Batman had Robin, Butch Cassidy had the Sundance Kid and Xena: Warrior Princess had Gabrielle. Playing Xena's sidekick on the cult classic television show was the talented actress and producer Reneé O'Connor, who recently talked to us about being directed by the governor of California, how it felt to be named LesbiaNation.com's most loved woman of the year and what life is like in the "Xena-verse."

We know you are originally from Texas. Where do you call home now?
I live in Los Angeles and I prefer to spend a lot of time in New Zealand.

How often do you get back to New Zealand?
At least once a year, I try to go back more than that if the fates allow me. I spent so much time there while I was working on Xena that it just feels like a second home to me.

Do you have a place out there?
I do still have a home out there. It's something that I need to update and clean up a bit so that I can use it as a rental. (Laughs.)

How exactly did you get into acting, and when did you decide this is what you wanted to do for a living?
I think I've always known that I wanted to be an actor. Since I was a kid, I've loved the theatre and loved being in front of people, my family.

Was there a particular moment that solidified it for you or was it just a general feeling that you had?
I just remember being maybe 11 years old and it was the first play that I was in front of my family and the community church or something and it just felt so freeing to be able to play someone else besides me that I think I got the bug.

Once you made the decision to go for it, how tough is it to break into the business? Did you have a lot of trouble getting roles starting out?
Not starting out. I was really young when I decided to go to the performing arts high school, so I had to make the break in my mind that I was going to try to do this professionally at a really young age. That was it. I'm so driven as a person that it was pretty easy from then on to just stay focused.

Early in your career, you starred with Elijah Wood on the Disney film The Adventures of Huck Finn. What was that experience like?
He was really young, I think he was nine years old. He was so professional and so well prepared. I was very impressed. (Laughs.) I wasn't very - well, I was older, a lot older than him, I guess I was like 19, 18, something, but he knew what his job meant and he came prepared. I just thought that was wonderful. I didn't get to know him too personally, just only the time I spent with him on set.

There's another interesting celebrity you worked with early in your career. You had a role in the Arnold Schwarzenegger-directed episode of Tales from the Crypt which ended up on the cutting room floor.
Who knew he would be the governor some day?

What was it like being directed by Schwarzenegger? And is it weird for you to see that he ended up being the governor?
I think it's very odd. (Laughs.) To be honest, I can't say that I voted for him. He's not someone who I thought would do really great things for our state, but he seems to be moving along well. People around me are jokingly saying he's going to be our president one day - that they're going to change the laws to make him president. Then I'm really going to be surprised.

I don't know. He was a very nice man. I think he was impressed with me that I wasn't intimidated by him. I remember him saying that to me. I don't know. I found him very warm and almost, to tell you the truth, like a grandfatherly type. (Laughs.) Even though he didn't look it, you know. He had that feeling that he was approachable.

You are best known for playing Gabrielle on Xena: Warrior Princess. What is it like now when you think back on that period in your life and what did you take away from your experiences working on the cult classic?
I realize I have a wonderful work ethic. (Laughs.) I laugh at that, but it was tough going. We worked so hard on this TV show and I now realize how much information I have just from the experience of being on the set for six years. I'm trying to use that with my producing.

Yeah, you know, I've always been really professional, sort of like Elijah Wood. He definitely made an impression on me, even though I was older. And I've always been like him. I've come up, I show up for my job, I don't create a lot of personal fuss - I will stand up for my character or question, at least, things if it creatively seems to be needed. But I'm there to work and I was pushed to the extreme on Xena, so I think anything is easier now compared to the elements on that show.

Do any favorite moments stand out from that time in your life?
I love the actors I was working with. I love Lucy Lawless, she's a wonderful woman and she's just a great comedian - as a person and as an actress. And talk about work ethic. She is someone who stands alone. You just knew you were in the battle with her and she wasn't going to wimp out on you.

Ted Raimi was another highlight for me. Any time I get an opportunity now to work with Ted, I jump at it.

Our writers were great. They were just given such bizarre scenarios and they pulled through the most wackiest, fantastical scenarios and yet kept the endearment and friendship of the characters along the way. So kudos to those guys.

And then most importantly for me, I thought Rob Tapert was - he's brilliant. He was and he is brilliant. (Laughs.)

You mentioned the strange plotlines. Was there anything that you thought was just too bizarre or too ridiculous?
Occasionally, later on when I really knew my character more than some of the newer writers coming in, I would debate some of the topics with Rob Tapert. Mostly, we were pretty much on track. I'd say when you look at the whole series, there wasn't a need to stand my ground too much, just a few episodes maybe I could think of.

Do you ever go back and watch any of the old episodes or do you just leave them in the past?
It's funny, you say leave them in the past. I don't watch the episodes, but yet the fans of Xena are very much a part of my life where I see them at conventions and I honor their attachment to the show, and to Lucy and I. I do things around and for them as much as they do for ourselves and our charities.

How often do you get recognized in your everyday life and what sort of interactions do you have with fans outside of the conventions?
The fans are very involved in the charities Lucy and I support. And, for instance, they're just a force of their own. You have to be a part of the "Xena-verse" to really get it. I say Xena-verse because it's just a group of people who are completely loyal and supportive of their friendships that they've created because of the show and the themes that the show represents.

There's a writers' strike going on right now, which you probably know about, and they have organized these boxes of refreshments and beverages for the former Xena writers while they're picketing the lines. It's just incredible. And that's just one of the many things that they do. It's amazing.

You mentioned that your fans support your various charity work. Would you like to mention any of the charities you are involved with?
One of the newer ones that I'm really intrigued with is the Richstone Family Center. That's one that I am going to try to focus on more this year. And it just helps council families and children who have been victimized by child abuse, so that's something I'm looking into.

Do you still keep in touch with Lucy Lawless on a regular basis?
I'd say yes. I mean, I don't see her as much as I do my neighbor, but she's just like a sister to me. I could call her up anytime and have a chat and it's like we just got off the phone, even though it might have been months separating our conversations.

What are the chances of a Xena movie getting made sometime in the future?
I don't think it'll ever be made, at least not one with Lucy and I involved in it. There was a moment there where it probably could have happened, but it had controversy over who owned the property, so it just lagged behind too long and now I think the moment has passed.

At the end of 2006, you were chosen by LesbiaNation.com as their most loved woman of the year. How did it feel to receive such an award?
I was so excited. (Laughs.)

You beat out Lucy Lawless for that award too, didn't you?
Yeah, but I think we switched roles this year. She was number one and I got number two. So now Lucy and I must have this sort of rivalry we are going to have to start just for fun.

So, are you going to beat her in 2008?
(Laughs.) Am I going to beat her? I'd have to pin her down and then maybe they'd let me be number one. Lucy and I just have fun with all of it.