And I think because there is an essence of me that cares about other people and what other people think then that then makes me seem very sweet and polite.

I'm the type of person who feels I have to prove myself first.

When Xena finished I just really wanted to work with Shakespeare's material.

But on stage you're able to just take the character from one point to the end and it's a fluid, organic piece. It's about being completely present all the time, right there in the moment.

When you think about going back to the States you start to become more aware of the violence there and how we pollute the Earth more than the New Zealanders.

In film and television you have to be able to see the whole picture in a different way than you do on the stage because you shoot out of order and you're working with technology.

Painting is a hobby for me.