her first real acting job in a New Zealand comedy troupe show called "Funny Business." Later, Lucy landed the job as co-host for Air New Zealand Holiday, a travel magazine. Lucy worked in numerous television and film productions. Finally, she got her breakout role of Lysia in "Hercules and the Amazon Women" (1994) (TV). Shortly thereafter, the producers needed someone to play Xena. Lucy, tall (5' 10-1/2"), athletic, with brown hair and blue eyes, was perfect for the part. But there was a snag: at first, the producers (what do they know?) did not want Lucy for the part of Xena-after all, she had played a different character already. So, Lucy dyed her light hair a dark brown, making her look a bit different, and history was about to be made! Lucy, in her leather outfit and armed with her mighty Chakram, was thus cast in her signature roll of Xena in 3 episodes of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" (1995)-"The Warrior Princess." "The Gauntlet" and "The Unchained Heart"-that would lead to her own spin-off series, "Xena: Warrior Princess" (1995). Although "Xena" immediately got a huge fan following in America, ironically "Xena" was not being shown in her native New Zealand, so Lucy did not achieve her tremendous popularity in her homeland until a bit later. In October 1996, Lucy came to America to be on Jay Leno's "Tonight" show. She was to do a publicity stunt, making a grand entrance by riding a horse in the parking lot. The horse tripped on the cement, Lucy fell and broke her pelvis. (Ironically, for the entire 6-year run of "Xena," Lucy, doing her own stunts and riding horses, never received a serious injury.) After convalescence and another season of "Xena," Lucy returned to America for another visit. Lucy made her Broadway debut playing Betty Rizzo in "Grease" from September to October, 1997. Also Lucy (divorced from Garth in 1995) became engaged to "Xena" executive producer, Robert G. Tapert at that time. They married in Santa Monica, California on March 28, 1998. On October 16, 1999, they had a son, Julius Robert Bay Tapert, born in New Zealand. Although "Xena" has been canceled after a fantastic 6-year run, millions of Lucy Lawless fans know it is still just the beginning for her, and we look forward to her new film projects.
Trivia
Son, Julius Robert Bay Tapert, born in New Zealand. [16 October 1999]
Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1997]
fractured her pelvis after falling from a horse. She was practicing a scene for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" [October 1996]
Daughter, with Garth Lawless, Daisy (born 1989).
Studied drama at the William Davis Center for Actors Study, under William B. Davis. [1991]
Gave birth to third child, Judah Miro Tapert, May 7, 2002 in New Zealand w/ weight 8 lbs, 8 ou. It's her 2nd child with Robert Tapert.
Lucy suffered a miscarriage immediately following the filming of the last episode of Xena. She originally had planned on cancelling a appearance she was to make with Xena partner Renee O'Connor (Gabrielle) at a convention but showed up despite just suffering a miscarriage a few days earlier, even though Renee was 6 months pregnant with her first baby.
Personal quotes
"Treat everyone the same until you find out they're an idiot." Lucy Lawless, Starlog - Savage Sword of Xena
1988:
Commercials for NZ's ASB Bank
Funny Business (TV comedy troupe) - first real acting job
Mid 1991 - early 92:
William Davis Center for Actors Study - 8 months in Vancouver Canada
1992:
Ray Bradbury Theatre (as Liddy Barton in "Fee Fie Foe Fum")
Adventures of the Black Stallion (as Sarah McFee in "Riding the Volcano")
Movie: Rainbow Warrior (as Jane Redmond)
1992 & 93:
Co-host of Air New Zealand Holiday
1993:
Mini series: Typhon's People (as Mink)
1994:
TV Movie: Hercules and the Amazon Women (as Lysia)
1995:
Short film: Peach
High Tide episodes:
Shanghaied (as undercover policewoman)
Dead In The Water (as Sharon List)
Hercules episodes:
As Darkness Falls (as Lyla)
Warrior Princess (as Xena)
The Gauntlet (as Xena)
Unchained Heart (as Xena)
Outcast (as Lyla)
Sept. 1995 - May 2001:
Xena Warrior Princess (as Xena)
1997:
Animated Movie: Hercules and Xena - The Battle for Mount Olympus (as Xena)
