ADRIENNE WILKINSON AT STARFURY: CHARIOTS OF WAR II RADISSON HEATHROW HOTEL, 23/24TH SEPTEMBER 2000
What can I say about Adrienne? What a star!
When my friends and I arrived, we were expecting just to see Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi and Hudson Leick. Imagine our delight when we learned that Paris Jefferson, Tim Omundson and Adrienne would be there as well.
I must confess, initially I wasn't jumping for joy at the prospect of seeing Adrienne. We've only just had Series 5 on Sky TV here in the UK, and not having cable or digital myself, I've had to have a friend tape the show for me. So, bad quality taping combined with the angry, confrontational, violent character of Livia hadn't exactly meant that she'd become a favourite of mine.
Well, as with all cons, there was a video room, and in the lull before the first PA, my friends and I went and watched 'Livia'. They'd never seen it before, and were bowled over by the episode. Seeing it for the second time, I began to appreciate things I'd never noticed before.
Adrienne sure can hold her own when sharing on-screen time with any of her co-stars. She is totally convincing as Xena's/Callisto's daughter, and gives moment-for-moment every ounce of herself, both in the fight sequences and emotional head-to-heads. In fact, in a number of Livia's scenes, she comes off better than Lucy. No mean feat for an actress coming fresh into a long-running, well-established show.
Back in the main hall, and we'd just seen Paris Jefferson, who, bless her, was initially a little nervous. So, the audience was expecting something fairly similar from Adrienne, a "newbie" to the convention circuit and the show. To our delight, however, she walked on-stage, unaffected by the barrage of photographers, and, despite an obviously sore throat, launched confidently into greeting us and saying how much she was enjoying herself.
Over the next ¾ of an hour, she won many more fans than I think she realised. She answered questions with obvious interest and joy, taking us all into her confidence naturally and with great ease, and recounting some hilarious stories. My favourites were the ones about the horrifically nervy horse, which just wouldn't stay on its mark, and which eventually for close-ups had to be held to the spot by members of the crew hanging for dear life onto all four feet! I also LOVED the story about the rare spider, the spider wrangler and the long grass! How brave is that - to be terrified of spiders, yet making it look like you love touching them? As a fellow "arachnophobic", I have great respect and admiration for her!
By the end of her set, she was enjoying herself so much, that she was visibly reluctant to go. What a sweetie, and what a star! Please, do tell her to come back next year. We'd LOVE to have her there!
