ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT: Lucy, now you're on "The X..."
LUCY LAWLESS: On "The Xena Files." You didn't know what it stood for all those years, did you? But, CHRIS CARTER's just been leading up to this moment where he could finally get the eponymous character in, and here in the ninth season, they've managed to carve away half of their budget to actually secure me for their opening couple of shows, so here I am.
ET: So, it's been "The Xena Files" all this time?
LUCY: Don't tell anybody. Yeah, it's a conspiracy, a big cover up, you see. But, now it's out in the open.
ET: Tell me what happens on this episode?
LUCY: I'm playing a character called Shannon McMahon -- Ed's daughter. She's very funny. We're taking "The X-Files" in a whole new direction this season. We thought we'd liven it up, sex it up a bit, and she's come out of Doggett's past, she has history with Doggett, if you know what I mean (laughs) -- and she comes back to haunt him in the worst possible way. She also has information about the heritage of Scully's baby, and she's about to blow the world wide open. She's a loose canon. And you don't know if she's good or bad. Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?
ET: Tell us about the storyline and how you ended up on the show.
LUCY: You know what really happened is that some years ago Chris Carter was so very nice to me when he didn't need to be -- this was purely in a social setting -- that when he rang me up and asked me to be in their season opener this year, I said, "I would love to be on your show." It was really just a personal thank you to him, because he had been very gracious to me and to my co-star RENEÉ (O'CONNOR) on "Xena" that I was very pleased to come and be part of "The X-Files."
Actually, I was on holiday in Hawaii and Chris phones me up and says, "Would you come and do our opening couple of episodes," and I said, "I'd love to do that for you, Chris." And he said, "Well, there is one thing -- you've got to spend half your time buck-naked." I keep thinking it's butt naked, but it's not, is it? It's buck-naked. My character swans around in water -- it's always water scenes. Naked water sports with strategically placed bubbles and a really awesome stunt butt. Not that there's anything wrong with mine! But, you know, you just want one of those women with those kick ass bodies who spend hours at the gym everyday. And, I ain't one of those. But, I love the women that are. So, I got this wonderful women to double for me -- but, don't tell anybody. It's the "X-Rated Files." (smiles) I told you we had to spice it up this year.
ET: Was Chris a fan of "Xena"?
LUCY: I don't know. I never thought to ask. You know, every producer is a fan, on some level, of a successful show. On some level, they respect a successful show. And I guess he must have liked it enough to ask me to come on his. Everybody loved "Xena," are you kidding? (laughs)
ET: Have you been a fan of "The X- Files"?
LUCY: Yes. "The X-Files" is a must-see at my house. It's on Friday night in New Zealand. My daughter was the one who really brought "The X-Files" into our home, and she's seen every single episode she possibly could, and is bitterly disappointed not to be able to be here because she's in New Zealand at school, so yes.
ET: What did she think when she heard you were going to be on it?
LUCY: I was finally cool when I got on "X- Files." (laughs)
ET: On the set, any Xena yelps that you can do?
LUCY: You know, the show is so funny that the first day I was totally confused because they would say to me, "Now, can you walk 30-feet in those high heels and then the shot is over?" I'm going, "Don't you want me to slug someone or kick them in the head?" "No, no, no. Thirty paces are fine, then come on back." And, to me, it was so ludicrously easy physically to do that I felt really under utilized. But, the acting is hard. The acting is a challenge because it's a whole different style, and I've really had to just dive into this ultra naturalistic buttoned-up style of acting, and I'm really enjoying that. That's been the big surprise.
ET: What is it like working with ROBERT PATRICK?
LUCY: I love working with Robert Patrick. He's hilarious. He's very naughty, so we've had a lot of bad jokes going around the set when he's on. Of course, I don't help.
ET: So you guys are having fun working together?
LUCY: A lot of fun. And this is my first day working with GILLIAN ANDERSON and ANNABETH GISH. It's really nice getting in a scene with more than one experienced actor, and they're very experienced, so it's exciting.
ET: Is there a mood on the set? The show is so dark and mysterious. Is it like that on the set?
LUCY: At first I found it very serious. I found it really serious and I would get the giggles, because I come from a set where no one took anything serious, ever. It was a rule. And, at first, when I came here, I would go to the read-throughs, and they're very reverent. And, it's not that I'm not reverential about the material or the people I'm working with, but I just can't stand the pressure, so I'm (trying to hold back laughter) -- and I just look like this naughty kid, guffawing away in the corner to myself.
ET: You mean, they're not wearing black all the time and deep and dark?
LUCY: No, they're really funny. I thought after "Xena" that I would never love another crew as well, but I can see that crews around the world are good, hard-working, fun people who know how to value the people they're with -- because they have to. They're together so much that they can't afford to have tension. I just love the people here. I can't believe I'm leaving.
ET: Would you come back or be interested in doing another stint with "The X-Files," or another drama, perhaps?
LUCY: Well, this has been such a nice experience that I certainly wouldn't discount it. I don't know that there are any others that I would be looking for because single camera television series are a tremendous amount of work, and I've done that for a long time, and I've got children who need me, and maybe I'm looking for a different type of life. But they have a way of luring you back in with great parts and great scenes, and this has been a great adventure for me.
ET: What are you doing now?
LUCY: I'm up here as much as I need to be for work. And I don't know. My whole life is bursting wide open.
ET: Tell me more about your family.
LUCY: I've got this beautiful daughter who's 13 and experiencing all the joys and horrors of being in those early teen years, and I have a boy who's a terrible two-year-old. He's so funny and so cute that I don't get horribly angry with him, but he's so naughty. He's like a tank. I should have called him Sherman instead of JULIUS. I rue the day that I called him something imperial like Julius because he's like Julius, Destroyer of Nations. This nice Rookwood vase -- bang! He just makes me laugh because what do I care about antiques? But, yeah, Destroyer of Antiques.
ET: Are you thinking of having more children?
LUCY: No. (smiles) Well, I wouldn't rule that possibility out, either. You know, they come along when they come along.
ET: Would you consider coming back as Xena, or is there something else that you're dreaming of doing?
LUCY: I'm really proud to have been part of a show like "Xena," but I think she existed in a moment in time, and if we brought it back it would be overwrought. Reneé and I are certainly not the young girls we were when it started. She's about to have a baby any second now, actually, any day now, and you couldn't have a "Xena" show without Gabrielle, because Xena is really a collective term for the two friends. So, I don't see that as being a possibility.
As far as dream roles? I've always said I'd love to do two movies a year and raise my kids. I'm doing everything I can to help myself. I'm having a good life. It doesn't matter what happens by the time I'm 80 or 90, God willing I live that long, but I think I'll look back and go, "Yeah, I really went for it. I didn't let myself down. I wasn't afraid to try and fail."
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