Starlog
#236, -March 1997
Warrior
Sidekick
by Joe Nazarro
Myth Directions
After spending the last year battling mythological demi-gods, warriors,
and monsters, one might think that Reneé O'Connor would spend her
mid-season hiatus from Xena: Warrior Princess doing something
comparatively restful. Instead, the actress is going to Kenya on safari,
followed by a trip to Tanzania, where she plans to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
"I thought I might as well do something safe!" she jokes.
"Safe" is a word that scarcely applies to O'Connor's role as Gabrielle,
Xena's (Lucy Lawless) plucky traveling companion and closest friend.
While Gabrielle would prefer talking her way out of a difficult situation
rather than fighting, her proximity to the warrior princess means
trouble usually lurks just behind the next tree.
Despite the physical demands of her role, O'Connor says most of her
bruises aren't actually work-related. "I seem to get mine more outside
of work these days because of the extracurricular activities I've
been taking up. I want to learn as much as I can while I'm here about
martial arts, but my character doesn't do too much. She's just working
with a staff, so my bruises are only from play. I have a competition
with Lucy to see how many bruises she can get in real work while mine
are for fun."
Of course, it's still easy for an actor to get hurt on set even if
not directly involved in a fight scene -sometimes it's just a matter
of standing in the wrong place. "That's true, but our stunt guys are
pretty good; they're spot on. So, it's usually the other way around,
where I'm hitting them accidentally, or the crew members are getting
black eyes! When the sticks are flying, it's usually my stick that's
out of control."
One of the biggest adjustments for O'Connor was getting used to living
in New Zealand, where the series is shot. As the actress recalls,
it took about a month to get settled into her new home.
"It's funny, but the whole concept of living is tough enough, so you
learn to take things as they come. We work outdoors quite a bit, so
sometimes we must deal with rain, mud and cold weather and sometimes,
animals and children. You just learn to take things as they come and
go with the flow. But it's good, that's the concept of New Zealand.
They never complain, they're used to roughing it up and working. Coming
from America, we're a little pampered sometimes. I've never really
believed in all that superficiality of treating people with all the
goods and all the silly things of LA, but I guess I definitely had
more luxuries there than I do here in New Zealand. That's good, because
everyone works together and it's more of a family feel."
Reflecting on the first season of Xena, O'Connor considers
it a learning experience on several levels. "When I look back at the
first episodes, I really appreciate all the special FX, and the amazing
stunt work; how many people who look like Gabrielle in terms of body
doubles are involved in this one character, and the effort that goes
into creating this fantastic piece of work -it's so surreal and exciting
to see. I really appreciate all the stunt work that went into those
first few episodes."
"I also liked seeing the Gabrielle and Xena relationship as it developed.
In Callisto, there was a scene with us sitting next to a campfire
just talking. Seeing two strong women being close and intimate, as
friends, is a nice change in television."
The key to Xena's success is the off-screen relationship between O'Connor
and Lawless. "Reneé is the best friend I could possibly have professionally,"
says Lawless of her co-star. "We work in completely opposite ways.
Reneé and I are diametrically opposed in our approach to acting, so
by tacit consent we never discuss acting anymore. But somehow, on
screen, it really clicks. She's also a very fine human being. But
we don't go out to ball games on weekends; she's a single young woman
and I'm a mum."
According to O'Connor, she and Lawless got along from the series'
beginning. "I actually met Lucy in Los Angeles, when I was still auditioning
for the role. She has such an amazing sense of humor that I hoped
I would be coming out to work on the series. But I knew that whether
or not I was involved, that Xena would still be a successful show.
When I came out here, we just clicked right away and became good friends.
She took me under her wing and showed me the city, made sure I was
comfortable and really brought me into the atmosphere and the family
environment of the crew here.
"Of course, as the work became more intense, we would find our niche
in terms of our working techniques - giving each other space, or rehearsing
if we needed to. We've just come so far now that we're like sisters.
We each know what the other is going to do, and she's definitely the
person I prefer to work off of in the show, because she's so comfortable
to be around."
That light-hearted chemistry is something the writers have picked
up on, adding some much-needed comedic moments to the series and its
main character.
