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ORBzine - Hudson Leick [Saturday]

We were all assembled in a large hall. It was the wrong shape - longer than it was wide - and the small stage was only about half a foot [fifteen centimetres] off the floor. However, in a nice touch there was a large Xena-style Chakram at the back of the stage, through which the guests entered.

Hudson's appearance is preceeded by a personalised video on the big screen - Hate Xena ... but love Callisto. She is announced by Sean Harry [note - for those of you who don't know, her name is pronounced Like]. Then, Hudson climbs onto the stage ...

[applause as Hudson enters]
Hi. Thank you.
So I'm back. And you're back. [Hudson moves back and forth on the stage striking a variety of poses]

So what are we going to do?

Sword fight?
Sword fight? Mmm. You're all pretty quiet, like you're waiting for something. Waiting for me to turn into something else, huh?

How many boyfriends have you killed since last time?
The same one over and over and over.
Do I look like a caged lion? Do you have any questions? Do you want to talk to me, to play with me?
Or do you just want to watch me? See, I'm walking and talking!

Hudson, do you prefer your hair short or long?
Did you guys hear that? [puts on an upper-class English accent] Do you prefer your hair short or long?
Depends on the day. I prefer long, but when I cut it off, short! Does that help? Are you satiated?

Yep.

Hudson, how difficult was it for you to play Xena when Lucy did her pelvis in? How did that feel?
I planned it! I was there, hiding in the bushes. Can you all hear at the back?

No
It's going to be a long day. She asked - I'm just having such a bizarre time right now, like where am I and what am I doing, standing in front of several hundred people, talking about nothing? She asked me if it was difficult to play Xena. Yes. It was difficult just because it's someone else's character. And that means you have to study them, you can't add to it from yourself. And she's so much more sedate than I am, and my character. So we both had a little bit of a difficult time. I loved watching her play Callisto though, Callisto is such fun to play. Where else can you be insane and get paid for it?

Politics.
Good answer.

How did you like the episode 'Eve'?
I'm like, 'shall I lie?' To be honest with you, I just recently watched all my episodes, so I'd have some idea what to talk about. But I've never seen the whole of 'Eve', so I don't know, I can't answer that. I don't watch much TV at all.

[Simon, the same guy that asked the first question now has the microphone again]
Is this about my hair? [Simon was very nervous and umm'd and err'd a lot in the question.]

It says in the booklets we get with the registration ...
You know, why don't you come up here? You're a quiet one. You're all quiet! I bet you were't quiet last night at the disco.

In the programme, it talks about what you've been doing yoga and teaching, when you're not acting, and I was wondering just how qualified you are? [Simon stopped just short of asking whether she was a real yoga teacher!]
Would you like to find out?

Of course he would!

You want to try it? You'll do it for the audience? Get down on your hands and knees.

[cheers and applause!]

No, that's your elbows. Curl your toes under. [Simon does something else. In all fairness, he probably didn't know what day it was, being under the Haze, and on stage in front of everyone laughing.]

No, toes. Where are your toes? Curl them under, onto the floor. [Simon crosses his ankles.]

No, that's crossing your legs. Now push your butt up to the sky. There you go. Tuck your head in. Look at your hands. There's your hands. Push your butt up to the sky and push the floor with your hands so you're bringing your butt this way. [Hudson gives up and grabs his belt, yanking him up and back, so he's in the downward-facing dog posture. He looks pretty uncomfortable.]
Breathe. [Hudson then leaves him there!]
Any other questions? [waits a few seconds]
There see, I'm qualified. You may sit down.

[applause]

Ok, I feel better now. We'll get on.

How was it playing Liz Friedman?

Can you scream?
What..I will, just hold on a minute darling. This man in the front is asking a question. I'll be right with you.
It was fun, a little neurotic, smoked too much. He asked me what it was like playing Liz Friedman. Not as fun as Callisto.

Wasn't it over-acted?
It was supposed to be over-acted darling!

What makes you prefer to play a psychotic bitch.
My upbringing. But she's happy, she's a happy psychotic bitch. Always smiling! Especially after she's killed someone.

