Kiwi Born Actress Lucy Lawless was born Lucille Frances Ryan on March 29,
1968 in Auckland, New Zealand. 
She
was the fifth of seven children, the first of two girls, born to Frank and
Julie Ryan. Frank Ryan was the mayor of Mount Albert for 22 years, Julie his
mayoress, a redoubtable, slightly eccentric woman known for her hospitality
and free spirit. She was also a feminist well before it was fashionable -
she organized the construction of a bronze statue in a local park in honour
of Mount Albert's suffragettes. Lucy's nickname at school was "Unco",
for "uncoordinated". "I couldn't hit a ball with a bat. I can
now, but only because the job's forced me to develop quick reflexes. I really,
seriously am living proof that anyone can develop those skills if you're given
enough short, sharp shocks."
Lawless was educated primarily in convent schools and studied opera for several
years, but gave it up when she realized that she didn’t have a passion
for opera that serious study required. However, she did realize that she enjoyed
acting and appeared in numerous plays while in high school. She later attended
Auckland University where she studied Italian, German and French for one year.
Lucy Ryan left school with a burning ambition to act. She took a part-time
job as a waitress at Club Mirage, then Auckland's most fashionable night club.
Her former employer, Don Fletcher, remembers her as "a man's woman. She
had a real sparkle about her."
Fletcher doesn't remember throwing $5 bills at Lucy's feet in the hope that
she would bend down and pick them up. Which she always did. "That's bullshit,"
he says. Not according to Lucy. "Actually he was so drunk he didn't realize
they were $50 bills," she says with a big grin. It was at Club Mirage
that Lucy Ryan met her future husband, barman Garth Lawless. They headed for
Europe where she traveled around Switzerland and Germany with Garth, until
they ran out of money. The couple returned to Australia where they maried
and planned to make enough money to continue their travels.
"I started working for a gold-mining company sawing core - this poor,
stinking Kiwi in need of work. I was there at 7 am in the freezing desert
sitting at this diamond saw with water spraying all over me and I'm freezing
and wearing garbage bags. I felt like the girl from Rumpelstiltskin who used
to spin mountains of straw."
After taking another job "running through the outback measuring the
earth and mapping it with a compass", Lawless and her husband returned
to New Zealand where Daisy,
was born. In 1989 Lucy was chosen as Mrs.
New Zealand, but she was determined to pursue an acting career. She landed
a role in a TV commercial. She described her first acting job as a “really
bad, cheesy commercial for travel, and I wore a bathing suit. And I am not
a bathing suit girl!” That commercial led to others and shortly after
landed her first real acting job in a New Zealand comedy troupe show called
“Funny Business”. She moved with her family to Vancouver, Canada
where she enrolled in the William Davis Center for Actors Study where she
studied for eighteen months.
Lucy worked in a number of TV and film productions. Her first real exposure
to American audiences came when she landed the role of Lysia in “Hercules
and the Amazon Women”, an episode of “Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys” which was being filmed in her native New Zealand. That appearance
led to another one, this time as Lyla in another Hercules episode titled “As
Darkness Falls.”
Her big break came in another Hercules episode when actress Vanessa Angel
became sick and couldn’t appear in the episode. Lucy was cast because
producers couldn’t find a replacement for Angel. She was thus cast as
Xena in a three
episode arc.
On March 15, 1995 The
Warrior Princess aired. It was followed by The
Gauntlet and Unchained
Heart. The character Xena was so popular with the viewing audience
that instead of dying at the end of Unchained Heart as was originally
planned, she lived and talk began regarding a Xena spin off show.
In June of 1995 Lucy and her husband Garth went their seperate ways. They
decided to share custody of Daisy, their daughter. And on September 4th, 1995
Xena: Warrior Princess aired for the first time!
On September 30, 1996 the second
season of Xena: Warrior Princess premiered with Orphan of War.
A few days later on October 8, 1996 Lucy Lawless broke her pelvis while rehearsing
a horse stunt for Jay Leno. The producers, in a state of panic that their
star had been injured, created a series of "soft" Xena episodes
to carry the show through the end of the season. (Think Intimate Stranger)
In the Spring of 1997 Lucy began to date Robert Tapert.
On September 27, 1997 season three
of Xena: Warrior Princess premiered while Lucy was calling New York City home
as she played Rizzo
in Grease! on Broadway from September 2 through October 19, 1997.
In October of 1997 Lucy and Robert Tapert announce their engagement, and
then on March 28, 1998 Lucy
Lawless and Robert Tapert wed in Santa Monica, CA at the Saint Santa Monica
Church. Lucy's daughter Daisy served as maid of honor.
On October 16, 1999 Lucy gave birth to her second child, and first son, Julius
Robert Bay Tapert who was born at 7.01am and weighed in at a healthy 8
lbs., 13 oz.
After the end of Xena Lucy did a guest spot on the X-Files as Shannon
McMahon. Her character did a two episode arc that
aired November 9th 2001.
As the sixth season came to
an end Lucy had a miscarriage. She did not publish this information until
well after the fact on Entertainment Tonight on February 4, 2000-2003. She also
announced she was pregnant again, and though worried because of her last miscarriage
the baby was doing just fine.
On May 7th, 2002 Lucy and Rob welcomed Judah
Miro Tapert into the world at 11:46 PM. And baby
makes 5 (including Daisy.)
Lucy still makes her home in Auckland, New Zealand. She's been seen doing
guest spots in shows like Just Shoot Me and the
Bernie Mac Show. No concrete acting positions, though.
She made a ruckus at the October L'Oreal Fashion Week
when she turned up dressed as a man, reportedly for
a bet. She toured
with Dave Dobbyn in the early months of 2003 around
New Zealand belting out tunes alongside the famous singer.
Lucy said it was fun "playing at being a human
being without children." Her singing got rave reviews
from critics and crowd alike. She even had a bit to
drink (rum and coke) for the first time since Xena started
production backstage with the crew. She also continues
to do charity work for the Starship Children's Hospital
recently renamed to the Starship Children's Department.
She's been instrumental in raising over $3 million dollars
to help out.
Battle On, Lucy!
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Info curtosy of Celebrtiy
1000, Box
of Birds as
well as various articles and transcripts. Oh, and myself of course. ^_^
