Nineties TV icon, 56, unrecognisable 23 years after hit show as she appears on US TV
A NINETIES TV icon looked unrecognisable 23 years after her hit TV series delighted and inspired fans across the globe.
It came as she appeared on lifestyle show New York Live, aired in the US, to chat about her stint on the new series of My Life Is Murder.
Lucy Lawless, now 56, looked unrecognisable with shoulder-length blonde hair and a sweeping side fringe as she discussed her role as PI Alexa Crowe on the long-running programme.
The murder-mystery crime series was first broadcast in 2019 and follows her former police officer character as she keeps her hand in assisting the force to solve a number of murders.
Yet the Parks and Recreation star, who was born in New Zealand, struck a completely different look to that of her breakout role in Xena: Warrior Princess.
She told New York Live how she filmed both series in her native homeland.
Yet, when playing the titular character of Xena, she cut a different look as she donned striking brunette locks.
Lucy wore her hair poker straight – and lined her eyes with thick black liner – for the role in the fantasy series from 1995 to 2001.
The show ran for six series and has acquired a cult following, after Xena was originally a recurring character in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
Instead of her stylish printed blouse and dark trousers worn for her summer interview, for Xena’s antics on horseback, she was more used to sporting long leather boots and metal -clad armoury.
Yet despite the visual changes, Lucy told her recent TV interview there was many similarities between her various on-screen characters.
She said: “Seeing the powerful person who has done something terrible being brought to account.
“We kind of love that.”
Addressing her latest telly role – and switching up her speech for Xena – she added: “I’ve never played a character in my accent, so that was kind of weird.
“It’s kind of written for me and around me – there’s a lot of me in this.”
Back in 2021, Lucy also stunned with another unrecognisable selfie.
It came as she shared a funny picture of herself in a reindeer onesie, as well as one in which she sported jam-jar frame glasses.
After Xena ended, Lucy went on to play Humanoid Cylon model Number Three D’Anna Biers in Battlestar Galactica and had a recurring role as Dine Lewis-Swanson in hit series Parks and Recreation.
She also played Lucretia in Spartacus: Blood and Sand and associated series.
TRUE PRINCESS
Previously, Lucy spoke out about the life-changing impact of her breakthrough role.
The Auckland-born star addressed the slew of fan mail sent to her during the show’s early days during a candid chat aired on the Archive of American Television.
The screen star said: “There were lots of letters from people who wanted me to be ‘Xena.’
“If people choose to make the character you played into a hero of theirs, they can do that.
“They’ll say, ‘you gave me courage to help me get out of an abusive relationship,’ or ‘it helped me come out to my parents,’ or ‘it helped me get off drugs and become a teacher.’
“I say, ‘well, you did that. I can’t take any credit for it.
“”Congratulations to you.’:”