What's being celebrated today you ask? Well today is Lucy Lawless' birthday, or as she's better known to most, Xena Warrior Princess.
Lawless rose to pop culture fame in the 90s with her character Xena, who'd bagged her own spin-off series after appearing on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Xena is a formidable warrior who is initially a villain prone to murder and pillaging, but after being inspired by Hercules when he spares her life, she decides to dedicate her life to atoning for her sins of violence and murder. How does she do that? by travelling Ancient Greece and beyond, battering the fuck out of folk, but only those who deserve it. It's a shame to waste a good talent.
Lawless has since gone on to pop up in a few other big-name TV shows, including Parks and Rec, Spartacus, Salem, and Battlestar Galactica. She's also starred in a fair few Sam Raimi productions, of which Xena Warrior Princess is included, and is now married to one of Raimi's most favoured producers, Robert Tapert, which is pretty ballsy to say that she's on record stating how much The Evil Dead horrified her and made her question the kind've people capable of making something like it. A true feat in facing your fears, to be sure.
Lawless has also shown she is just as capable of being a bad-ass outside of the Xena costume, such as when she and other protesters invaded an oil-drilling ship in New Zealand to prevent it leaving in 2012, which oil company Shell felt was worthy of a $545,000 fine, whereas the courts did not. She also (kinda) has a planet and moon named after her - the planet Eris is unofficially named Xena, whilst it's moon is named Dysnomia - the Greek goddess of lawlessness. Greek, Xena, Lawless. Very clever.
Lucy, go ahead and have a great day now, and thanks for all the sword fights and ass-kickings.
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