Lucy Lawless Biography
|
Birth name - Lucille Francis Ryan
Date of birth - March 29, 1968
Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand
Nickname - Unco, short for Uncoordinated, Loo, Luce
Height - 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
Lucy Lawless photo gallery
|
|
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.
More Interesting Information for Lucy Lawless
Spouse - Robert G. Tapert (March 1998 - present) 2 children
Garth Lawless (1988 - 1995) (divorced) 1 daughter
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" (1992)_ . [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 Tagert.
Lucy suffered a miscarriage immediately following the filming of the last episode of Xena. She considered canceling the appearance she was to make with Xena partner Renée O'Connor (Gabrielle) at a fan convention. However, she decided to showed up despite the tragic event just a few days earlier and even though Renee was 6 months pregnant with her first baby.
Sister-in-law of actress Mary Beth Tapert.
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.
Measurements: 35 1/2C-25-36 1/2 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Speaks some German, French, Italian and Hebrew.
Owns a holiday house at Taupo on the shores of Lake Taupo, New Zealand.
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.
Personal quotes from Lucy Lawless
"Treat everyone the same until you find out they're an idiot." Lucy Lawless, Starlog - Savage Sword of Xena
|
Lucy Lawless Filmography
|
|
Actress - filmography
(2000s) (1990s) (1980s)
"Battlestar Galactica"
- Downloaded (2006) TV Episode .... D'Anna Biers
- Final Cut (2005) TV Episode .... D'anna Biers
"Veronica Mars"
- Donut Run (2006) TV Episode .... Agent Morris
The Darkroom (2006) .... Cheryl
Plot Outline: A teenage boy befriends an escapee from a mental institution who sees visions of horrible murders being committed.
Vampire Bats (2005) (TV) .... Maddy Rierdon
Xena: The 10th Anniversary Collection (2005) (V) .... Xena
Locusts (2005) (TV) .... Maddy Rierdon
"Two and a Half Men"
- It Was Mame, Mom (2005) TV Episode .... Pamela
Boogeyman (2005) .... Tim's Mother
... aka Boogeyman - Der schwarze Mann (Germany)
"Less Than Perfect"
- Ignoring Lydia (2004) TV Episode .... Tracy Fletcher
EuroTrip (2004) .... Madame Vandersexxx
"Tarzan" (2003) TV Series .... Kathleen Clayton
Spider-Man (2002) .... Punk Rock Girl
"The X Files"
... aka The X-Files (USA)
- Nothing Important Happened Today II (2001) TV Episode .... Shannon McMahon
- Nothing Important Happened Today (2001) TV Episode .... Shannon McMahon
"Xena: Warrior Princess" .... Xena
- A Friend in Need: Part 2 (2001) TV Episode .... Xena
- Send in the Clones (2001) TV Episode .... Xena
- Path of Vengeance (2001) TV Episode .... Xena
- You Are There (2001) TV Episode .... Xena
- The God You Know (2001) TV Episode .... Xena
(111 more)
"Just Shoot Me!"
