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Introduction (01-04)
Note from Alex (05)
Alex's Head (06-166)
Alex's Résumé
Acknowledgments
Articles
Biography
INSIDE THE HEAD OF ALEXANDRA TYDINGS
Alexandra Tydings, woman of many skills.
Introduction
[01] Wow! What can I say? When I got this e-mail back from Alex I was floored, excited, and overwhelmed all at once. I got a chance to meet her and get her autograph at the May 2001 Convention in Pasadena. Can we say extremely nice? For any obsessed fan, its feels good to know that some of the stars of the show really mean it when it comes to caring for fans. Alex is one of them. She cares about you! Fans need that, you know? Thank you Alex! WOW!
[02] I was sitting there watching the XXX show at Pasadena and, let me tell you folks, when they announced they were going to read Fan Fiction the crowd went wild. When they kissed, (and boy did they), I could not hear a thing. The cheering was deafening. [Read more about the XXX Show at "The Alex and Claire Show".]
[03] Alex is a beautifully, talented, big hearted person with such soulful eyes. She takes time out no matter how crowded, or how busy, and she will talk to you. She's full of life. I was so happy to see the Renaissance Pictures explore her Goddess of Love character. She really bloomed.
[04] I wish Alex and Claudia Christian the best with HourGlass, the new series they hope to produce. [Check out Whoosh's Hourglass area.] I'm a fan already! I wish Alex the best in everything she does. This interview really ROCKED! Let's get to know Alex, a 'Goddess' in real life! WOW! THUD!
Note From Alex
[05] Hello from transit land! I started writing this in the United gates at LAX, then on a flight to Chicago. Then I missed my connecting flight and had to spend the night. Then I wrote from the American gates at O'Hare, the United gates at O'Hare two days later, Denver, and then Vancouver. No wonder I'm tired. It'll be a miracle if any of this makes sense!
Alex's Head
AMY MURPHY:
[06] Why did you start acting?ALEXANDRA TYDINGS:
[07] I started dancing when I was too young to remember. That led to performing in general—acting, dancing, singing—all of which I adored, which I suppose is why I kept doing it. I don't actually remember any decision to start acting—it just happened and then continued. There was a moment, when I graduated college, when I decided to pursue a career in acting, and that was mostly a process of elimination. Of the professions I wanted to try, acting was the one that most frightened me, so I decided to go for that.MURPHY:
[08] If you had to do it all over, would you be an actor?TYDINGS:
[09] Hmmm...probably... In spite of myself! But if I did, I would skip college (even though Brown was fantastic), go straight to New York, and immerse myself in Theatre. If not, I like to imagine doing something very different, like working in Africa for Doctors Without Borders, or being a photojournalist.MURPHY:
[10] Give us a brief day in the life of Alex.TYDINGS:
[11] Yikes. Alex on which continent? It varies wildly depending on whether I'm on the set, at a convention, or in LA. So I'll give you a taste of all three: I wake up at 4:00 am, get picked up by a PA [personal assistant] who drives me to the set. I doze a little as hip-hop blares on the stereo. Get to the set, it's freezing, get changed into whatever there is of my costume, go into the makeup trailer and talk romance while the makeup artist changes me radically and I drink tea.[12] Or feed the dogs, let them out. Go for a run; return a ton of phone calls. Go to tae kwon do. Get on stage and answer questions about life on Xena. Sign 500 autographs.
[13] Or pick up Claudia [Christian], go to an Hourglass meeting. Eat fabulous food that Claudia cooks. Shoot a few scenes. Write a little. Buy a present for whoever is dog sitting. Agonize about what to wear to an audition. Go to said audition. Return more calls from the car while I run errands. Answer e-mails. Rearrange the furniture. Pay the bills just in time. Play with the dogs. Meet a friend for coffee or a drink. Go dancing. Feed the dogs. Crash.
