Xena: Warrior Nutballs
Kia Ora and G’day whānau! Join two queer overexcitable fangirls, Lou (Kiwi, new-ish fan) and Shell (Aussie, OG Xenite), as they deep-dive into Xena: Warrior Princess with charmingly mediocre wit, loads of nostalgia, and at times impenetrable accents.
As Xena: Warrior Princess celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025, we’re highlighting its legacy by attempting to interview 30 cast and crew who made it legendary, the Kiwis and Aussies responsible for the leather outfits, the sword fights, and let’s be real, making us all a little bit gayer. From behind-the-scenes stories to on-set moments, we’re going to bring you the voices behind the show which changed the world.
🎧 Listen in and embrace the Nutball life! ⚔️🌈
Visit us at: https://xenawarriornutballs.com/
Listen on:
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
This week we dive headfirst into the underworld with Erik Thomson, AFI winner, Logie winner, and all around Kiwi Aussie legend ⚡👑
Erik takes us back to the 90s to share what it was like working on such a huge international show as a local actor, and how Xena: Warrior Princess shaped Aotearoa's TV and film industry for years to come.
Tune in for some seriously fun Xena chats with the man who made Hades unforgettable. ⚔️
And yes, consider this the start of our official campaign to get Erik Thomson to the Salute to Xena convention 2026 🎉🙌.
Thursday Sep 18, 2025
Thursday Sep 18, 2025
In our very first interview we sit down with the legendary Kiwi, Donny Duncan, the Director of Photography for a whopping 77 episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess. From epic battle shots to those dark grungy tavern scenes, Donny’s eye shaped so much of the world we all love. We dive into how he captured the magic, filming in Aotearoa in the 90s. His influence went far beyond the screen, to this day, he champions women stepping into camera roles, opening doors in a male-dominated industry and changing the game for future storytellers. Join us to hear about his infamous on set cheeky prank on Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor, and peek into how Donny’s craft and care helped shape the Xenaverse. Trust us, this one’s a visual feast for the ears! 🎥
Show notes:
- Donny wanted to clarify that they worked 12-hour days on set, not 10 and that the only season with 24 episodes was Season 1, the rest had 22.
- This is the "Double Rainbow Ad" Lou kept banging on about that Donny shot at the same waterfall as "Altered States" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4bniXxc6no
Thursday Sep 04, 2025
Thursday Sep 04, 2025
Join Lou (a Kiwi newbie) and Shell (an Aussie OG fan) on their quest to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Xena: Warrior Princess. In this first episode they nerd out about why Xena still matters, what the show’s all about, and the Kiwis and Aussies they dream of chatting with who made the ‘90s cult classic legendary. 🌈⚔️