"They're starting to use it," agrees O'Connor, "because Lucy has quite
a talent for humor and for musical comedy. She's just such a character
on set that she'll just start singing and dancing. Then the cameras
will roll and she'll snap right into Xena. It's very amusing to watch.
I remember one episode this season written by Nora Kay [Foster] and
Adam [Armus], where we become Bacchae. There's quite a twist this
season and you'll see us dealing with different roles. We're going
to stretch a bit and play different characters, to try and give a
little more energy and comedy to the show."
Mythic Origins
The Texas-born O'Connor actually began studying acting at age 12,
at Houston's Alley Theater and High School of the Performing and Visual
Arts. She made her professional acting debut in 1989 in the "Teen
Angel" serial featured on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse
Club, followed by the "Match Point" serial. That same year,
O'Connor moved to Los Angeles and quickly landed a role in the Tales
From the Crypt episode "The switch," which also marked
Arnold Shwarzenegger's directorial debut.
"It's so long ago, but I remember his thick accent and the line readings
he would give me, and I would try not to mimic him as I said my lines.
I was playing this young girl, selling flowers to William Hickey,
so it was a small part, but I found it all so amusing. Arnold had
such a good sense of vision, of people's movement and physical action,
and the flow of the camera, I guess from working on so many different
action films."
O'Connor's involvement with Xena began with a guest-starring role
in one of the two-hour Hercules movies, Hercules and the
Lost Kingdom, playing Deianeira, a proud young woman who fulfills
her destiny by joining Hercules in his search for the lost city of
Troy.
"It was an audition where I went in at the last minute one afternoon.
I love Greek mythology myself, so anything that correlates to those
areas piques my interest. I remember standing up on a chair for the
casting director and reciting lines with all the romantic energy that
I could muster, and just enjoying myself completely. I think my enthusiasm
might be one of the reasons why I got the part."
Producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi were so impressed by O'Connor's
performance that they signed her for a major role in their direct-to-video
Darkman sequel The Return of Durant.
According to the actress, "Rob attracts such good people, and I think
he tends to use them over and over again, develops a personal relationship
with them and gives them opportunities that maybe they would never
have in any other situation. For me, playing a spirited, sidekick
slave girl on Hercules and then going on to play a stripper
in Darkman was quite a change from playing the all-American,
16-year-old high school girl next door, so that was a great opportunity.
Rob is very good about dealing with people on a personal level, and
changing them into different characters. You can also see that with
Lucy, who has played quite a few characters on Hercules."
When the team behind Hercules was preparing a spin-off series
featuring Xena, a character introduced in a well-received trilogy
of episodes, they decided to create a spirited sidekick for her. O'Connor
was one of many actresses who auditioned for the role of Gabrielle.
"I remember going in on several occasions and seeing a different handful
of girls each time. I'm very fortunate to have Rob, Sam and everyone
treat me so well, because they were very encouraging and supportive,
so I had that going in. On the other hand, they were up front in saying,
'We are looking at other people, so just hang in there.' It gave me
a sense of acceptance either way."
Whether it was a case of life imitating art or vice versa, O'Connor
was able to settle into the role almost immediately. "You have to
give the writers credit for that. They've been wonderful in giving
Gabrielle such an eloquent use of speech. It's great for me, because
I can let the words fly out, and they keep supplying them over and
over again. It's definitely their concept and characterization of
Gabrielle, which I think is great. she's very romantic and sentimental
about poetry and storytelling, which is also a definite interest of
mine."
That's not to say the character hasn't continued to evolve in episodes
like "Hooves and Harlots," in which Gabrielle learns how to
defend herself, or "The Greater Good,"
in which she must face the prospect of going on without Xena.
"You're seeing more of that this season," hints O'Connor. "She's much
more independent and confident of herself physically, but the moral
aspect of Gabrielle is that she would choose to talk things through
first and always use her wits and the spoken word before resorting
to violence. That's something that definitely defines the second season."
While numerous episodes deal with fairly heavy emotional themes, Gabrielle
isn't about to become a prophet of doom anytime soon.
"I definitely love the comedy. We have quite a few deaths in the second
season. Just recently, I begged [co-executive producer] R.J. Stewart
over and over again, 'Please, no more crying!' The funnier the better
for me; I love to play humor much more than antipathy."
