Lucy Lawless

Lucy Lawless breaks down her new documentary she directed 'Never Look Away' and more!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
With Mario Lopez sober Mario Lopez joining me right now
on Zoom. Actress and director Lucy Lawless. How are you, Lucy?

Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm great, all the better for seeing you.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Ah, thank you so much. Congrats. I know you just
directed a new documentary called Never Look Away about the
New Zealand photojournalist Margaret Moth who documented all kinds of
stuff including wars. I Love Me a documentary. What inspired
you to make this particular film?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Well, in part she was a New Zealand's Lisa and
famous person, so there was a cultural aspect to it.
To bring Margaret home because she left in like a
puff of smoke in nineteen seventy nine and wasn't seen
for a lot of years. And what happened was she
landed in Houston, Texas and took up with a much

(00:46):
younger man. In fact, he was only in his last
year of high school. He was seventeen, and they embarked
on this crazy odyssey of just outrageous behavior. And eventually
she went to work for CNN and found her a
new drug, which was war, and by and by she
found a conflict where death came for her and a

(01:09):
sniper's bullet took off half her face. So from being
this extremely powerful, charismatic, beautiful, very sexual being, she was
turned kind of into a monster and she had to
fight back, and in fact she did survive and went
on to shoot another sixteen years and lived a really
just an extraordinarily inspiring life.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
That is unbelievable. Shot in the Facebok in the war.
My goodness. Now, this was the first time that you've
ever directed something to have plans for more of it.
Did you enjoy the experience?

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, it's pretty giddy, you know. I'm giddy with the
power of it all. Directing. Oh my gosh. I don't
love getting up at four am for, you know, to
sit in a makeup chair to go and be an actor.
But I would get up at four am to direct
any day of the week. Very good, I like.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Well, speaking of acting, you are starting in a movie
called Pike River about the New Zealand mining tragedy. That
is another fascinating story.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah. It was where collusion of the government kind of
stopped people being a extracted, their bodies being extracted, and
a big cover up about what happened there. And in
New Zealand, it's a small country, you know, the truth
will get out. So it was a very interesting I
was honored to be part of it.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
I'm looking forward to that. Next year will be thirty
years since the premier of your iconic show ZENA Princess Warrior.
I know reboot almost happened. Could we ever see you
Zen again?

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Gosh, people are trying, they keep trying, but somehow it
sort of gets ah like canceled at the last one.
They're trying to make it, but they can't figure out
how to make it fresh and make it better, reimagine it,
make it at least as good and hopefully better than before.
So I'm all for it. I'm I'm I'm behind them
all the way and let's see what happens. It won't

(03:04):
be me, but I'll be part of passing on the
baton somehow.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
That sounds great. Well. Meanwhile, we will check out your
new documentary, Never Look Away. It is in theater is
now and available on all digital platforms, so be sure
to check that out. And Lucy, thanks so much for
taking the time. It's nice to see you. Hopefully we'll
see in.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Personal My pleasure cheerier, Take care Bye

Speaker 1 (03:28):
With Mario Lopez