What were you playing in Chill Factor?
Surprise, surprise, another bad guy.

What have you been up to since the last time I saw you?
Trouble. And now the karma is all coming back to me in the form of six hundred people. I've done a lot of yoga, in fact. Where's my yoga boy? I've done a teachers training with a company in Santa Barbara. You probably don't want to know, but I'll tell you anyway.. I did a Kundalini yoga teachers training and a prenatal/postnatal and a meditation class and a yoga retreat. And I killed many small families!

So, come on silent one!

How horrible was the makeup in the demon costume?
I quite enjoyed it! No, putting on the makeup was about 3-4 hours in the morning, and taking it off was about 2. But I really enjoyed it, it was a lot of fun. Probably one of my favourite Callisto episodes. Do you think that was overacting?

Can you scream yet? Please?
I will, I need to have more questions first to build up to it. But you have to do it with me, ok? You'll come up on-stage and do it. I'll hold the microphone. Yes you will.

What was your question? No, you. [inaudible]

You guys didn't hear that in the back, did you? Frustrating isn't it? I'll deal with it. Sean? Where's Sean Harry (the convention organiser)? I'll get another microphone.

Did Xena pay you to kill Gabrielle's husband?

Hudson - No ... Not with money ...

If you have a question, why don't you come up here? [indicates a space in the front, to save the tech crew from running back and forth with the mikes.]
You talk into this part. I had that problem too for a while.

Whats your acting future going to be like?
I don't know, I really don't. I did a film last year American Lover and that's the last thing I've done. I've been doing more spiritual things. I know that's boring for you.
Hello.

[young girl] What's your favourite episode?
My favourite episode would be...when I became a god! And my favourite character...umm.. I don't have a favourite character. Sorry.

What part of you is Callisto, I mean what part do you retain when you've finished acting?
None.

Really?
Umm...I'm going to rearrange the furniture since its not feng shui. I would say that you can't really play a character without being it. I understand her, I get the rage, I get the angst. I think when I started playing the character I had a lot more of that than I do now, actually. If I had to play Callisto now, it wouldn't be quite the same as when I played it a couple of years ago. Umm, a lot of it is in me...not the extremes, I mean you can't go round killing people or hurting them. So yes.

Thank you.
You're welcome. Hi.

Did you like New Zealand?
Fascinating. It was really interesting. I was in New Zealand, and the people were really nice, and you could take your shoes off to go to the supermarket - [explains to the audience] she [the questioner] has her shoes off. It was a good experience.

I'd just like to know, how did you prepare for the Callisto and Gabrielle campfire scene or did you just go for it?
I think...

Did you understand my accent?
Oh yes, I understood. I just needed to filter it..takes a while. I think, have you ever been in a big rage? You're English, you're never in a rage! Say you're in a rage, right? And someone's really sweet while you're raging? What's your response? Yes, you're going to have some aggression towards them. Callisto really doesn't understand Gabrielle at all, but she loves to play with her emotions, because she's so sensitive.

Hello Sean

Hi ... Am I doing this right? [He couldn't hear any difference, so he probably wondered if he was holding the mike too far away.]
Yes, you're talking in the right end.

After last year's convention, you travelled round Europe. What were you're favourite towns and sights?
[Long pause as Hudson just sits back and stares at the questioner. Perhaps she was trying to intimidate him, or make him feel uncomfortable, but he wasn't going to take anything.]

Don't look at me like that, it's not that hard a question!
I'm sorry, that was really rude. I went to Paris, that's the only town I went to, and it was lovely. The people..that's not true, I tell a lie, it was cold. Yeah.

No difference to London then!
No.

[Sean Harry then brought a dress and signed poster onto the stage.]

Sean: Hudson, could you tell us a little about the Ellis Foundation? I believe we've got somebody else to help us too.

[Ted Raimi walks on to the stage]
Ted: Well, I'm Hudson Leick. I look a lot better in the morning though. What'd you say? Now I don't understand why people just pay to watch me like this, I don't get it. Now we're doing is a charity, right. It's actually the Ted Raimi Fund. If you'll just make your cheques payable to unemployed actors.