MURPHY:
[14] How do you handle stress?TYDINGS:
[15] Laugh and punch stuff.MURPHY:
[16] Years from now, how would you want to be remembered?TYDINGS:
[17] As a brave, crazy, smart girl who was part of something that changed the world.MURPHY:
[18] What is your pet peeve?TYDINGS:
[19] People being rude to service industry folk.MURPHY:
[20] What do you see yourself doing in the future? Future projects?TYDINGS:
[21] One of my favorite questions. Spending the next five years shooting Hourglass. Writing occasionally. Directing occasionally. Then I finally finish my feature script and get that made. Direct some funky wild features. Star in some funky wild features. Star in European films. Live in France. Get fluent in French and at least one other language. Work with my phenomenally talented friends on all kinds of groundbreaking projects for the rest of my life. Oh, and get my pilot's license and start a school.MURPHY:
[22] Tell us about Hourglass please?TYDINGS:
[23] Hourglass is a television series that Claudia Christian (Ivanova of Babylon Five) and I have created. It is a sexy, funny, phenomenally cool female buddy action show based in history and it is going to kick *ss. Sword fights, tae kwon do, funny accents, me and CC in corsets...you can check it out at hourglass1.com—shameless plug I know, but someone's got to do it![24] It has been an exciting process, from the very beginning. Claudia and I met doing conventions, and started talking about what we would want to do in an ideal world. I studied film at school, and she's about to direct her first feature, so we both have always expected to get behind the scenes sooner or later. We talked about what we would enjoy doing, what our talents are, what we would feel proud of, what would be fun... we held online chats and talked to fans about what they would want to see, and we came up with an idea called Hourglass which has taken on a life of its own. Strong women in history, Celtic mysticism, quantum physics, and a story that we both feel passionately about. It is so exciting.
MURPHY:
[25] Who had the idea about the XXX Cabaret show?TYDINGS:
[26] Claire [Stansfield] and I worked on it together, but I have to give Ms. Stansfield credit for coming up with the fan fiction idea. It was brilliant. We knew we were onto something and we knew people would probably dig it—but we had no idea![Click here for pictures from cabaret from Alexandra Tyding's website and Claire Stansfield's website.
The Fan Fiction they read on May 5th, 2001 in the Pasadena during the XXX Cabaret Show were:
BEDTIME FOR WARRIORS AND BARDS by LN James
DOWN HOME by CN Winters
(From CN Winters: I wasn't aware that Alex and Claire would be reading one of my stories. In fact, I didn't learn of it until the next day when people came up to me and told me about it. With so much fiction on the net, I was delighted to hear they choose my work for the biggest con of all. When I returned home I emailed them and told them how flattered I felt in regard to the reading. Alex was very kind and responded back. She didn't have to but she took the time reply to my thank you. She's a very talented and classy lady and I'd be honored if I could work with her someday in some capacity. (Cynthia Winters) Sincerely, CN WINTERS**)XENAFANADDICTS R US, by Mil Toro
SINFUL ADVENTURES, by Mil Toro
XENA'S KISSES, by Mil Toro
(From Mil Toro: I was quite honoured and flattered to hear the news on Sat morning that Claire and Alex were going to do my skits. An added thrill came at the cabaret when they used my skit "Xena's Kisses" to end the show with a kiss of their own (as Xena and Gabrielle). Reciting the fanfic was a lovely way to acknowledge the plethora of bards in the Xenaverse who have written literally thousands of stories and skits. I could never thank them enough for giving us that very special evening. Thank you, Claire and Alex!!! (MiL) Sincerely, MiL**)]MURPHY:
[27] Tell us the story behind the XXX Cabaret show please.TYDINGS:
[28] Claire and I were invited to perform at the Creation cabaret. We didn't want to sing or dance, and the magic act idea was already taken, so we figured we'd just come up with something. Then Creation called asking what the title of our act would be. At that point, we didn't even know what the act was, let alone the title. We did, however, know that we wanted to do something sexy, so Claire said "let's just call it the XXX Review, and we'll figure out what that it later". [29] We wanted to give a nod to the subtext fans, and we thought of doing an excerpt from Vagina Monologues. But that was actually in production in LA at the time and we didn't want a lawsuit on our hands. So we found ourselves with this problem of coming up with material that wasn't a copyright problem and neither of us really had time to write anything. Then Claire had her stroke of genius, she scoured the Internet for fan fic, and we put it all together.MURPHY:
[30] How do you handle depression?TYDINGS:
