Lucy Lawless

Infobox actor
name = Lucy Lawless

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imagesize =
caption = Lawless in a backstage interview at the Xena Convention in Burbank, CA, January 2007
birthname = "Lucille Frances Ryan"
birthdate = Birth date and age|df=yes|1968|03|29
birthplace = Mount Albert, Auckland City, New Zealand
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation = Actress, Singer
yearsactive = 1989–present
spouse = Garth Lawless (1988–1995)
Robert Tapert
(1998–present)
domesticpartner =
website =

Lucy Lawless (born Lucille Frances Ryan; 29 March 1968) is a New Zealand actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the television series "" and for her role as Number Three on the series Battlestar Galactica.

Biography

Early life

Lawless, the fifth of seven children (five brothers and one sister), was born in Mount Albert, New Zealand. She is the daughter of Julie and Frank Ryan, who was a banker and mayor. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/11/Lucy-Lawless.html Lucy Lawless Biography (1968-) ] ] Lawless began acting in secondary school, attending Marist College, New Zealand in Mount Albert. She studied foreign languages at Auckland University for a year before dropping out and leaving for Europe with her boyfriend, Garth Lawless, to travel to Germany and Switzerland. The couple then moved to Australia, where she worked briefly as a gold miner.

Personal life

At 19, Lawless became pregnant with Garth's child. In 1988, they married in Kalgoorlie, Australia. They returned to New Zealand and had a daughter, Daisy Lawless (born 15 July 1988), who also attended Marist College, New Zealand. The couple divorced in 1995. Lawless married "Xena" executive producer Robert Tapert on 28 March 1998. Lawless and Tapert have two sons: Julius Robert Bay Tapert (born 16 October 1999) and Judah Miro Tapert (born 7 May 2002), both born in Auckland, New Zealand.

Acting career

In 1994, Lawless appeared in "Hercules and the Amazon Women," the television pilot for "". In that , she played a man-hating Amazon named Lysia. She went on to play another character, Lyla, in the first season episode "As Darkness Falls," but her key role was given to her when she was asked to play a villainous warrior woman named Xena in the episode "The Warrior Princess" – aired in March 1995. Vanessa Angel had originally been cast in the role, but fell ill and was unable to travel to New Zealand for shooting. To differentiate between Xena and the similar Lysia, Lawless' hair, naturally ash blond, was dyed black. Xena subsequently returned in two more episodes of the first season of "Hercules".

The character was popular enough that a spin-off series was created for her. "" debuted on 4 September, 1995 (although Lawless appeared as Lyla once again, in the second season "Hercules" episode "Outcast" – aired in October 1995). "Xena: Warrior Princess", like its parent program, was a hit, lasting six seasons, and Lawless became an international celebrity.

While taping an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in October 1996, Lawless suffered a fractured pelvis when the horse she was riding lost its footing in the studio parking lot. She made a complete recovery, and her absence from the "Xena" set ultimately had minimal impact on the show.

In 1997, Lawless was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by "People" magazine. Days earlier on 6 May 1997, Lawless inadvertently exposed a breast as she concluded a performance of the US national anthem at an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, California between the Mighty Ducks and Detroit Red Wings. Lawless was quoted in "Newsweek" as saying, "Obviously, I was mortified....It was quite a bit more exposure than I want". [ [http://www.lucylawless.info/articles/1997/newsweek0597.html Lucy Lawless - Newsweek Magazine - Her Cup Runneth Over ] ]

Lawless has since appeared onstage in the "Vagina Monologues" and as a television guest star in episodes of "The Simpsons", "The X-Files", "Just Shoot Me!", "Veronica Mars", and "Burn Notice". She was also featured in the short-lived television series "Tarzan". Lawless has made cameo appearances in the movies "EuroTrip", "Spider-Man" and "Boogeyman" (2005). She returned to television in the TV movie "Locusts!" and its sequel "Vampire Bats".

From 2005 to 2008, Lawless has had a recurring role in the television series "Battlestar Galactica". She portrays D'Anna Biers, a reporter with the Fleet News Service who works on a critical documentary about the crew of the "Galactica" and is later revealed to be a Cylon (Number Three).

Lawless appeared in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, in season 6 as herself. She goes on a date with Larry David, only to finally walk away after Larry makes an inappropriate suggestion about his underwear and the potential for sex between them.

Lawless competed as one of the celebrity singers on the reality TV show "Celebrity Duets" in 2006, finishing as the runner-up to winner Alfonso Ribeiro. She has also performed as a voice actor in several animated features.

Lawless has a cult following in the lesbian community, largely because of Xena's ambiguous relationship with traveling companion Gabrielle. [ [http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/TV/xena.html AfterEllen.com - Xena and Gabrielle: Lesbian Icons ] ] Although Lawless is heterosexual, she has appeared at gay pride events such as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. [ [http://ausxip.com/mardigras.html Lucy and Renee in Sydney in 1999 - Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras ] ] In a 2003 interview with "Lesbian News" magazine, she said that she had come to see Xena and Gabrielle's relationship as gay after viewing the series finale, though she has also stated on several occasions that she was undecided on the nature of the relationship while playing the role. [ [http://www.lucylawless.info/articles/lesnews03/index.html Lesbian News ] ]

Charity

Lawless is a member of the board of trustees of the "StarShip Foundation", the charity arm of the Starship Children's Health (hospital) which is part of the Auckland District Health Board. [http://www.starship.org.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/1024] It is set up to provide additional equipment, support and help to staff, patients and families. [http://www.starship.org.nz/] She devotes much time and energy to fundraising for the organization.

inging career

Since her role as Xena, Lawless has pursued a new career in singing after being a contestant on "Celebrity Duets". She made her onstage debut at the Roxy in Hollywood in 2007, and has since performed regularly in concerts and released several CDs.

References

External links

* [http://www.lucylawlessfanclub.com/ Official fan club site]
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* [http://blogzarro.com/?p=252 Lucy Lawless Interview, May 2007]
* [http://thestarscoop.com/archives/lucy-lawless.php/ Interview with TheStarScoop, Sept 2006]

Persondata
NAME= Lawless, Lucy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Ryan, Lucille Frances
SHORT DESCRIPTION= New Zealand television and theatre actress and singer known best for her role as Xena in the American television series .
DATE OF BIRTH= 29 March 1968
PLACE OF BIRTH= Mount Albert, New Zealand
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=