LUCY LOVES LIFE #LucyLawless is back on screens in a sexy, fun role. Having embraced life in her 50s, the New Zealand actress jumped at the opportunity to play sassy retired detective Alexa Crowe in CJZ’s seductive new crime drama #MyLifeIsMurder -
The Western Australian Newspaper
17 July 2019
Lucy Lawless is back on screens in a sexy, fun role. Vanessa Williams reports.
At 51, Lucy Lawless feels sexier than ever. Having embraced life in her 50s, the New Zealand actress jumped at the opportunity to play sassy retired detective Alexa Crowe in CJZ’s seductive new crime drama My Life Is Murder.
Despite handing in her badge, Alexa finds herself lured back into solving crimes across Melbourne by former colleague, Det-Insp. Kieran Hussey (Wentworth star Bernard Curry).
A fiery, opinionated and no-nonsense woman, Alexa knows what she wants and will stop at nothing until it’s done to her satisfaction. This, Lawless says, is what drew her to the role.
“I’ve loved it a lot,” says Lawless, who landed her big break in the 90s starring in the cult fantasy series, Xena: Warrior Princess.
“Not only is it a really tasty, fun, humorous character, it’s a delicious world that we enter “I think it’s also part of being over 50. You cease to care about what people think, and it’s a time of immense freedom, long enough to really eat life up. It’s one of the rewards of making it through your 40s.”
In the series opener, Alexa finds herself reprising her detective role, albeit without her badge, when approached by Kieran to help solve the death of a woman who fell from the balcony of a high-rise apartment.
Her first lead is a young and good-looking male escort who she suspects may have played a part in the woman’s death.
“I describe it as Elementary meets Sex and the City in Melbourne,” Lawless says.
“Because it is a sexy world and she goes out to see a male escort in the first episode and goes undercover into his world, so she walks a line of danger.
“She wants to get to the truth at all costs and sometimes that means being a bit of a liar. She’s a pretty good little liar when she needs to be. And she’s really gnarly and fun.
“She’s not a cop any more. She’s retired and she’s been drawn back into crime by an old friend and he introduces her to a young data analyst called Madison, played by this amazing young star Ebony Vagulans. At first Alexa, who is a bit of a misanthrope, doesn’t want anything to do with this young woman hanging around like a ball and chain but it turns out that this ball and chain has all her own skills. She’s spiky, she’s fun and they form a really great duo.”
Shot on location in Melbourne, Lawless relished the chance to soak up the city’s history, culture and architecture while working on the series.
“New Zealanders are very fond of Melbourne,” she says.
“I’ve been here twice for 30 hours but never got outside the casino so it was a revelation to me. So I thought wow is this what a well-designed city looks like. I love the trams, I love the diversity, the people, the food, the public art spaces, it’s just marvellous. We treat Melbourne like the star she is, she’s a character in the show.
“Melbourne has really been under-utilised. I think the fear is that Sydney people only want to watch Sydney things and there’s some parochialism about it . . . But I just think, if New Zealanders can be excited about Melbourne, Australians should be too.” While Lawless boasts an impressive portfolio that includes roles in popular US TV shows Spartacus, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Parks and Recreation, she’s hopeful Australians will enjoy her new series.
“I’m really excited to send it out to the world and I hope that you will all like it but, even if you don’t, we’re really proud of it,” she laughs.
“I thank all the beautiful little Aussies that I’ve made the show with because they’ve given me one of the true gems of my career that I will take out as an old lady and polish up and enjoy it all over again. It’s been a marvellous experience and I’ve enjoyed everything about it.”
Reflecting on the role that launched her international acting career in 1995, Lawless says she is still astounded by Xena’s popularity.
“I never foresaw that she would have such legs and that there is still so much love for it,” she says.
“It blows my mind. Australia liked it much more than New Zealand ever did. It was big around the world.”
Find out more about Lucy's role on My Life is Murder by going to the AUSXIP My Life is Murder subsite