New Zealand icon Lucy Lawless, born Lucille Frances Ryan, is a renowned actress best known for her iconic role as Xena the Warrior Princess. She is married to producer Rob Tapert, with whom she has two sons, Julius Robert Bay Tapert and Judah Miro Tapert, both born in New Zealand. Lucy also has a daughter, Daisy Lawless, from her previous marriage to Garth Lawless.
Lucy was born in Mount Albert, Auckland, to Julie, a teacher, and Frank Ryan, a banker and the city's mayor. She was awarded an Order of Merit in the New Zealand Queen's Birthday Honor List in June 2004, recognizing her outstanding contributions to entertainment and the community.
In 1995, Lucy landed the role of Xena in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which led to her own spin-off show, Xena: Warrior Princess, for six seasons. She has also appeared in numerous other TV series and movies, including Battlestar Galactica, Bedtime Stories, Locusts, Vampire Bats, Justice League: The New Frontier, Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, No Ordinary Family, Spartacus, and many more.
In recent years, Lucy has continued to appear in various TV shows and movies, including Top of the Lake, Parks and Recreation, Chicago: The Musical, and My Life is Murder.