TV Week (Aus) -July 25 1998
In
Xena's Shadow
Meet Renee O'Connor, who plays Xena's sidekick Gabrielle.
by Mark Nollinger
As
Gabrielle, the spirited idealistic sidekick on Xena: Warrior Princess,
Rene O'Connor looks wholesome a girlish, in a Malibu-meets-Mesopotamia
sort of way. In real life, she is a sophisticated and polished woman.
There are many Xena fans out there now. Filming of the fourth
season is now under way and the campy syndicated action-adventure
series, originally a spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,
has blossomed from a cult hit into an international smash in more
than 80 countries. And while Xena (Lucy Lawless) is defeating more
barbarians than ever before as she and Gabrielle wander through their
mythical world, Renee's character has done some growing up, evolving
from a naive, starstruck tag-along into a more independent soul who
has won Xena's trust.
"I love the character," says Renee, 27, a Texas native who spends
nine months a year filming Xena in Auckland, New Zealand. "Last
year they brought out her faults ... she did a lot of things I wouldn't
have done to my friends."
But Xena watchers don't seem to mind -these days, Renee is
inundated with mail. Renee's mother, Sandra, oversees her daughter's
fan club and knows exactly where to draw the line.
"If people want a nude photo, it's,'l'm sorry, you're going to get
my daughter's school photo'," Sandra says.
Renee believes the series' appeal is largely due to Xena, and
the changing dynamics between Xena and Gabrielle has also kept fans
coming back for more.
"There's a friendship between two women," Renee says. "That's a fascination
for people." Indeed, the season included a number of allusions - like
sharing a bath, for example - to the notion that Xena and Gabrielle
might be more than just good pals.
"There was a time when we played with the idea, just being silly,"
she says, confirming that the lesbian subtext was a deliberate device.
But nowadays, she adds, the friendship "has become so profound that
it's not about a sexual relationship".
So... no more bathtub scenes?
"Never say never on this show," Renee says, grinning.
Off screen, the two maintain a polite distance. They rarely socialise,
but while on the set the two are the best of friends.
"She's just a fabulous woman," Lucy Lawless says simply· " She takes
on what is ostensibly the second-banana role with grace and charm.
The only reason she's not playing Xena is that I'm bigger."
Renee feels the same affection for Lucy. "She's cheeky with a quick
sense of humor," Renee says.
Renee declines to reveal what's in store for Gabrielle, other than
that India will serve as a backdrop for some shows and that her character
will "question and seek different types of religion".
In the meantime, she has embarked on a personal journey of her own.
After three years of renting an Auckland apartment, Renee recently
bought a house in the country, where she plans to busy herself with
gardening and renovating. Her boyfriend of almost two years, Steve
Muir, 30, a Kiwi who manages a boutique brewery, will be around to
lend a hand. He and Renee moved in together last January, a development
that took months to sink in.
"We've been so busy," she says. "I finally looked at him and said,
'Oh, my god, we're living together'."
Renee pauses to take stock. "Life's really good now. Knock on wood!"
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