Lucy Lawless has been following with fascination the story that California Institute of Technology astronomers have proclaimed the existence of a 10th planet in our solar system -- and named it Xena, after her TV series character. And last week, they announced that Xena has a moon, which they promptly named Gabrielle, as in her sidekick.
"I didn't know if it would stick," she says.
 |
| Planet Xena |
At this point, the planet's official name is still 2003 UB313, but its discoverers and others in the scientific community, the fans, and, naturally, Lucy herself are pulling for her warrior princess' celestial installation. "Xena is as real as Neptune and Jupiter. I think it's only right some 20th-century mythology gets in there," she tells us. Lawless also says that she and husband Rob Tapert has his fellow former "Xena" exec producer, Sam Raimi, and Renee O'Connor, who, of course, played Gabrielle, at their house the other day, and "We were all just howling about this."
Appropriately enough, Lucy is going to work on "Battlestar Galactica" next week, returning to her popular character of D'anna Biers, space reporter -- with extreme bragging rights. "It's always quite nice when people want you back," she notes.
MEANWHILE:
Lawless completed her CBS Oct. 30 "Vampire Bats" movie in Nova Scotia -- after the production fled New Orleans ahead of Hurricane Katrina. "I never quite got back into it, but it was nice to be with people who'd had the common experience," she says. As far as the movie's New Orleans crew, "I've talked to quite a few of them. It took weeks to find some people. Anyone in the 504 area code has been incommunicado."
"Vampire Bats" has Lucy returning to her role as scientist Maddie Rierdon, previously seen on the network's highly rated movie "Locusts." Will there be more? "I don't know," says Lawless, who lived in New Orleans with her husband and two young sons during the productions. "I've told them if they get to frogs, I'm out. I really like the producers -- we've become great friends. Part of the appeal of doing 'Vampire Bats' was that it gave me the chance to go back to New Orleans with all its charms and friendships. It's such a wonderful place."
IN SOMEONE ELSE'S BOOTS:
"Over There" regular Erik Palladino says playing an army sergeant in the F/X Iraq war drama has been "the most profound experience for me as an actor ever. This show is so about what these guys are going through and what their families are going through while they're fighting. I can't tell you how many letters I've gotten from military families saying things like, 'At least someone is telling our story.' Some of these soldiers feel a little bit forgotten, and I had one Marine write to say, 'If it takes a TV show to make people a little more aware, then so be it.'"
Palladino says that in just play-acting at war he's become painfully aware of "the level of bravery that's required for what they're doing in Iraq day in and day out. It's amazing what these guys go through. We can sit at home and watch it on the news and do a TV show, but at the end of the day these men and women are putting their lives on the line every day and that's very difficult … And to do it with as much honor as most of them do it with is something we should never forget."
KIDDING AROUND:
Conchata Ferrell, who plays Berta the maid on "Two and a Half Men," is of the opinion that on the Charlie Sheen-Jon Cryer sitcom, "if there is an unusual character, it's the boy." That is the "Half"-- Jake, played by 12-year-old Angus T. Jones. "Children in sitcoms tend to be super bright and precocious. He's a C or D student, and he's into videogames, and he messes up." Jake has videogames in common with both his real-life alter ego and Ferrell, as it turns out. Jones and Ferrell "play Zelda and Final Fantasy. I gave him a remote controller last Christmas, and he gave me a Zelda game. I like the role-playing games." This season, "They're trying to address him growing up, getting taller, on the show," she notes. As for Jones off-camera, "He's growing, but he's not changing -- he's staying a very sweet, down-to-earth guy."
(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)
The Beck/Smith syndicated newspaper column includes exclusive in-depth, behind-the-scenes reports on the stars, on the business of television and movie-making, and on the recording, publishing and media beats.
©2005 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
FEEDS: News | Pop Culture | Ledger Pop | Ledger DC
