There’s only one word that comes to mind when you think of Lucy Lawless: Xena. The actress best known for her campy ’90s series Xena: Warrior Princess is back – not just in the six-part Spartacus prequel (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena) set to bow on Starz this month but also in the freshly announced second season of the flagship series. After Season 1 ended with her character Lucretia’s life up in the air, Lawless is excited about the opportunity to return to the character in the series’ prequel – a role she says rates as one of the best and most complicated that she’s had to play in her career.
staging-afterellencom.kinsta.cloud sat down with Laweless at the Television Critics Assn. winter press tour in Pasadena for an all-encompassing interview where the small-screen icon discussed what the lesbian community means to her, Xena fans and, yes, all things merkin.
staging-afterellencom.kinsta.cloud: You’re a huge icon in the lesbian community.
Lucy Lawless: I’ve heard! I don’t think of them as “fans” or “lesbians.” They’re great and they’re very supportive of me as distinct from the role. They forgive me for not being the wrong [sexuality] and they accept me and I’m really grateful to them for that and for their continuing support.
AE: I tweeted a call for questions and the feedback I got was messages of how much your role as Xena influenced people during their coming out process. It prompted people to come out.
LL: I understand finally seeing someone you can relate to on TV and the visibility, and that makes sense to me. That is so profound that it validated people. Especially back then [in thes’90s]. Not only that, but they’re really active in their communities and they’re a force for good. That was the peculiarity of the Xena fandom. They were a force for good and nothing to do with being gay or of color or anything; it was just human beings spreading the love. Nobody else outside of our world is going to understand or appreciate that but I know and they know that that was a profound experience for all of us. It continues today. I’m immensely grateful for that and will always be.
AE: You have another same-sex scene coming up with Jamie Murray. What can you share about that?
LL: I thank God that it was Jamie Murray that I have to do a sex scene with because she’s incredibly beautiful and a tremendous and skilled actress. I love and trust her 100 percent. She has great ideas and does a lot of research. She ponders things a lot and comes with great ideas, which I don’t, I’m purely instinctual. She is like everything I’m not: Jamie Murray, you complete me! [Laughing.] She goes down as one of my top three colleagues ever. [Xena‘s] Renee [O’Connor, who played Gabrielle] being the other, and I’m not going to say who the other was. [Laughing.]
AE: What else can you share about your relationship with Jamie’s character on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena?
LL: First you have to understand the context of the times. Women were second-class citizens, even nobelwomen. You could be rich and have a lot of status and power, but it was always about being attached to a father, uncle, husband and Gaia (Murray), to put it gently, has found herself cast adrift after her husband has died. She is being forced to a land of strangers and she comes to Lucretia’s house and asks to stay and brings some of the tricks of her trade, namely opium. They get into some old habits.
I don’t think Lucretia is gay but it’s like, “Oh, we used to do this sort of thing in college, haven’t we grown up by now? OK, just a little opium.” Then you’re completely uninhibited and them something happens. It all happens. I think Gaia is omnivorous and that continues to play on. It’s pretty interesting. Same sex, different sex, multiple sex, whatever, it all goes on. It’s ancient Rome.
AE: Is this a one-night stand with Gaia or is it something we could see more of?
LL: Not exactly! [Laughing.]
AE: Spill! Is it a season-long arc?
LL: Let’s put it this way: She’s a very good friend and a great friend of the family. [Laughing.] Honestly, if I was going to be gay, that’s who I’d marry: Jamie Murray. She rocks.
AE: Sounds like a headline to me! Is Jamie going to be in all six episodes?
LL: [Laughing.] I’m not saying anything! [Editor’s Note: Starz publicist interjects, jokes that it’s ancient Rome and anyone can die at any time.] I’m on borrowed time!
AE: Let’s talk merkin. Does the merkin return in the prequel?
LL: At the end of the first season, they framed it and gave it to me. It was a virgin merkin because I never wore it the first season. I thought, “What am I going to do with this!” I stuck it in a closet. That’s ironic, right? Then they bloody asked for the merkin back for the prequel!
AE: So it is back!
LL: Yes! At some point the merkin did get used. I’m not going to say on who, but I’m just going to say it’s RED! [Laughing.]
AE: So now it’s game used.
LL: Yes, but we’re not going to say in what capacity.
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – the prequel to Spartacus. – premieres Jan. 21 on Starz.