Ok. The Ellis Foundation. James W Ellis died of cancer, and he has a fund that all of the money, 100% of the money goes to kids with cancer.

Hudson: and Ted Raimi

Ted: Yes, and Ted Raimi, or parents with cancer that can't afford to keep their kids in school. So that's what its for, and we've raised a lot of money so far, at every convention we've come to.

I'm only here to give my support and because she does so much good, and she auctions off some of her personal garments! Sometimes unmentionable!

Hudson: Today we're going to be auctioning Ted's underwear! I know you all want it!

Ted: Normally I have to pay people to take my underwear, not the other way round.

Hudson: Oh, I forgot! No, today, we have the dress that I wore last year!

Ted: Look at that.

[This was the zebra striped dress worn on the Saturday at the Y2K Convention.]

Hudson: I think Ted would look very nice, don't you think? Wouldn't you like to see that?

Yeah!

Hudson: Ted, would you model that for us?

Ted: I, uh..

Hudson: You go back stage and put it on.

Ted: For charity...ok.

[Sean Harry told us a little about some of the other things that would be auctioned tomorrow while Ted was changing.]

Hudson: Alright then. I feel like I'm going to wake up any moment. This is my mermaid on crack picture, which we're going to auction off. Are you ready to see it?

[This is a poster of Hudson in Orlando, wearing a light green skirt and green butterfly across her torso, little more than a bikini.]

Hudson: It's not as nice as Ted in a dress.

Ted: You can say that again!

Hudson: It was a bad hair day. Ted are you ready?

Ted: Ready as I can be!

Hudson: Do you feel pretty?

Ted: I do!

Hudson: Do you need makeup?

Ted: No, I don't think so.

Hudson: Ok, going for the au naturelle look. Are you guys ready?

Yeah.

[Screams, laughs and applause as Ted, wearing the dress, walks back on stage.]

Ted: I know drag queens that don't look this good! Now normally, with Hudson wearing it, this would go for hundreds. I'll take ten bucks!

Hudson: It's ok, Ted, they're not scared. In fact, some of the men are very excited.

[Ted goes back and takes the dress off.]

Ted: That was the most frightening thing I've ever done in my life. I know, I know, it's off.

[Audience moans]

Ted: But truthfully, now you can have it, knowing that both I and Hudson were wearing it. Which will lower the price considerably.

Hudson: Which men in the audience are thinking 'I'd look better in that dress than Ted.' You need this dress.

The bidding process was a little slow. They paused briefly to show a video that had been made by one of the people helped by the Ellis Foundation.

Thomas offered the highest bid, and Ted brought him up on stage to rub the microphone against the dress Hudson was wearing!

[The dress went eventually for STLG 450.]

[The poster was left 'til the next day. Hudson then auctioned the silver dress she was wearing, pressing herself up closely to Ted to let people imagine how it would look if Ted was wearing it! Then she thought of getting Sean Harry to model it. She wore Sean's clothes and looked really good in them. Ted entertained the crowd while they were swapping hands, by getting some people on stage and singing the Joxer song. This dress went for STLG 500!]

The little girl who asked Hudson to scream, along with Sean Harry in the dress, and Hudson, all stood on the table and did the Callisto scream. Hudson then returned to the session, trying to ignore Sean's plea's to get his clothes back.

Hudson: Do we have any more questions?

I just wondered, now that you're having a tree planted in South London, have you ever had any other surreal gifts?
That was a beautiful gift, someone buying a tree in my name. I've had someone, every Sunday, say a prayer for me, for a full year. Sean has money in his pockets! Anyone want it?

Hi Hudson, how you doing? One of my favourite episodes was the musical episode "Bitter Suite". Was that your actual voice?
No.

Do you have any musical talent at all?
Oh, I've got his room key as well..if anyone wants to know, he's in room 2097. If you have any enquiries or problems or anything, late at night, it doesn't matter, just go ahead. I sense some payback coming!
I've got to go now. I want to thank you all for coming, I hope you're having a good time. I'll see you later tonight. So thank you, and thank you for your charity too, it's really appreciated.

ORBzine - Hudson Leick [Saturday]

ORBzine - Hudson Leick [sunday]