If the Emmy Awards didn’t have such a glaring blind spot when it comes to recognizing great genre programming, New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless would have a slew of acting nominations and at least one Emmy statuette somewhere in her house. Unfortunately, Hollywood does look down its collective nose at shows like Xena: Warrior Princess, Battlestar Galactica, and most recently the hit Starz show Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Perhaps not coincidentally, Lawless has starred on all three of those shows, none of which has ever received the Emmy love which they deserve.
While fans of those shows might take offense at the oversight, Lawless herself is much more sanguine about the fact. Instead, she simply focuses on the work and enjoying the people around her. In anticipation of the third series of Spartacus, subtitled Vengeance, airing on January 27th on Starz, AfterElton.com scored time at last summer’s Television Critics Association press tour in Los Angeles to chat with the actress about that lack of Emmy recognition, playing the now demented Lucretia and much more.