CULT
Times #40, January, 1999
Gabrielle's
Hopes
by
Thomasina Gibson
The
envy of men and women the world over, the faithful Gabrielle is Xena's
right-hand woman. Reneé O'Connor talks about being the warrior princess'
conscience.
When 23-year-old Reneé O'Connor first auditioned for the role of Deianeira
in the two hour action adventure Hercules and the Lost Kingdom,
she little dreamt that cavorting around with a mythical superhero
would lead to further, bigger adventures of her own. But, in the true
spirit of Hollywood, executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi
were so impressed with her performance opposite Hercules star
Kevin Sorbo that they signed her up to accompany another of their
legendary characters, Xena, the Warrior Princess played by the irrepressible
Lucy Lawless.
Three years down the line and with a new season about to start on
UK television, this quietly spoken, unassuming young woman is looking
forward to seeing what the writers have in store for her steadily
maturing alter-ego in Season Four. Having once described the character
of Gabrielle as "a romantic storyteller with a passion for adventure",
O'Connor now feels that the time is ripe for Gabrielle to come into
her own. "She's changed so much, especially during the third season,
that it's inevitable."
Small wonder, given that her character has survived a pregnancy fraught
with difficulties - well, The Furies, actually; experienced the joy
of childbirth but more sensitively, the death of her daughter - and
then had to seriously consider the possibility of a future without
her battling, leather-clad friend. Reminiscing on the powerful story
arc which saw her belief in Xena falter and led Gabrielle to eventually
betray and move against her other half, O'Connor explains that the
dynamics behind the portrayal were "unlike any other that I've ever
been in, in my normal life and very much epitomized the relationship
between them (Xena and Gabrielle) at that moment in time." It remains
to be seen whether or not the rift can be permanently healed, but
O'Connor feels that "for Gabrielle, the new season will be like a
voyage of maturity... she's moving to a point where she either has
to become more like Xena or take some kind of extreme action to preserve
her own identity." Fans of the Xenaverse take note - it may not be
all sweetness and wry quips this time around.
When the diminutive but spirited Gabrielle initially teams up with
the larger than life Warrior Princess, their relationship was more
one of the Top Dog...um Bitch...and side-kick. However, Gabrielle's
gentler, more moral perspective on life often saved the quick-tempered
Xena from her darker impulses, her influence changing their tentative
companionship into a friendship deeper than most partnerships not
just on screen but off too.
"We really are good friends and she's taught me so much as a performer
and as a person... Our relationship has come so far that no matter
who is on what side of the camera all Lucy has to do is look at me
and you'll get a reaction that's right with the context of the scene."
Perhaps predictably, the resulting affection, which shines through
on screen, was soon being interpreted as an indication of a lesbian
relationship between their respective characters. O'Connor is intrigued
by the very suggestion; "I find the whole thing fascinating... what
we have are two women with a strong friendship and people read all
sorts of things into that." Relaxed about the obvious connotations,
she laughs that the lesbian connection has become a cult in itself,
but insists, "Reneé O'Connor is very wrapped up in one particular
male Kiwi."
Born in Houston, Texas and raised in the whimsically named suburb
of Katy, O'Connor had her sights set on an acting career from the
tender age of eight and followed that path with a dedication of which
Gabrielle would be proud. She made her professional debut in 1989
starring in Disney's Teen Angel serial before moving to Los
Angeles a year later. Prior to her current role she appeared in commercials;
major TV series' such as NYPD Blue and featured in several
made-for-television movies. Despite the easygoing, southern gal next
door image, there is a lot more going on beneath the surface - a facet
the actress feels she shares with her screen persona.
"I'm very like Gabrielle in some respects," she maintains, "in that
I'm kind of a private person who trusts my own instincts and has this
burning desire to continually challenge myself in terms of my mental
and physical abilities."
In common with her Xena co-star, O'Connor performs many of
her own stunts and undertakes a variety of grueling disciplines to
maintain her fitness level, as well as keep her figure trim for all
those skimpy little costumes she wears. Citing kick-boxing, hiking
and rock climbing amongst her favourite activities, she nevertheless
laughs that there is one respect in which she most certainly differs
from the plucky Gabrielle and recounts that on a trip to Tanzania
earlier this year, she almost "tossed her cookies" having climbed
(or as she puts it "crawled") to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Obviously as adventurous in real life as she appears in the show.
Surprised by the success of Xena, yet proud to be hailed as
a positive role model for the way in which she depicts her character,
this very down-to-earth young woman remains refreshingly un-star-like
about her ascent to cult phenomenon, admitting that "it's taken some
time to get used to the attention" it brings. Fortunately for her,
the people of New Zealand, where the series is filmed, are very reserved
in their adulation.
"They're like the British," she observes. "They restrain themselves."
It's a different story in her homeland where such is the response
that devotees unable to get close to the real thing literally scramble
to console themselves with action figures, dolls and even garments
representing her screen persona. Despite that knowledge, O'Connor
maintains, "I don't consider myself a celebrity at all. I'm just thankful
for the opportunities I've been given."
Certainly, more opportunities will abound as Xena: Warrior Princess
begins its next 22 episode romp across three continents early next
year and there's no doubt that the engaging Ms. O'Connor will be right
in the thick of it.
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