In this image released by WGN America, Lucy Lawless portrays Countess Marburg, left, and Janet Montgomery portrays Mary Sibley, in WGN America's breakout hit series "Salem," premiering Sunday, April 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET. (AP Photo/WGN America, William Lothridge)

In this image released by WGN America, Lucy Lawless portrays Countess Marburg, left, and Janet Montgomery portrays Mary Sibley, in WGN America's breakout hit series "Salem," premiering Sunday, April 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET. (AP Photo/WGN America, William Lothridge)

Lucy Lawless is bewitching.

NEW YORK — As if there weren’t enough upheaval in 17th-Century Salem, Massachusetts, this haunted village is about to welcome Lucy Lawless.

Celebrated for such unflinching performances as Xena, Warrior Princess, and Lucretia in the “Spartacus” trilogy, Lawless is now casting her spell on “Salem,” WGN’s witch-war drama, as it begins its second season Sunday at 10 p.m. EDT.

Phoning from Shreveport, Louisiana (where she was midway through shooting with castmates including Janet Montgomery, Shane West, Seth Gabel and Ashley Madekwe), Lawless chatted about the show and her role on it:

The Associated Press: In the premiere you’re introduced in a brief but shocking scene that involves a bathtub and a creepy way of draining it.

Lucy Lawless: In episodes after that, you’ll be seeing a whole lot more of me.

AP: I don’t know how much more of you there is to see.

Lawless (laughing): Get your mind out of the gutter! Boy, oh boy! It’s going to get much worse. This is absolutely the strongest, most twisted character I’ve ever played. This show is not a history lesson — it’s a new way of presenting horror. For people who are squeamish, I’d recommend that you do not watch. For everyone else, it’s a terrifying thrill ride.

AP: Tell me about your character, the Countess Marburg.

Lawless: I’m playing one of the last of the original witches. She’s thousands of years old and has had many incarnations. She often died horrible deaths. She’s a real survivor! She now has stumbled across Salem, and Mary Sibley (Salem’s most powerful and ruthless witch, played by Montgomery), who is the most fascinating person the countess has met in hundreds of years. She becomes fixated on Mary, which means inevitably that I must consume her. But Mary’s not going to go easily.

AP: Is it hard to play someone as evil as the countess?

Lawless: It’s fun! You play everything as if it’s absolutely real and normal, and that’s what makes the character so bizarre. The horror of each situation is all in the audience’s reaction.

AP: You’ve played a lot of powerful and often startling women. Are you tough off-screen?

Lawless: It took me years, decades, to learn to be soft. I was raised (in New Zealand) with a lot of brothers. I didn’t know I was a girl until I was about 8. But if that’s my lot in life, I’m not one to grumble. It’s been pretty good.

AP: Did you plan a career where you would play such groundbreaking roles?

Lawless: I float through life with no plans at all! I am in awe of those actors who are always doing stuff to promote themselves with videos and a website. That ain’t me. I just kind of float on. But I have to say in retrospect, I don’t think I could have been any luckier.

AP: One more question: Do you believe in witches?

Lawless: I’m quite committed to the non-woo-woo life. I really like not feeling like there’s ghosts and goblins around. Why do you want to be scared all the time? I feel like maybe it’s a choice whether you think they exist or not, and I choose NOT to engage in all that kind of stuff. I’m very happy with the practical world. Life is complicated enough!

More in Life

This salad mixes broccoli, carrots and pineapple chunks for a bright, sweet dish. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A bright and sweet Mother’s Day treat

Broccoli, pineapple and carrots are the heart of this flavorful salad.

file
Minister’s Message: Prudence prevents pain, and, possibly, fender benders

Parents carry the responsibility of passing down prudence and wisdom to their children.

This Library of Congress photo shows the U.S.S. Maine, which exploded and sank in the harbor at Havanna, Cuba, about the same time the Kings County Mining Company’s ship, the Agate left Brooklyn for Alaska. The Maine incident prompted the start of the Spanish-American War and complicated the mining company’s attempt to sail around Cape Horn.
Mary Penney and her 1898 Alaska adventure — Part 4

The Penney clan experienced a few weeks fraught with the possibility that Mary might never be returning home.

Students throw brightly hued powder into the air during a color run at Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Color run paints students with kaleidoscope of hues

Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science on Saturday gathered parents and students… Continue reading

Artwork by The Art Gaggle is displayed as part of “What We Do” at the Kenai Art Center on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Local artists share ‘What We Do’ in May show at Kenai Art Center

An eclectic mix of local art makes up the May show at… Continue reading

People from various faiths stand together at the conclusion of a prayer by the Kenaitze Indian Tribe’s Heartbeat of Mother Earth Drum group during a National Day of Prayer Celebration hosted by the KPen Interfaith Community at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska, on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Celebrating unity and diversity

An array of groups offered prayers and songs at The National Day of Prayer concert in Soldotna.

tease
‘What gives it teeth’

Indigenous author Lily H. Tuzroyluke spoke on her novel and writing process last week at the Homer Public Library.

Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion
Donna Shirnberg rehearses”Picnic” at the Kenai Performers Theater near Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
Small town America grapples with big emotions

Kenai Performers stage playwright William Inge’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Picnic.”

Attendees gather to dance and to listen during a performance by Blackwater Railroad Company, part of the Levitt AMP Soldotna Music Series on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at Soldotna Creek Park. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna Music Series announces lineup, starts June 4

The Levitt AMP Soldotna Music Series will bring performances to Soldotna Creek Park each Wednesday.

Most Read