The Evolution of Lucy Lawless: From Actress to Director

Summary


In this episode, host Jessica Kantor interviews Lucy Lawless about her career in acting and her directorial debut. They discuss Lawless' first movie memory, her love for horror films, and her journey in the entertainment industry. Lawless shares her experiences as an actress and the inspiration she finds in other actors and films. She also talks about her desire to entertain and create a somatic experience for the audience as a director. Lucy Lawless discusses her children's taste in movies and her own favorite films. She mentions that her daughter and one of her sons are cinephiles, while her other son is interested in trucks and plants. They all enjoyed movies like Alien, Tremors, and The SpongeBob Movie. Lucy also talks about her love for The Godfather and how it showcases both the male and female gaze. She recommends showing her son the Godfather movies to help him fall in love with cinema.


Upcoming Projects:


My Life is Murder (https://www.amcnetworks.com/press-rel...)


Popular crime drama My Life Is Murder returns to Acorn TV with a two-episode premiere on Monday, June 17, co-premiering on BBC AMERICA, with two episodes premiering weekly on Mondays on both platforms.


Never Look Away (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16732698/)


XYZ has sold the documentary Never Look Away, the directorial debut of actress Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), to Greenwich Entertainment for all rights in North America and to Kaleidoscope for all rights in the UK. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and is coming to Sundance London in June 2024. 


Takeaways

• Lucy Lawless' first movie memory was watching 'Hi Lilly, Hi Lilly, Hi Lo' with her friend, which sparked her love for movies.
• Lawless was introduced to cinema by her mother and school, and she grew up watching New Zealand cinema, which she found surprisingly gratifying.
• Lawless discovered her desire to become an actress after seeing an ad and realizing that acting was a job.
• Lawless initially had no intention of directing, but she was inspired to direct a documentary about Margaret Moth, a camerawoman who was shot in the face during the Siege of Sarajevo.
• Lawless believes that every frame of a film should be designed with the audience's experience in mind. As a director, she aims to entertain and create a somatic experience.
• Lawless finds inspiration in older actresses and action movies, and she admires the work of actresses like Jessica Lange and Sigourney Weaver.
• Lawless advises young actors to believe in themselves and persistently pursue opportunities, even in the face of rejection.
• Lawless is currently working on two scripted projects and one documentary, but she acknowledges the challenges of getting projects funded and appealing to investors. Lucy Lawless' children have different tastes in movies, with one son interested in trucks and plants and her daughter and other son being cinephiles.
• They enjoyed movies like Alien, Tremors, and The SpongeBob Movie.
• Lucy recommends showing her son The Godfather movies to help him fall in love with cinema.
• She appreciates films exploring characters' motivations and subterranean aspects, such as The Godfather.

Sound Bites

• "We grew up watching; my father really was a leader in vampire movies ." Lucy
• "My son was watching The Abyss when he was four or five years old. He was already operating the thing." Lucy
• "He loves being scared. He loves it. I put on Monsters, Inc. And the beginning is a little scary, but the rest is funny, right? It's gentle. And he runs in my lap and then looks over. I'm like, is it too scary? He goes, no." Jessica
• "He's going to have to wait a little time after Gorilla's in the Mist, or before actually, The Godfather." Lucy

Chapters


00:00 Introduction and Upcoming Projects


07:03 Desire to Act and Becoming an Actress


13:46 Inspiration from Older Actresses and Action Movies


38:47 Introducing Children to Movies


46:43 The Godfather: A Film to Fall in Love with Cinema






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EPISODE CREDITS:
Host, Producer, Editor: Jessica Kantor
Booker: Noelia Murphy


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