Lucy Lawless Movies
Best known for her role as the fearsome Xena: Warrior Princess in the long-running series of the same name, athletic worldly beauty Lucy Lawless didn't achieve the fame in her native New Zealand that flooded her in the U.S. until much later in her career, due to the fact that the wildly popular adventure series didn't air there until long after it was a staple of American television.Born into water at her home in Mount Albert, Aukland, New Zealand, in 1968 to the mayor of that city, Lawless began acting early and frequently appeared in school plays in her youth. A active child of diverse interests and with many siblings, Lawless went on to study German, French, and Italian at Aukland University for a year before traveling through Europe with boyfriend and eventual first husband Garth. They worked odd jobs to finance their trip and eventually ending up in Australia. Working in a gold-mining camp in Kalgoorlie to finance the final leg of their journey, the couple was married in Australia in 1988 and soon returned home to bear a daughter.
Crowned Mrs. New Zealand the following year, the busy new mother got her first acting experience in Funny Business, a popular TV comedy troupe. Studying acting in Vancouver, Canada, at the William Davis Center for Actors Study, Lawless soon landed small roles in films (The End of Golden Weather [1991]) and television (For the Love of Mike [1991]), with her next regular job as of co-host on television's Air New Zealand Holiday. After appearing in The Rainbow Warrior in 1992, Lawless landed the role that would propel her to stardom and become her calling card into the new millennium.
Initially appearing in the role of Lysia in Hercules and the Amazon Women, Lawless went on to appear as Xena in three episodes of Hercules before spinning off into her own series in 1995. It was a physically demanding adventure series in which the sporty actress performed many of her own stunts; Lawless ironically broke her pelvis after falling off of a horse while preparing to make a grand entrance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in 1996. After a quick recovery, Lawless made her Broadway debut as Rizzo in Grease the following year. Her first marriage dissolved, Lawless was remarried to Xena producer Rob Tapert in October 1999, two years before the final episode of Xena. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In this comedy from New Zealand, Jodie Rimmer plays a young prostitute, who hasn't been on the job long enough to have become embittered with the world. However, she sure doesn't love her job, and when she gets wind of a major drug deal her pimp is plotting, she hatches a scheme to swipe the loot, which will give her and her fellow floozies enough of a financial cushion to quit the business once and for all. Jodie Rimmer shines here in a charming comic performance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jodie Rimmer, Carl Bland, (more)
- 1998
It's The Sting, warrior-princess style, when Xena (Lucy Lawless) teams up with a pair of slick con artists. The reason? Xena's friend Joxer (Ted Raimi) has been cheated out of a huge sum of money by the father-son owners of a gambling house -- and has been beaten to a pulp for good measure. Now it is Xena's turn to cheat the cheaters, and it will require a myriad of clever guises and dextrous plot twists to do so. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Tara (Shiri Appleby), that bad-attitude teenager with warrior-princess aspirations, hopes to discredit Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) so that she can become the partner of Xena (Lucy Lawless). As part of this strategy, Tara offers to lead Xena and Gabrielle to the stolen urn of Apollo, picking fights with Gabby all along the way . But can terrible teen Tara be trusted when the inevitable bad guys inevitably show up? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Xena (Lucy Lawless) must work solo in this episode -- and she certainly has her hands full. First and foremost, Xena struggles to prevent the Persian Army from conquering and plundering Greece. And as if this weren't burden enough, the Warrior Princess races to save Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) from the deadly poison administered by an arrow (it would seem that poor Gabrielle has an "Achilles' ankle"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Now that Gabrielle's unholy daughter, Hope, has killed Xena's son, Solan, an action that also cost Hope her life, Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) are bitter enemies. But before they can act upon their mutual hatred, the two former comrades are transported to Illsuia, a dream world patterned after tarot cards. Here, with the help of several series semi-regulars, Xena and Gabrielle are forced to confront their feelings -- and, possibly, find forgiveness. This is the celebrated "musical" episode, with everyone expressing their emotions in song (even the war god Ares [Kevin Smith]!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
When Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) is captured, Xena (Lucy Lawless) sneaks aboard a prison ship to rescue him. Likewise on the ship is Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), albeit for different reasons. The eruption of Mt. Aetna creates a huge tidal wave, or tsunami, which sweeps everyone overboard. Xena and Gabrielle are saved by a convenient air pocket -- only to be tormented by a treacherous outlaw (Todd Rippon). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Xena (Lucy Lawless), Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), and Joxer (Ted Raimi) set out to recover the mystic diamond that provides illumination for the North Star. To prevent this from happening, Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings), currently and illegally in possession of the diamond, casts a series of obsession spells. The results: Xena forges a manic attachment to a fish, Gabrielle falls hopelessly in love with her own reflection, and Joxer aspires to become the legendary ape-man Apis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Melancholy Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) tries to get over the death of her daughter, Hope, among other recent traumatic experiences, by telepathically visiting the temple of Mnesoyne, Goddess of Memory. As Joxer (Ted Raimi) stands guard over Gabrielle's body, Gabrielle's mind embarks upon a journey through the past, for the express purpose of expunging her memories or learning to live with them. Yes, it's another enjoyable "clip show," overflowing with highlights from past episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