[31] I smoke too much, I don't sleep, I stop eating... then I call my friends, they kick my *ss, make me laugh, and I start working again. Love and creativity usually takes care of it.MURPHY:
[32] What advice can you give to future actors?TYDINGS:
[33] Nurture your creativity, keep growing, and persevere.MURPHY:
[34] What are your dreams? Hopes? Wishes?TYDINGS:
[35] World peace, an end to war, an end to prisons. Lots of love, sex, and laughter. And one day I will found a multi-media art institute and an art school for kids.MURPHY:
[36] Who do you trust?TYDINGS:
[37] Myself, my friends, my family. My dogs and my Grandma especially.MURPHY:
[38] What is the stupidest thing you have ever been asked?TYDINGS:
[39] Do I get cold in my Aphrodite costume when we're shooting outside in New Zealand in the winter.MURPHY:
[40] What are you tired of being asked?TYDINGS:
[41] Plot specific questions.MURPHY:
[42] If you were a parent, what would the greatest wish you would have for your child?TYDINGS:
[43] I want my dogs to be healthy and happy and feeling well loved. With lots of squirrels to chase and lots of bones to gnaw on. And I hope that humans manage to protect the environment enough that they have decent air to breathe and water to drink for at least as long as they're around.MURPHY:
[44] What would you say every actor needs?TYDINGS:
[45] Patience, stamina, and a good sense of humor.MURPHY:
[46] Do you believe in prayer? Explain.TYDINGS:
[47] I've heard some amazing things about scientists doing studies of prayer helping people heal faster, even if the people don't know each other, and even if the people who are ill don't know that they are being prayed for.MURPHY:
[48] What makes your best friend your best friend?TYDINGS:
[49] Laughter.MURPHY:
[50] Did you ever ask the writers to tone down your characters'?TYDINGS:
[51] Nope.MURPHY:
[52] What's the most romantic thing anyone has done for you?TYDINGS:
[53] When I was nine years old, a little boy from Italy gave me a bracelet that he had made with shells he had collected on the beach. It was pretty intense for a nine-year-old. Obviously made an impression.MURPHY:
[54] What theme would you like to tackle in your next work?TYDINGS:
[55] Sexuality and power.MURPHY:
[56] What was the last thing that made you smile recently?TYDINGS:
[57] Someone on the cell phone telling his family that his flight was delayed when really he had missed it.MURPHY:
[58] What made you angry?TYDINGS:
[59] Someone being rudely impatient with their elderly mother.MURPHY:
[60] You now have absolute authority over the world. Omnipotent in all areas. What's your first move?TYDINGS:
[61] Overturn the nineteenth century Supreme Court decision that gave corporations the rights of citizens without the same responsibility... That, or get everyone laid.MURPHY:
[62] Do fans scare you?TYDINGS:
[63] When they are dressed as storm troopers or carrying weapons.MURPHY:
[64] How would you categorize your best acting?TYDINGS:
[65] I think I do my best work when I've fallen in love with my character.MURPHY:
[66] If you had thirty seconds to live, what would you think, feel, or say?TYDINGS:
[67] I like to think that I'd grab whoever was next to me and give them a passionate kiss. Unless it was my mom or something. In which case maybe I'd grab her hand and say "weeeeeeeeee!" ...Thirty seconds can be a long time. I'd probably think of everyone I care about and try to send him or her some sort of cosmic high five.MURPHY:
[68] What stupid thing did you do as a teen?TYDINGS:
[69] If you gave me a list, I'm pretty sure I'd have to check off everything. But I think falling in love with a runaway and accidentally dying my hair green are probably up there.MURPHY:
[70] What, if anything, can stop you acting?TYDINGS:
[71] I think when I'm dead it might be difficult, but who knows.MURPHY:
[72] In your opinion, do you fit your astrological sign?TYDINGS:
[73] To a T. Tea? Tee? I guess Sagittarians aren't such hot spellers.MURPHY:
[74] What to you is the worst feeling in the world?TYDINGS:
[75] Shame.MURPHY:
[76] The best feeling in the world?TYDINGS:
[77] Accomplishment. Love. Dancing.MURPHY:
[78] Are you afraid of forever being known as the 'Goddess Of Love'?TYDINGS:
[79] I should be so lucky! I hope I'm not forever known as an actress in pink lingerie with a blonde wig and a wonder bra, but it always cracks me up to say that I played the Goddess of Love.MURPHY:
[80] What did the show Xena mean to you?TYDINGS:
[81] Wow. Well, I met the best friend anyone could ever have working on that show. And I am fiercely proud of having been part of something that changed television history. It was the first time a female hero stood on her own, with no man in the background (or foreground) telling her what to do, and I think that is so amazing. A friend of mine told me that her eight-year-old daughter used to want to be on a diet; then she started watching Xena and now she wants to play sports instead.MURPHY:
[82] Favorite song of the moment?TYDINGS:
[85] "4 For My People" by Miss E Elliot.
