Murderous times in Melbourne
Lucy Lawless returns to screens with new drama series My Life Is Murder. Melenie Parkes reports.
For her latest role in My Life Is Murder, Lucy Lawless plays a former homicide detective. And for a true crime buff like Lawless, it’s a role that seems to fit like a glove – certainly more snugly than the infamous, ill-fitting pair worn by OJ Simpson at his trial.
Lawless takes her interest in true crime seriously. She doesn’t just watch the documentaries and dramas splattered across our screens – in her down time she has been known to attend court trials. She even sat in the gallery for the bail hearing of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
But while her new series has ‘‘Murder’’ in the title, Lawless says ‘‘real-life crime and television crime are galaxies apart’’.
‘‘There is nothing mysterious or glamorous or intriguing about murder. It’s often sad and pathetic and creepy in real life, when you go to a real trial. That doesn’t fit our brief of entertaining an audience,’’ she laughs.
‘‘We’re giving you sort of real life but a little bit better. The environments you go into are a little more glamorous than real life.’’
In this murder-mystery-crime-comedy drama set in Melbourne, Lawless stars as Alexa Crowe, a funny and fearless private investigator who has been widowed.
‘‘I’m a little nervous that New Zealanders will be freaked out by me with an Australian accent, but I think they can cope,’’ says the 52-year-old.
The character appealed to her because ‘‘she’s not pretending to be something she’s not. I think that’s quite aspirational.’’
Lawless has worked on ‘‘some really dystopic things, you know, blood and guts and sex and whatnot,’’ but at this time in her life and with the current state of world events, she has no interest in revisiting that darker material. ‘‘I do not want to be contributing to that. I don’t have a hunger for it. But to be able to take people, just for an hour into a beautiful world and solve a murder is really fun.’’
My Life Is Murder also stars Bernard Curry (Wentworth) as Kieran Hussey, a police detective and former colleague of Alexa’s and Ebony Vagulans as Alexa’s assistant Madison.
Rounding out this modern, crime-fighting family is newcomer Todd River. While his dialogue may be limited, the diminutive actor made his presence felt on set.
‘‘He’s such a diva,’’ roars Lawless. ‘‘You wouldn’t believe it.’’
We’re pleased to offer this extra television coverage – courtesy of our sister publication The TV Guide – while it is unable to publish under current restrictions.
It is almost impossible to talk about Lawless without mentioning Xena: Warrior Princess, the series that made her a household name – and she clearly still holds great affection for the role.
There has been much talk of a reboot since the series ended in 2001 and Lawless says she would ‘‘love’’ to see Xena return in some form.
‘‘I don’t know why it hasn’t already been done. I’m putting on my thinking cap, put it that way. I’m always thinking of what’s the next thing I want to do.’’
My Life Is Murder, TVNZ 1, Friday, May 1