Lucy Lawless - Xena

Lucy Lawless was born Lucille Frances Ryan on the 29th of March 1968, Auckland, New Zealand she was born into a large and happy family of seven children. A skilled linguist Lucy attended Auckland University studying German, Italian and French. After University, as with so many of her compatriots she decided to travel and headed to Europe, with her boyfriend Garth Lawless.

Lucy and Garth decided to marry in 1988, and tied the knot in Australia, shortly after their daughter, Daisy, was born.

Lucy won the coveted Mrs. New Zealand in 1989. And went on to land the job of co-host for "Air New Zealand Holiday", a TV travel show. She worked steadily on numerous television and film productions in her home country of New Zealand until she finally got her big break in 1994 when she won the role of Lysia in the made for TV movie "Hercules and the Amazon Women".

After her success in the role the producers naturally thought of Lucy when casting the role. of Xena.  She is tall standing at five foot ten, athletic, blue eyed and with brown hair the perfect Amazon for the part.

Lucy, became an instant hit when she appeared on screen in her iconic leather outfit, armed with her iconic Chakram (a particularly Xena weapon) and appeared as Xena in three episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. In fact her portrayal of Xena was so popular with fans that the producers decided to create her own spin-off series, Xena: Warrior Princess and in 1995 the series was first broadcast.

Lucy's personal life was not going quite so smoothly at this time, and in 1995 she divorced Garth and became engaged to the "Xena" executive producer Robert G. Tapert. They married in 1998 in Santa Monica, and their son was born in New Zealand in October 1999 they named him Julius Robert Bay Tapert their second child was born in 2002 and is called Judah Miro Tapert.

Lucy Lawless has a strong following in the lesbian community, this is largely due to the ambiguous relationship between Xena and Gabrielle in the show. Lawless is heterosexual, but she regularly appears at gay pride events in Australia and the US.

Since Xena ended Lucy has appeared in some of the most popular TV shows in the US and Europe. Amongst them The X-Files, Veronica Mars, The L Word, CSI Miami, Two and a Half Men, Just Shoot Me, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Simpsons.
Lucy Lawless recently finished another iconic role as D'Anna Biers in the hit cult Sci Fi show Battlestar Galactica. She has once more attracted rave reviews and an enormous popular following as Cylon Number 3.

Since finishing Battlestar Galactica she has appeared is an episode of Flight of the Conchords with fellow Kiwi's Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, in two episodes of the TV series The L Word, as Sgt. Duffy. On the big screen Lucy lawless could be seen in 2009 in the movie "Bitch Slap" with fellow Xena star Renee "Gabrielle" O'Connor, and Kevin "Hercules" Sorbo, all in supporting roles. Lucy Lawless played the role of Mother Superior.

In 2010 lucy lawless will be back in a "Sword and Sandals" Tv show when she plays Lucretia in the new TV Series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand".

Lucy also has some talent as a singer and performed as Rizzo in Grease on Broadway. She has recorded several CD's and regularly tours.

Lucy Lawless presently resides in Los Angeles.