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Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless is a member of the Starship Foundation board of trustees since 2000. Starship is NZ's main children's hospital.
Usually? I don't even consider myself usually. Soccer mom, that's what I consider myself. Yeah, I think I'm a funny person. I started out in comedy. You know I remember the moment I realized the value of comedy is when I was eight years old and I was sitting in class and I realized that if I just acted really stupid, I could get away with a lot of stuff. And it would diffuse a lot of tension and the teachers would focus on you. I just found out the value of being a funny dunce at times.
~ Lucy Lawless
Lucille Francis Ryan
29 March 1968, Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand
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New Zealand icon Lucy Lawless, is most famously known for her role as Xena the Warrior Princess. Lucy is married to Robert Gerard Tapert and resides in New Zealand. They have two sons, Julius Robert Bay Tapert and Judah Miro Tapert who were both born in New Zealand. Lucy also has a daughter, Daisy Lawless, from her first marriage to Garth Lawless.
The New Zealand superstar was awarded an Order of Merit in the New Zealand Queen's Birthday Honour List in June 2004. Lucy, whose role as Xena in Xena: Warrior Princess made her a cult television star, has been involved with the Starship Foundation and has held a role on its board of trustees. She was awarded the Order of Merit for services to entertainment and the community.
Whilst she has been primarily known for her role on Xena: Warrior Princess, Lucy has also appeared in the classic TV series Battlestar Galactica in the semi-regular role of D'anna Biers amongst her other many and varied roles including the hit Adam Sandler movie Bedtime Stories. Lucy was also in several made-for-TV movies including: Locusts and Vampire Bats. She also lent her voice to the straight-to-video movies: Justice League: The New Frontier and Dragonlance: Dragons of the Autumn Twilight.
In addition to acting Lucy made her singing debut on the TV Show Celebrity Duets and followed that up with sold out concerts in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago and London. She has also performed at various benefits and most recently at the 2009 Planet A Concert in her native New Zealand.
Lucy is on the board of the Starship Foundation, a New Zealand charity which raises funds for Auckland's Starship Hospital.
Lucy has taken up the role of activist for causes she passionately believes in. In May 2009 Lucy became involved with Greenpeace and their Sign On Campaign. Lucy joined other celebrities in launching a petition urging the New Zealand government to sign on to a 40 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Lucy and other New Zealand actors/performers were ambassadors for a campaign by the international environmental group Greenpeace aimed at United Nations climate talks in Copenhagen in December.
April 2010 Lucy and Robyn Malcolm launched Greenpeace's campaign against mining in New Zealand national parks. The New Zealand Government plans to open up 3,000ha of previously protected land, for mining. Lucy launched the campaign at the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, 50km southwest of the proposed mining sites. She asked tourists what they thought of coal mining in the Paparoa National Park - one said it would "ruin" New Zealand's legacy.
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: weight 8 lbs, 8 ounces. It's her second child with Robert Tapert.
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 (I)' (Gabrielle) at a fan convention. However, she decided to show 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 German, French, some Italian.
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.
Is a natural ash blonde.
She said that her partner at Xena, Renée O'Connor, has been one of the few people who have joined her true friends from youth. As an example, she invited her to her wedding with Robert G. Tapert. They also act together on conventions stages.
She was offered the role of Ellen Tigh in Battlestar Galactica (2004), but she refused. That role was played by Kate Vernon and the scriptwriters created another role for her, the evil D'anna Biers.
Awarded the New Zealand Order Of Merit (NZOM), Queen's Birthday Honours 2004, for services to NZ entertainment and the community.
Is a distant relative of Tayla Cummings.
A vocal supporter of gay rights, Lawless is considered something of a gay icon. After the cancellation of "Xena: Warrior Princess" (1995), Lawless has said she considered her character a lesbian. Since that time the actress has also worked to support equal protections for gay and lesbian couples including protesting Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian couples of the right to wed in California.
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