A signed torso and headshot
(Click the graphic for a larger picture)
MURPHY:
[86] Is there one part of the acting process where you usually get stuck?TYDINGS:
[87] I'm not crazy about auditioning. In general.MURPHY:
[88] What have you tried to change that, was successful or not?TYDINGS:
[89] I'm usually pretty successful at changing my hair color. Economic, racial, and sexual oppression have been a bit more stubborn.MURPHY:
[90] Does the best acting flow for you, or does it come from retakes?TYDINGS:
[91] The best acting is always a flow, and that often appears in a retake!MURPHY:
[92] Which part of acting do you enjoy most and why?TYDINGS:
[93] Researching, collaborating, playing... I can't choose.MURPHY:
[94] How often do you think about a piece when you're working on it and when do you think about it?TYDINGS:
[95] I think about it a lot if I feel like I haven't gotten a take on it yet. When I'm sleeping, in the car, in the shower, at the movies... all the time. Then (hopefully) I figure it out—I crack it somehow—and then I forget about it.MURPHY:
[96] When someone walks into your bedroom, what are the first five things that they're likely to notice?TYDINGS:
[97] It's red. My bed takes up most of it. It's a bit like an opium den. One of my drawings is on the wall. And there is probably an enormous dog at the foot of the bed. ...That actually might be the first thing they'd notice.MURPHY:
[98] Do you feel in control of your acting, or do your inspiration or characters carry you away?TYDINGS:
[99] It's a split focus exercise. You have to be in control—getting your lines right, hitting your mark, making sure that your punch is a good foot away from the other actor's face... but within that structure you gotta let the spirit fly.MURPHY:
[100] Tell the truth—are you your favorite actor, or in your own top five?TYDINGS:
[101] Yikes, no. I haven't done nearly enough. Susan Sarandon, Holly Hunter, Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, the amazing woman who was in Angel at my Table and Shallow Grave, Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, Sally Field, Shirley McLaine Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Ed Norton, Robert Duval, Ewen McGregor... I have a lot of work to do before I get anywhere close to those guys.MURPHY:
[102] Would the world be a better place if women ran it or would it be basically the same?TYDINGS:
[103] I think the world needs as much help as it can get. At the moment, it has been so overwhelmed and unbalanced by centuries of patriarchy that there is tons of room for feminine perspectives, and they are badly needed. Which is not to say that we should replace patriarchy with matriarchy. I'm a bit of an anarchist when it comes to political philosophy, so I say we need everyone's help, and as much of it as possible. But to answer your question, I think the world would be enormously different if women ran it and probably more fun for a little while, but not necessarily any better.MURPHY:
[104] What is your favorite spot where you live now?TYDINGS:
[105] On the floor wrestling with my dogs.MURPHY:
[106] What books are you reading now? What about it/them is holding your attention?TYDINGS:
[107] Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. It's the first time I've read it, and I'm so surprised by how funny it is! I'm really loving it. And The Elegant Universe, by Brian Greene. I'm reading it because I have almost no science education, it is supposed to explain superstring theory in laymen's terms. Also I quote it in the pilot episode of Hourglass. I'm having a pretty rough time staying with it!MURPHY:
[108] What would your friends say is your worst trait?TYDINGS:
[110] My obsessive/impulsive/lack of attention span-ness. (It's also one of my best traits.)MURPHY:
