Catching up with a cultural icon is always exciting, but catching up with Lucy Lawless from her country home takes the cake.
We talked with Lucy about My Life Is Murder Season 3, which premieres today on Acorn TV. Our zoom chat included expansive views of her lovely home (where she finally has wireless), and a peek at her gorgeous dog enjoying the day.
Lucy is excited about the latest season of My Life Is Murder, with good reason. She’s still filming in her hometown of Auckland, and it thrills her to share more of it with her fans.
“When people want to see New Zealand, they never think about Auckland. It’s just sort of the port that you go into, and everybody scrams to more well-known places,” Lucy said.
“But, my city is beautiful and vibrant and fun. You just got to look into the community some. The theater’s amazing. So if you come to Auckland, make sure you book tickets to go and see something there. You’ve got three theater companies that are just world-class.”
That might be secondary to playing what she considers a souped-up version of herself in Alexa. “Sometimes there’s no acting required,” she said.
“I’m quite allowed to explore me, you know, a little bit of a souped-up version of me because, trust me, my real life you wouldn’t put on TV; it’s not going to be entertaining,” she laughed.
“But you get to be a heightened version of yourself, which is kind of interesting, just psychologically. It’s quite interesting at this time in my life to go, ‘Oh. Oh my God, is that what I’m like?'”
With my limited firsthand knowledge of Lucy, it’s unlikely anybody would consider sharing time with less than entertaining. She’s charismatic to the core and draws you into her orbit with her casual demeanor and winning smile.
If she’s taking a psychological journey with Alexa, viewers are treated to a visual and intellectual smorgasbord. True to earlier seasons, My Life Is Murder infuses brilliant pops of color into every scene, and it’s not without purpose.
“We felt the world was bleak when we started this, and I’ve got to say that’s clear. That’s clear the way Claire [Tonkin], the series creator, first came to me about doing the role.
“That’s her thing, and it’s a point of difference because we felt the world was really a bit bleak, and it was a bit dark, and so we don’t show mangled girls and stolen children and stuff. That’s not our show. We’re not about that.
“We’re about color, and sass, and personal freedom, and doing the right thing, or doing the wrong thing — but you will be called out. And it’s actually about being single,” she said.
Alexa may be free to do as she pleases, but she’s not against taking one for the team if it helps her score information she needs to solve a case.
There’s a scene in one of the early Season 3 episodes that focuses on Alexa exiting a car in a fabulous (and dangerous) pair of heels. It’s the kind of shot you see when a decked-out woman is ready to walk the red carpet.
When asked about that scene, Lucy snorted at the thought they were beautiful shoes. Clearly, that’s not her style. She laughed about her cracked heels and unwillingness to get a pedicure, something she later regretted after the closeup on her feet.
“Oh, they were just torture. And I sort of feel like that is something Alexa would never wear unless she’s going undercover. So I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll wear it under these conditions,'” Lucy laughed. “Yeah, she was bullshitting, so she put on her bullshit shoes.”
A new character gets introduced early in the season. Beth (Tatum Warren-Ngata) is a Navy cryptologist recommended by Madison (Ebony Vagulans) for practical, not reasons.
“New Zealand’s borders were locked down tight. So we wrote Beth, and then it turned out that we did have Ebony. That didn’t ever need to happen.
“But Tatum Warren-Ngata’s just an amazing actress; I worked with her on something else, and I was like, ‘Get that girl.’ And… She got COVID. So Ebony came in and took her lines back. And then, in the end, Ebony got COVID, and Tatum took all the lines back.
“So that was about COVID; all the lines were washing back and forth between these two actresses, and it was really just kind of unfortunate but also fortunate. You know what I mean? And we love them both. But yeah, that’s how that happened.”
Sometimes an unfortunate situation plays beautifully on screen, and adding another person to Alexa’s life that she can pretend is more nuisance than delight works well for the story overall.
It gives Alexa something else to complain about, which Lucy said further develops as the season continues. Alexa is a bit of a grinch, but people love her anyway.
If you ever wondered what Alexa’s stance on Christmas and holiday decor might be, you’re going to find out. “She’s just a curmudgeon,” Lucy said. As to why, she’s not sure. “It’s fun for her to grump about things, I guess.”
But as much as Alexa might want to keep herself emotionally aloof, with two young women in her orbit and her brother’s return, she’s challenged at every turn.
If you’re not from down under, you’re unlikely to recognize any of the costars this season. Due to COVID protocols, inviting actors to her playground wouldn’t have worked out, but Martin Henderson reprises his Season 2 role as Will, Alexa’s troubled brother.
Fresh out of prison, Alexa discovers him while investigating a case. Somehow, he manages to get caught up in something before he even ahs a chance to say hello.
Lucy is thrilled at Martin’s return. “Oh, love that guy. My God. What a divine human being. Like he is a little bit sent from another planet because he’s so thoroughly good.
“He’s such a good man, good being that you’re like… You don’t even think, can I keep him, huh? Can I keep him? Because he’s too good? He’s too good for any of us. Just as a man. I just love him. So genuine, so talented.”
When I suggested Martin seems just as happy to be there as she is to have him, Lucy said, “He likes being where goodness is.”
Perhaps Lucy’s feelings for Martin are why Alexa’s soft spot for her brother never hardens, despite his misadventures.
When asked about her favorite mysteries from the coming season, Lucy said, “Well, sometimes it’s not the ones I expect. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh for sure, I love that story’ on paper, but then … you go, ‘Oh, it’s all right. It’s a bit simple,’. or whatever.
“And you people it with amazing actors, and it just sparks, often becomes something you never dreamed. So they’re all good for different reasons, but sometimes, an episode is greater than the sum of its parts by some sort of alchemy happens.
“There’s an episode about a bunch of fancy housewives, and it is so damn funny that I couldn’t get over it; it’s just hilarious.”
And that’s the magic of My Life Is Murder. Its people shine on screen and behind the scenes bringing it to life.
My Life Is Murder Season 3 premieres today on Acorn TV.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.
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