When her comrade in arms Vercinix (Tamati Rice), leader of the Gauls, is captured by Julius Caesar (Karl Urban), Xena (Lucy Lawless) tries to negotiate a trade. If Vercinix is set free, she will release her own captive, Roman aristocrat Crassus (Matthew Chamberlain). As to the question of whether or not Caesar will uphold his end of the bargain, suffice to say that Xena ends up outnumbered in the gladiatorial arena. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is distressed to learn that her daughter, Hope (Amy Morrison), the result of an unholy alliance with satanic god Duhak, is still alive. Even more distressing is the fact that Hope has freed Callisto (Hudson Leick), mortal enemy of Xena (Lucy Lawless). Hope and Callisto aspire to cause an irreparable rift between Xena and Gabrielle by bringing about the death of Xena's son, Solan (David Taylor). Without elaborating further, it can be said that the episode's disclaimer is sadly accurate: "Xena and Gabrielle's relationship was harmed during production of this motion picture." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Though flattered by Gabrielle's (Renee O'Connor) ongoing efforts to chronicle her exploits for posterity, Xena (Lucy Lawless) suggests that her friend forsake facts for the moment and turn to fiction writing. Unfortunately, this occurs just when the jealous Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings), angered that even little kiddies prefer Xena to her, has decided to cast a spell upon Gabrielle's scrolls. As a result, everything that Gabrielle has written down suddenly becomes "reality" -- and suffice to say that it isn't a pretty sight. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
This episode introduces yet another in a long line of Xena lookalikes: Leah, the high priestess of the Hestian Virgins (a role played, of course, by Lucy Lawless). When Leah is threatened with death, bordello operator Meg (who also is the spitting image of Xena, and is also enacted by Lucy Lawless) offers to take her place. And as is customary in episodes of this nature, Xena's friend Joxer (Ted Raimi) is hopelessly confused. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless
- 1998
Though suffering from itchy fungi, lice, and other infestations, Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) are determined to aid Joxer (Ted Raimi) in his battle against the Scythian hordes. There is, of course, more than Joxer at stake: the scurrilous Scythians have captured Xena's noble horse Argo. As the characters undergo a variety of allegiance changes, viewers will be amused by the episode's references to such past pop-culture favorites as Monty Python and the Holy Grail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Xena (Lucy Lawless) and a small band of Greek soldiers have sworn to make a stand against rival Roman warriors Caesar (Karl Urban) and Pompey (Jeremy Callaghan). It is not that the two "noble" Romans have buried their own hatchet; it is simply that their civil war threatens to spill over into, and ultimately destroy, Greece. Meanwhile, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is ridden with guilt over her participation in a battle that will cost thousands of lives for the sake of a single village. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Teenaged warrior wannabe Tara (Shiri Appleby) is in trouble again. This time, Tara has been arrested for the crime of dancing in a town run by a sternly moralistic magistrate (John Givens). In their efforts to rescue the girl, Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) may have to kick their heels themselves. It's a Xena spin on the movie Footloose, with a dash of Lord of the Dance thrown in for good measure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Solemnly declaring "there's no defense for what I did," Xena (Lucy Lawless) assumes full responsibility for the death of a young woman and allows herself to be arrested. Tried and convicted of murder, she is shipped off to the hellish Shark Island Prison. Meanwhile, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) tries to ferret out the true story behind Xena's self-sacrifice -- and in so doing puts her own life in jeopardy (again). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Kathryn Morris makes her first series appearance as zealous female preacher Najara. Spreading the good word of "The Light," Najara has won over many converts, including Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor). But Xena (Lucy Lawless) suspects that Najara is a fraud -- and her suspicions are confirmed when several people who haven't quite seen "The Light" end up dead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
A 20-foot "peace" statue, erected to maintain a truce between two warring villages, has been stolen. Everyone thinks that Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) is the culprit, but this time he's innocent. After recovering the statue and returning it to its rightful owners, Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) must re-steal the monument so that Autolycus will not lose his standing as King of Thieves -- and then everybody involved has to re-re-steal the darn thing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