[111] What is the longest any plant in your home has been with you?TYDINGS:
[112] I think there is an orchid my mom gave me nearly two years ago that's still alive. Through no fault of mine.MURPHY:
[113] Do you have any particular bedtime rituals (glass of warm milk, etc.) that you follow every night?TYDINGS:
[114] Brush my teeth, wash my face, and kiss the dogs. I'm beginning to pick up my great-grandmother's habit of a scotch in the evening. She lived to be 96 so I'm not too worried about it.MURPHY:
[115] If you find a spider in the bathtub, do you help it out or squish it?TYDINGS:
[116] I think spiders are pretty cool. I'll put it in a glass and take it outside.MURPHY:
[117] What was the last thing you bought that you really didn't need?TYDINGS:
[118] A Polaroid i-zone camera. I'm addicted.MURPHY:
[119] Have you ever smoked cigarettes—explainTYDINGS:
[120] I predict a new trend of nicotine speak-easies: backdoor bars where you say the password, then come in, and smoke as much as you want. I'm for legalizing everything and then being responsible. I wouldn't call myself a smoker, but I'll have a cigarette from time to time.MURPHY:
[121] Who is your favorite Greek God? (Other then yourself, of course)TYDINGS:
[122] Bacchus.MURPHY:
[123] What skill would you like to have that you don't have now?TYDINGS:
[124] The ability to fly. And heal people.MURPHY:
[125] Who is your real life hero and why?TYDINGS:
[126] Emma Goldman, the turn of the century feminist/anarchist activist. She was brave, bold, and passionate: "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution." Whenever she spoke in public, she brought a book so that she'd have something to read in jail. She spoke out about birth control, divorce, prison conditions, child labor laws... a lot of stuff that we're still confronting a century later. Check out her autobiography.MURPHY:
[127] Would you like to write a script?TYDINGS:
[128] I just finished the pilot episode of Hourglass. Now I'm working on my first feature.MURPHY:
[129] Would you like to direct?TYDINGS:
[130] Absolutely. I studied film at school, so it is something I expect to do.MURPHY:
[131] Is it hard to do a love scenes?TYDINGS:
[132] Yup.MURPHY:
[133] How would you describe your parents?TYDINGS:
[134] Just like me and the opposite of me. Wonderful, generous, courageous, loving creatures who have created an amazing family.MURPHY:
[135] What is the hardest thing you ever had to do?TYDINGS:
[136] Say goodbye to my lover who died from a heroin overdose.MURPHY:
[137] What was the easiest?TYDINGS:
[138] Fall in love.MURPHY:
[139] What movie touched you so much that you still remember it vividly?TYDINGS:
[140] Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet.MURPHY:
[141] If you could only choose a single climate with no variation, would you prefer it to be sweltering hot or freezing cold?TYDINGS:
[142] Sweltering hot. No question.MURPHY:
[143] What is the first thing you notice about someone when you meet him or her?TYDINGS:
[144] Their eyes.MURPHY:
[145] Would you rather live in a sociable suburb, or alone in the deep woods?TYDINGS:
[146] Woods.MURPHY:
[147] What literary character did you most identify with as a child?TYDINGS:
[148] Dierdre from the Celtic legend.MURPHY:
[149] What is the source of your inspiration?TYDINGS:
[150] Life.MURPHY:
[151] What do you find most satisfying about your job?TYDINGS:
[152] Touching people.MURPHY:
[153] What are the three things you enjoy most about acting?TYDINGS:
[154] Travelling, making/catching up with friends, collaborating creatively with talented people, and finding the courage to do something that frightens me. (I know, that's four.)MURPHY:
[155] What were your favorite book, TV show, and movie when you were a teenager and what do you think of them now?TYDINGS:
