Xena: Warrior Princess has an amazing cast of characters and some talented actors.
I love Lucy Lawless however, I don’t just watch Xena: Warrior Princess for the character that she plays. I first saw Renee O’Connor in Hercules and The Lost Kingdom, she played a character named Deinarra who was very like Gabrielle in my opinion. She was very talkative and feisty. I liked Deinarra so took to Gabrielle immediately.
Kevin Smith
Other character’s have grown on me the more they appear. I love Kevin Smith as Ares. It’s funny, I can’t stand him as Iphicles (Hercules’ half brother) in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (HTLJ). I think it has a lot to do with the moustache. I’m not usually fond of them, but it really suits him. Also, it could have something to do with the attitude of the character, and the power, especially the way he misuses it. I really enjoyed seeing him get tossed around in “Ten Little Warlords”. After all the grief he’d put Xena through he still expected her help.
Hudson Leik
Although Lucy was not in it, I really enjoyed “Ten Little Warlords”. I thought Hudson Leik did a fantastic job of filling in for Lucy due to her accident. She really captured the aura of Xena, so much so that I could focus on the story without being put off that it wasn’t actually Lucy. The whole body switching theme had a lot to do with it of course.
Hudson Leik as Callisto is a marvel. I really can’t imagine anyone else playing this part. Callisto is my favourite crazy person. I believe there is some subtext in her relationship with Xena, and Hudson mentions it in this interview. I will miss evil Callisto.
Ted Raimi
I know that a lot of people find the character of Joxer annoying, , redundant and other nastier words. I used to be one of them until I watched For Him The Bell Tolls and Sacrifice and more recently Fallen Angel. I really liked this other side of Joxer.
With this other side of Joxer to explore I can’t understand why The Powers That Be (TPTB) continued to portray him as a fool. He’s become a side-kick to Xena and Gabrielle and is an extension of their family so, he won’t be vanishing from our screens. Why not allow him to become more than a fool. The idea of having a clutzy character for comic relief is unnecessary. There is humour in the show without Joxer needing to play the fool.
In the past I’ve said that I would choose Salmoneous over Joxer but Joxer has grown on me. It doesn’t help that we haven’t see Salmoneous in a Xena episode for a couple of seasons.
Robert Trebor
I find Salmoneous funny because he is serious about what he does. He doesn’t see anything wrong in trying to make a quick dinar. The fact that he will do anything for a dinar doesn’t mean that he is a cold person. When it comes to Xena, he shows his heart. I loved him in The Gauntlet and Unchained Heart (both episodes from HTLJ) and especially the Xena episode The Greater Good. Who would believe under all those “get rich quick” schemes lies the heart of a romantic.
Salmoneus admits to being a coward, but he does come through in the end without making a botch of things, and without Xena having to save him too much.
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