Of course, those great fight scenes in
TV's Xena: Warrior Princess are staged--when Xena and Gabrielle knock the
bejabbers out of the bad guys. The camaraderie, though, between the two
actresses--Lucy Lawless as Xena and Reneé O'Connor as Gabrielle--that just
can't be playacting.
That's what O'Connor said when she joined
us for lunch at The Times during a trip stateside (the syndicated show is
shot in New Zealand). "I wouldn't be there if we didn't have a close
relationship because how can you work with someone 12 hours a day--and it's like
a marriage--if you don't get along and actually appreciate the person? Thank God
it worked out that way, you know?"
Question:
It certainly makes the show that much more fun to watch. Answer: Yeah, I
think it comes across. We've been together for so long. Sometimes we're quiet
one day and you don't want to talk to the other, and I always know a day like
that. We both do. We know each other so well. Other days, we're just gossiping
like schoolgirls.
Question:
When do you find time to exercise?
Answer:
It's just difficult with a 12-hour day
to find the time to work out, so I do it in the evening now. The first
season I used to get up at 3:30 in the morning, run for an hour, go to work
for 12 hours and then just die by 7 or 8 o'clock at night. Lucy said,
"Reneé, take it easy, you know. We're here for the long haul."
Question:
So what are you doing after work now?
Answer:
I exercise six days out of the week.
Four times are cardio: either half-hour running or a two-hour walk or an
aerobics class, high impact, for an hour at a gym in Auckland. And then a
couple nights I go to an indoor rock-climbing gym. It's exciting because you
feel like you've accomplished something and you've overcome your fear of
heights, which is true for me. And my boyfriend actually enjoys roller-blading,
going to the gym, rock climbing, so we've been doing a lot of it together
and he's the only person I want to see after 12 hours with the crew, you
know.
Question:
How tall are you?
Answer:
I'm 5-4. It's actually harder for me to
rock climb because I have a problem reaching everything because I'm
vertically challenged. I'm always finding these bizarre maneuvers--another
way up--where somebody 6 feet tall can just grab it.
Question:
Everybody on the set probably towers
over you.
Answer:
Right. The crew, the
actors--everybody's tall. Ren and Stimpy--oh, they've given me the worst
nicknames. They're very humbling over there, so it's quite good. Lucy calls
me Ren.
Question:
Before we talk about food, how much do
you weigh?
Answer:
120. I might as well be honest. I mean,
I know that my body shape is not the same as a lot of actresses on
television who are very thin and model-like, but I'm grateful that I am
playing a character who's athletic, who runs around with a warrior princess,
so I can do things where I might look bulkier, but I feel strong and
healthy.
Question:
What are you eating?
Answer:
Breakfast, I usually have fruit and
granola--we call it muesli over there--with skim milk and fruit. Then
chicken and steamed spinach and vegetables for Lucy and me for the lunch
break. Then everyone takes a break around 3 or 4 o'clock and has tea and
sandwiches or cake. I love sweet things, but I get it from fruit. Lucy'll
tease me. She'll say, "Oh, Reneé, it's so moist, this gorgeous
chocolate cake."
Question:
I love the idea of a tea break, but I
bet the directors don't.
Answer:
Oh, it drives the American directors
crazy because they want to keep going. And dinner, if I've had a busy day
and I'm hungry, chicken stir fry, maybe leftover chicken enchiladas. I try
to have fruit and I love canned peas for some reason. I guess it's quick,
peas out of the can and in the microwave.
Question:
Do you ever feed that sweet tooth?
Answer:
I love sweets, so maybe on the weekend
if I'm going to dinner with my boyfriend. Desserts are very good because
they use full creams, so everything is very rich.
Question:
One last thing. What do you normally
drink?
Answer:
Mostly coffee to stay awake and tea.
They think I'm bizarre because I don't drink the tap water there because
apparently it's one of the freshest in the world coming from the mountains.
I've been on this kick, I guess from living in Los Angeles, of drinking
water out of the bottle. I just carry it around with me because I'm always
chugging.
Question:
No beer or wine?
Answer:
I like the wine. The wine's beautiful.
I don't usually drink during the week. I would be out in 15 minutes if I had
a glass of wine.