[156] Garden of Eden by Hemingway. I didn't watch TV (I was too punk rock). Bette Blue. I recently revisited both, and was surprised that I still admire both of them. Especially Garden of Eden. Hemingway is a genius.MURPHY:
[157] What's your idea of a perfect world?TYDINGS:
[158] Real freedom for everyone.MURPHY:
[159] Who do you read for inspiration?TYDINGS:
[160] Sark.MURPHY:
[161] When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?TYDINGS:
[162] An actress, the first female president, a vegetarian veterinarian, a ballerina, and lots of other things.MURPHY:
[163] What have you learned from your animals?TYDINGS:
[164] Love is really all that matters.MURPHY:
[165] Does our society glorify violence to the point we have become desensitized to it and the consequences?TYDINGS:
[166] Yes.Alex's Résumé
Alex's e-mail: alexandra@alextydings.com
Alex's mailing list: alextydings-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Alex's website: alextydings.com
Alex's new project: HourGlass
HourGlass announcement list for updates: hourglass_tv-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
"Taboo" video with Claudia Christian and Alexandra Tydings. Directed by Claire Stansfield.Date of Birth: 15 December 1972, Washington, USA
Films & TV Series
Dodge's City TV Series (1999)
CricketHercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus
Aphrodite (voice)The Sunchaser (1996)
Victoria ReynoldsRed Shoe Diaries 7: Burning Up (1995)
Lynn
(excerpt from episode "Burning Up")TV guest appearances
Aphrodite -- not just another pretty face!
Xena: Warrior Princess
Aphrodite
"Many Happy Returns" (episode # 6.19) (2001)
"You Are There" (episode # 6.13) (2001)
"The God You Know " (episode # 6.12) (2001)
"Motherhood" (episode # 5.22) (2001)
"Married With Fishsticks" (episode # 5.15) (2000)
"Punch Lines" (episode # 5.11) (2000)
"Little Problems" (episode # 5.8) (1999)
"If the Shoe Fits" (episode # 4.12) (1999)
"Fins, Femmes and Gems" (episode # 3.18) (1998)
"Quill Is Mightier..., The" (episode # 3.10) (1998)
"For Him the Bell Tolls" (episode # 2.16) (1997)
Crabella
"Married With Fishsticks" (episode # 5.15) (2000)Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Aphrodite
"Love, Amazon Style" (episode # 6.2) (1999)
"Love on the Rocks" (episode # 5.18) (1999)
"Reign Of Terror" (episode # 3.18) (1997)
"Green-Eyed Monster, The" (episode # 3.7) (1996)
"Love Takes a Holiday" (episode # 3.3) (1996)
"The Apple" (episode # 2.17) (1996)
Catherine
"One Fowl Day" (episode # 4.17) (1998)
Catherine the pig (voice)
"One Fowl Day" (episode # 4.17) (1998)
"Porkules" (episode # 4.16) (1998)
"Stranger In A Strange World" (episode # 4.5) (1997)Party of Five
Kerry
"Handicaps" (episode # 4.3) (1997)Vanishing Son
?Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
?
"The Visitor,"Red Shoe Diaries
"Love at first sight" (1992)
Lynn, "Burning Up"Acknowledgments
Thanks to the Bardic Circle for a few of the questions. Thanks to Kamouraskan for the beta.
Articles
L. J. Maas and Murphy Wilson [Amy Murphy]. One Step Beyond ... Uber, That Is. WHOOSH #49 (October 2000)
The "Inside the Head of…" series in Whoosh issues #58, 61-63, 65-
Biography
Amy Murphy
Twenty-nine-year-old Amy Murphy resides in Indiana, and is an avid reader of Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction. If it exists in the Xenaverse, chances are she's read it! Murphy has also tried her hand at writing FF, turning out two very nice pieces that reside on a couple of web sites throughout the Xenaverse.
Favorite episode: IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE (24/124)
Favorite line: "I Have Many Skills" Various episodes
First episode seen: TITANS (07/107)
Least favorite episode: LYRE, LYRE HEARTS ON FIRE (100/510)