- The Auction (2001) TV Episode .... Stacy
Ginger Snaps (2000) (voice) (uncredited) .... Announcer on School's PA System
"Saturday Night Live"
... aka NBC's Saturday Night (USA: original title)
... aka SNL
... aka SNL 25 (USA: new title)
... aka Saturday Night Live '80 (USA: new title)
- Episode #24.3 (1998) TV Episode .... Host
"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"
- Armageddon Now: Part 2 (1998) TV Episode .... Xena
- Stranger in a Strange World (1997) TV Episode .... Xena
- Judgement Day (1997) TV Episode .... Xena
- Outcast (1995) TV Episode .... Lyla
- Unchained Heart (1995) TV Episode .... Xena
(3 more)
Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus (1998) (V) (voice) .... Xena
"High Tide"
- Dead in the Water (1995) TV Episode .... Sharon List
- Shanghied (1994) TV Episode .... Undercover policewoman
Peach (1995) .... Peach
Hercules and the Amazon Women (1994) (TV) .... Lysia
Typhon's People (1993) (TV) .... Mink Tertius
"The Ray Bradbury Theater"
... aka Monde fantastique de Ray Bradbury, Le (Canada: French title)
... aka Mystery Theatre (UK: rerun title)
... aka Ray Bradbury présente (France)
... aka The Bradbury Trilogy (UK: rerun title)
... aka The Ray Bradbury Theatre (UK)
- Fee Fie Foe Fum (1992) TV Episode .... Liddy Barton
The Rainbow Warrior (1992) .... Jane Redmond
... aka The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
"The Black Stallion"
... aka Étalon noir, L' (France)
... aka The Adventures of the Black Stallion
... aka The New Adventures of the Black Stallion (USA: new title)
- Riding the Volcano (1992) TV Episode .... Sarah McFee
The End of the Golden Weather (1991) .... Joe's Girl
"For the Love of Mike" (1991) TV Series .... Helen
Within the Law (1990) .... Verity
"Shark In the Park"
- Double or Quits (1990) TV Episode
A Bitter Song (1990) .... Nurse 1
"Funny Business" (1987) TV Series .... Various (1989)
"Lucie, postrach ulice" (1980) TV Series (uncredited) .... Verkäuferin
... aka Luzie, der Schrecken der Straße (West Germany)
Filmography as: Actress, Producer, Miscellaneous Crew, Herself, Archive Footage
Producer - filmography
Her Iliad (2000) (producer)
Miscellaneous Crew - filmography
Xena: Warrior Princess (1999) (VG) (special thanks)
Herself - filmography
(2000s) (1990s)
Xena Warrior Princess: The Final Season (2005) (V) .... Herself
3rd Annual Spaceys (2005) (TV) .... Herself
"Bro'Town"
- Sionerella (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... Herself
Eurotrip: The Making of 'Eurotrip' (2004) (V) .... Herself
Double Dare (2004) .... Herself
Totally Gayer (2004) (TV) .... Herself
"Warrior Women" (2003) TV Series .... Host
"The Wayne Brady Show"
- Episode dated 21 October 2003 (2003) TV Episode .... Herself
"Extra"
... aka Extra: The Entertainment Magazine (USA)
- Episode dated 10 October 2003 (2003) TV Episode .... Herself
"V Graham Norton"
- Episode #4.2 (2003) TV Episode .... Herself
"The Bernie Mac Show"
- Keep It on the Short Grass (2002) TV Episode .... Herself
Gladiatrix (2002) (TV) (voice) .... Narrator
"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"
- Episode dated 14 June 2001 (2001) TV Episode .... Herself
Lucy Lawless: Kiwi Superstar (2001) (TV) .... Herself/Xena
"The Rosie O'Donnell Show"
- Episode dated 17 October 2000 (2000) TV Episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 11 September 1997 (1997) TV Episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 16 August 1996 (1996) TV Episode .... Herself
"Late Night with Conan O'Brien"
- Episode dated 26 April 2000 (2000) TV Episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 16 October 1998 (1998) TV Episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 19 September 1997 (1997) TV Episode .... Herself
In Search of the Lonesome Yodel (2000) (TV) .... Herself
"The Simpsons"
- Treehouse of Horror X (1999) TV Episode (voice) .... Herself
I'll Make You Happy (1999) .... Herself
"Celebrity Profile"
- Lucy Lawless (????) TV Episode .... Herself
"Entertainment Tonight"
... aka E.T. (USA: informal title)
... aka ET Weekend (Australia: weekend title)
... aka Entertainment This Week (weekend title)
... aka This Week in Entertainment (USA: weekend title)
- Episode dated 15 November 1997 (1997) TV Episode .... Herself
"Howard Stern"
- Episode dated 17 October 1997 (1997) TV Episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 16 October 1997 (1997) TV Episode .... Herself
"Something So Right"
- Something About Inter-Ex-Spousal Relations (1997) TV Episode .... Herself
Filmography as: Actress, Producer, Miscellaneous Crew, Herself, Archive Footage
Archive Footage
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Cheri Oteri (2004) (TV) .... Herself/Various Characters
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell (2002) (TV) .... Herself/Various Characters
"The Simpsons"
- Gump Roast (2002) TV Episode (voice) .... Herself
Look Who's Famous Now (1999) (TV)
"Xena: Warrior Princess"
- Ten Little Warlords (1996) TV Episode .... Xena