In part one of Xena: Warrior Princess' third-season finale, Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) try to prevent Gabby's friend Seraphim (Jodie Rimmer) from sacrificing her life to revive a so-called goddess. Even worse: that "goddess" is none other than Gabrielle's evil daughter, Hope, killed by Xena in an earlier episode. All this intrigue has been cooked up by two other enemies from Xena's past: Ares (Kevin Smith) and Callisto (Hudson Leick). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
In part one of Xena: Warrior Princess' fourth-season opener, Gabrielle is dead, having sacrificed herself at the altar of Dahak to thwart the villainy of her evil daughter, Hope. The grieving Xena (Lucy Lawless) searches for Gabrielle in the Underworld, but Hades (Erik Thomson) insists that she never showed up. Guided by eerie but somehow familiar voices, Xena ends up in the Amazon Land of the Dead, where Gabrielle's spirit now resides. While seeking out her departed friend, Xena recalls her past experiences with the evil shamaness Alti (Claire Stansfield). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Still searching for their supposedly deceased friend Gabrielle, Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Joker (Ted Raimi) show up in Gabby's home village of Potidea. Xena's joy is unbounded when she thinks she sees Gabrielle, alive and well. But alas, it is only an illusion: Gabrielle's evil daughter, Hope, has been revived, and has taken her mother's form. Now it is up to Xena and Joxer to destroy Hope's own child, a demonic entity known as "The Destroyer." But what of the real Gabrielle? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
In the conclusion of a two-part story, the evil Callisto (Hudson Leick) has traveled back in time to prevent the birth of Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) by murdering the hero's future mother Alcmene (Kim Michalis). To prevent this, Hercules' friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst) likewise ventures "forward into the past." Meanwhile, Hercules and his despotic parallel-dimension lookalike, the Sovereign (also Kevin Sorbo), are trapped in the netherworld. Even if Hercules manages to escape, how will he bring Iolaus back to the present? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst, (more)
- 1998
- Add Xena: Warrior Princess: Season 04 to QueueAdd Xena: Warrior Princess: Season 04 to top of Queue
Season three of Xena: Warrior Princess ended on a tragic note, with Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), friend and chronicler of reformed warrior Xena (Lucy Lawless), sacrificing her life so that her daughter, Hope -- the incarnation of pure evil -- would not be resurrected. Given the series' mythological zeitgeist, however, viewers could take comfort in the fact that Gabrielle would ultimately be restored to life thanks to the diligence of the faithful Xena, thereby launching a fourth season of fanciful sword-and-sorcery adventures. As usual, quite a lot was packed into the season's 22 hour-long episodes. The death of Amazon Queen Ephiny placed the wide-eyed Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) on her predecessor's throne, thereby introducing a new character: rebellious teenaged Amazon Amarice (Jennifer Sky), whose relationship with Gabrielle was nearly a carbon copy of Gabrielle's relationship with Xena. Also seen for the first time during season four is Eli (Timothy Omundson), a Messianic shaman whom the ladies met during a journey to India. Eli will ultimately emerge as Gabrielle's spiritual mentor -- not to mention the figurehead in a pacifistic, monotheistic cult that will in later seasons bring down the literal wrath of the Gods. And just as Amarice and Eli were making themselves at home, the series bade farewell to Bruce Campbell as Autolycus, self-proclaimed King of Thieves. The more suspenseful and terrifying episodes of season four were offset with excursions into pure comedy. One of the more noteworthy lighter installments was the season's final episode, in which we were introduced to mixed-up modern-day incarnations of Xena, Gabrielle, and warrior wannabe Joxer (Ted Raimi). Withal, however, an ominous pall hung over the entire season, thanks to the grim prognostications of Xena's old nemesis, the evil shamaness Alti (Claire Stansfield). With her dying breath, Alti conjured up a horrific vision of Xena and Gabrielle's grisly execution and the hands of the hated Romans -- a prediction that not only came true, but also provided the "cliffhanger" which assured that loyal (and very worried) Xena fans would return for season five. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
This 1998 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Lucy Lawless and features musical guest Elliott Smith. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Elliott Smith, (more)
- 1997
In the second episode of a two-part story, the dying Xena (Lucy Lawless) asks Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) to return her body to her home village of Amphipolous. Sadly, Gabrielle grants this wish, and upon her arrival in the village, Xena's lifeless body is prepared for the traditional Amazon funeral. Before long, Gabrielle has been crowned Amazon Queen, and in this capacity, must stop a war. Meanwhile, self-styled "King of Thieves" Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) is possessed by the spirit of Xena, who wants to retrieve her body before it is burned on the funeral pyre. Threatening both Xena's "new life" and Gabrielle's present one is the bloodthirsty Amazon warrior Velasca (Melinda Clarke). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