Another area that may be downplayed is having Gabrielle romantically
involved with some of the men she encounters in her adventures. "There
was a common thread we all saw last season, having different male
actors playing romantic roles for Gabrielle. Now, you'll see that
she's much more focused introspectively, and so is Lucy's character,
so you won't be seeing as many romantic relationships."
Nevertheless, there are a few relationships where O'Connor wouldn't
mind a follow-up, such as Gabrielle meeting up with Hercules' sidekick
Iolaus, whom she last encountered in "Prometheus." "I love
Michael Hurst. I think he's one of the most knowledgeable actors I've
ever seen. He's incredibly talented, and we had this chemistry that
clicked right from the beginning. I guess because of the demands of
the two shows and our age difference too, it's probably something
that won't be developed. Too bad!"
Stewart, who wrote "Prometheus," agrees.
"I just saw that episode again recently and thought, 'Gee, I would
like to get those guys back together for an episode.' I was wonderfully
pleased when I saw how well Renee played it, and how well it was received.
That was another exploration point for the series."
Mythic Relations
Another, less romantic relationship that O'Connor enjoyed playing
was between Gabrielle and fellow storyteller Orion in "Athens City
Academy of the Performing Bards."
"I already had a couple of romantic interests, and then that particular
role came up with that actor, so there was a choice on how to play
it, whether it should be another quest for an experience in life romantically
that Gabrielle would have, or someone who would just be a friend.
I thought it would be a great way to show that men and women could
have relationships, be friendly and compete with each other on an
equal basis, so that created another aspect to Gabrielle."
With the first half of Xena's second season now finished, and
Lawless slowed by her recovery from a broken pelvis, O'Connor has
a little breathing room to think about the series, and what she would
like to see in future episodes. "On a general note, in terms of the
show's style, I would like to see us travel to different countries;
maybe some Eastern countries like Japan or China. I would like to
see more of the martial arts and the John Woo type of fighting - the
visual aspects that he carries in his movies - put into Xena. I would
just like to conquer new regions, and have different types of people
and different cultures come into the show. I would like to see us
go to different cities and have our version of a slice of life, in
terms of what these people are like, especially in that era."
On a personal level, the actress hopes to use the series as a means
of learning more about her craft, both in front of and behind the
camera.
"I want to continue my education over here, learning things behind
the scenes as much as possible," O'Connor says. "I've been hassling
all the directors, who are wonderful when I ask them, 'What lens are
we using on this shot?' I'm trying to learn as much as I can while
I have the opportunity. There's so much information you can receive
working 14 hours a day, and I want make sure I get as much as possible
and retain it. Xena is definitely the main aspect of
my life right now. It's quite consuming."
Having spent so much time in New Zealand, O'Connor admits the occasional
feeling of homesickness, but "My mother has come over a few times,
and people are coming over to see this exotic land. That's quite a
blessing, because who would have thought that my friends and family
could come to another part of the world and take a vacation? I've
really learned from the people who live here. Because it's such a
small country, you can travel a lot. It's encouraging to see that
they can just pack up and leave and live in another country, another
culture."
The success of Xena: Warrior Princess has meant an increased
visibility for its cast members, but O'Connor hasn't let her new found
celebrity faze her. Bring up the subject of fan mail and her response
is strictly tongue-in-cheek.
"Lucy and I were talking about that, because we receive these letters
from prisons. Somehow I keep getting the murderers and convicts and
Lucy laughs about what it is about my character that might attract
them. Actually, I get many letters from young girls who really like
the show, and I'm glad that they might see Gabrielle as some sort
of role model they can look up to."
"I don't think of that as pressure at all, because the writers are
so good about making Gabrielle quite heroic, almost unbelievably so.
She has so many morals and she's so sentimental that I don't think
there's any pressure at all trying to keep her as an ideal hero.
I would actually like to see her have another, more human side, where
she isn't as perfect as she's written to be, so young girls, as they
experience life, can see some of the choices that Gabrielle had to
make and whether they were right or wrong."
As Reneé O'Connor gets ready to brave the real-life slopes of Mt.
Kilimanjaro, she's also delighted with the heights her character has
reached in Xena: Warrior Princess. "I'm very happy over here,"
she says. "It took a while to make this a home, but I'm extremely
happy now. I have a wonderful circle of friends, and I love this country,
so I couldn't ask for more!"
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