But things turned out differently…
While they had been somewhat successful, they had never repeated in syndication very well.
The guys at Universal quickly said, You know what?
Credit: Universal International Television
You should rip yourself off before somebody else does and try and make a spin-off out of that character.
A former warlord spared by Hercules, Xena embarked on a journey of redemption as penance for her crimes.
LAWLESS:It fell to me when everybody else turned it down.
I was the lucky local kid on the spot who got the gig.
I was that green.
Its only now that Im sweating bullets at the extreme, almost cataclysmic good luck that I had.
All the stars all lined up.
The key then was finding Xenas partner in crime, Gabrielle.
Gabrielle was that moral compass for Xena and that united them together.
RENEE OCONNOR:I remember auditioning for Rob Tapert and [co-executive producer] Eric Gruendemann.
They recognized me from an Australian TV movie.
We went through a lot of casting, because the studio wanted to look at other options.
Was she too young?
Was she too this?
Was she too that?
We brought her back numerous times.
OCONNOR:I had to go through an extensive audition process for Gabrielle.
OCONNOR:I was hired out of L.A.
I moved to New Zealand and met Lucy at our first table read.
What are you doing?
OCONNOR:I was more fascinated with her story and who the actress was.
We went through a lot of changes.
We went through our twenties together.
Were really, totally sisters.
There is a lot of trust and protectiveness between the two of us.
Shes a great, great woman and shes become a great artist.
It took a full year forXenato rise in the ratings.
Could we ever catch them?
That was the yardstick we used to gauge how the show was doing.
When those floating ribs cant move, you might have panic attacks.
I was really embarrassed at first.
OCONNOR:[I wore] the peasant costume that reminded everyone ofLittle House on the Prairie.
This round throwing object that shocked them this should be the Warrior Princess weapon.
LAWLESS:Working with the chakram is so easy because its magic.
You throw it out one side of the camera, it comes back the other.
Thered be loads of b-roll of me dropping it, missing it.
LAWLESS:All the time.
Its so weird that they want that.
For a long time, I wouldnt and then I just lost.
I had to take the path of least resistance.
Rob Tapert said, I want Xena to have her own cry just like Tarzan.
Can you do that?
I tried, I toyed around with it.
I couldnt do it, so I modified it.
So the Xena war cry is based on Arabic women ululating, and it was Robs idea.
Rob used to watch all the cuts of every single episode.
As the show gained stream, the LGBT community quickly recognized the unique bond between Xena and Gabrielle.
It was fine with us.
I really just looked at: Whats the truth for me as an actress playing this character?
LAWLESS:The name Xena means stranger.
She felt she was irredeemable.
I get a lot of people coming out to me, thanking me for what I did.
LAWLESS:Its more surprising now, 20 years later.
LAWLESS:They were together, werent they?
What are you talking about?
and she was like, OK…
In the end, it was pretty implicative, not explicative.
Honestly, we didnt care if they were known to be gay characters.
Thats so not a negative for us.
TAPERT:We didnt really ever want to get them 100 percent together for a very strange reason.
There was Ares (Kevin Smith), God of War.
We did not want to give up the hold that character had over Xena.
LAWLESS:We were cheese, but we were good cheese.
Who doesnt like good cheese?
OCONNOR:I thought it was entertaining.
I cannot sing a note, so for me it was entertaining.
LAWLESS:It ismesinging.
At that time, the TV division went through rapid changes.
We had no parent guarding the liquor cabinet.
We could do any storytelling we wanted.
But there you have it.
It is hands-down my least favorite way to die.
Ive been crucified several times and its never good.
Its always really windy and really miserable and youre up hanging from a cross for hours.
OCONNOR:We had animals shrinking.
We had metaphors around Jesus, around Caesar.
We had Roman battles.
We traveled the world into all these different countries from India to China.
There wasnt a lot that Rob and his staff didnt approach.
TAPERT:Season 5 was plagued by learning lessons about life.
There were some episodes in there that did not land.
LAWLESS:At times it was uneven.
Sometimes things didnt work, but it had a lot of heart.
It was pure love going into that show.
No matter what we did, the acting mantra was look for the love.
Even in a fight; Xena and Gabrielle were having a fight, look for the love.
With that success came an extreme amount of pressure and notoriety.
Xena was held up as a fat girls Barbie at first and I was like Youre just objectifying me.
But now, with the wisdom of age, Im like, Right on!
Now I see the value of it.
At 25 and 26, I couldnt bear to be iconized, because its so reductive.
OCONNOR:That probably rested on Lucys shoulders more than mine.
After six seasons and 134 episodes,Xenawas canceled, concluding on June 18, 2001.
LAWLESS:I thought it was the right time.
I was struggling through that last year, because it was relentless.
It was nine months a year.
I was out of gas by the end.
It kicked my ass.
OCONNOR:I was ready to take a break.
I was ready to move to a different chapter of my life.
But I dont regret the timing of when the show ended at all.
I know some fans were disappointed.
OCONNOR:People actually hate that I loved the ending.
I understand no one wanted to see Xena die.
They felt extremely betrayed by the show to see her die.
We thought, Oh, thats a really strong ending.
Now I just say to fans, Lets pretend that never happened.
There was a bit of selfishness perhaps in closing that door thoroughly.
Even with the door closed,Xenas legacy has lived on.
Lucy played Xena as if she were the strongest guy in the room.
LAWLESS:I dont think that we can take credit for all that much.
My goodness, how things have changed fromXenasubtext toI am Cait.
Thats an incredible evolution in 20 years, and I think its a really healthy one.
But dont expect to see Lawless and OConnor on screen.
TAPERT:I think that would do the original performers a disservice.
Lets get them to come back and be the Oracle.
Its a different [version].
So no, Im not a fan of that.
Theres what makes Xena, Xena.
Advertisers wont pull out.
Storytelling-wise, is that whats best for the characters?
Did you watchRizzoli and Isles?
I think they did a good job on that show.
Its early, but the core ofXenais the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle.
LAWLESS:The worlds still crying out for a hero.
There are still people who feel marginalized, there are still people who want honor and equality.
And thats what this show is about.
