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On March 29, 1968 in Mt. Albert, Auckland, New Zealand,
Lucy Lawless, best known for her role as Xena on Xena:
Warrior Princess, was born as Lucille Frances Ryan. Lucy
often played rough and rode horses with her five brothers
and one sister. Despite this, her lack of co-ordination
gained her the nickname "Unco". Her father Frank
Ryan, formerly the mayor of Mount Albert, is now the Chairman
of Finance for Auckland City. Her Mother, Julie, is a
homemaker and an active volunteer in their community.
Lucy's jobs prior to acting include grape picking, gold
mining and hosting a travel show.
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Lucy attended the Auckland University, and studied opera
for several years, even though she loves jazz music, and
the violin. She studied acting at the William Davis Center
for Actors in Vancouver, Canada in 1991, under the direction
of actor William Davis, also known as the "Cigarette
Smoking Man" from the hit T.V. series The X-files.
There the foundation of her abilities was laid, and now
she is not only known for her dramatic strength in Xena,
but from her comedic ability on Saturday Night Live, and
her talent for live performance from her role as Rizzo
in the broadway performance of Grease.
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Her remarkable acting talents are enhanced by her striking
appearance, grace, humility and charm. She is 5'11"
in height, and has naturally dark blond hair, which was
dyed jet black for the role of Xena. Her piercing blue
eyes and striking physique have not been unrecognized.
Lucy was crowned Miss New Zealand in 1989, and in 1997
People magazine chose her as one of the 50 Most Beautiful
People in the World. Despite mastering an American accent
for her depiction of Xena, in person Lucy has a Kiwi accent.
She also speaks German, French and some Italian.
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Lucy has one daughter, Daisy (born on July 15, 1988),
from her previous marriage to ex-husband Garth Lawless.
They married in 1987, and divorced in June of 1995. Lucy
remarried on March 28, 1998, to Rob Tapert (born in 1955),
the executive producer of Xena. Three hundred and forty
guests attended her wedding reception in the Regent Beverly
Wilshire Hotel, including the cast and crew of Xena, an
Elvis impersonator, and a 15 piece band. Lucy and Rob
were proud to welcome a new son into the family, Julius
Robert Bay, on October 16, 1999, and another boy, Judah
Miro, on May 7, 2002.
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Lucy continued to amaze fans each week for six seasons
with her portrayal of Xena. She has since appeared on
The X-Files, The Bernie Mac Show, Just Shoot Me and Spiderman.
She has done extensive charity work in support of breast
cancer research, the prevention of child abuse, the acceptance
of breast feeding, and the Starship Hospital Foundation,
of which she is a board member. Recently, she retuned
to her singing roots and embarked on a New Zealand performance
tour with musician David Dobbyn. Future plans include
hosting a five part series on warrior women. |
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