Xenites Celebrate 30th Anniversary of ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ (Photos)
In January, at the ‘Salute to Xena’ fan Convention, Xenites — a collective name given to devoted fans of Xena: Warrior Princess — gathered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic series that premiered on September 5, 1995. The convention, produced by Creation Entertainment, was held at the Marriott Hotel in Burbank, California, and featured an impressive costume contest where fans brought their A-game to the stage, including traditional Xena and Gabrielle costumes, as well as many stunning secondary characters.
The weekend celebration was graced by the presence of the show’s stars, including Lucy Lawless, Renee O’Connor, Timothy Omundson and many others. Fans enjoyed three days filled with meet-and-greets, photo and autograph sessions, and dance and karaoke night events. However, The real action was happening in the big theater, where the stars sat down to ask Xenites questions. Here is what they had to say
Lucy Lawless (Xena) & Timothy Omundson (Eli)
Credit Mike Pingel
Lucy Lawless, who played Xena, joined fellow actor Timothy Omundson, who portrayed Eli, on stage. The twosome reminisced about their time working on the show, and Omundson also chatted about his work on Psych and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Omundson, who suffered a stroke in 2017, and Lawless discussed the possibility of singing together and how his hair on Xena started to take on the same color later in the series. On the convention’s third day, Lawless showed her support for the LGBTQ community by wearing a “Make America Gay Again” T-shirt during the Q&A with her costar Renee O’Connor (Gabrielle).
Kathryn Morris (Najara)
Credit: Mike Pingel
“Najara sounds like she’s one way but she’s really coco for coco puffs,” said Kathryn Morris, describing her character at the convention. “I just knew in order to be a great villain, every villain wants to be liked. Everybody wants to be loved. And so, I just knew that having this spiritual light and how much light can I beam out as possible.” Morris shared insights from the writers and directors, highlighting the intention to create a formidable spiritual force that challenged Xena’s relationship with Gabrielle. She added, “Plus, the costumes were badass, and just coming over from this side of the pond, I’m like, wow, this was so cool.”
Adrienne Wilkinson (Eve/Livia/Megaera)
Adrienne Wilkinson shared her experience of being cast in the show: “The show was cast here in Los Angeles. They did use a lot of New Zealand actors, especially for those smaller roles, but all the main things were cast in Los Angeles. I just went in as a regular audition. The truth is I thought I didn’t have a chance because I looked too much like Lucy and we were supposed to be enemies. Back in that day, they always cast a blonde against a redhead; there was always a contrast. But it turns out I was playing Lucy’s daughter, and they just kept that top secret. The fact that I kind of looked a bit like her worked in my favor.” Wilkinson also discussed her involvement in charity events within the fandom and her memorable first convention experience, where she was picked up at the airport by fans dressed as Xena and an archangel.
Jacqueline Kim (Lao Ma)
Credit Mike Pingel
“I loved being with this universe, every part of it, the fans, the gatherings. Having a platform to talk about my work. I feel I won the lottery,” said Jacqueline Kim, who played Lao Ma. She explained how her American accent was included in the show: “Nobody discussed it with me, but I flew all the way to New Zealand, and I sat at the table reading. There were people reading with Asian accents. One of the actors asked, ‘Is Jacqueline going to do the accent or whatever?’ I said, ‘What?’ So, we had a meeting, and they were like, ‘Yeah, we kind of thought you’d be doing that.’ And I said, ‘Oh, well, I didn’t have time to study a good Chinese accent, so it feels like I should just do it in my own voice.’ So, we kept it. But it was inconsistent, with my son and my former … I don’t know … dude.” Laughter erupted in the hall from the Xenites. Kim continued, “The dude who looked over my son. Yeah, they let that inconsistency live. I think it works. Don’t get me wrong; I am learning Mandarin, and I think the Chinese accent is really beautiful, but I wasn’t ready to do that. I was ready to do what I did. So, I did what I did.”
Musetta Vander (Ilainus)
Credit: Mike Pingel
Musetta Vander shared her favorite memory of the show: “My first day of shooting was a rehearsal action scene to fight Xena. I was a professional dancer at the time, and I was ready to really show my roundhouse kick because I was very flexible. However, it was Xena’s (Lucy’s) close-up over my shoulder, and I did a nice big, lovely roundhouse kick. While I was warmed up, I tore my hamstring on my first show. So, the whole episode of Xena that you see me in, I am running around with a torn hamstring. But my favorite thing is after we do this whole battle scene, and I have her down over the barrel, I get so into my character. Lucy looks up at me and says, ‘I’m not really Xena.’” Vander continued, “That’s my favorite from the show. We cracked up laughing. When you’re an actor, and they put these swords in your hand, you’re not even yourself anymore; you are that character.”
Jennifer Ward-Lealand (Zehra/Boadicea)
Credit Mike Pingel
Jennifer Ward-Lealand expressed her admiration for the Xenites: “I think the Xenites are incredibly loyal and supportive. It surprised me. It did have an effect on people, and people still hold on to the feelings of friendship and love and loyalty. I think those are the same things that bring people together.” When asked if the Xena sets still existed, she replied, “No, there is a farm that is used for many, many films out West, which is where a lot of those sets were, but they don’t exist. It’s not like Hobbiton [a film set used for The Lord of the Rings] or anything that you can go and see.”
Craig Parker (Bellerophon/Cleades/Sarpedon)
Credit: Mike Pingel
Handsome Craig Parker, who played multiple characters on the show, including Bellerophon, Cleades and Sarpedon, took time to joke around and take photos with the enthusiastic Xenites.
The celebration was a testament to the enduring legacy of Xena: Warrior Princess and the strong bond between the show’s cast, crew and devoted fan base.
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March 2020
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