Whatever happened to Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless…

IT has been more than 20 years since Lucy Lawless made an eye-popping arrival onto screens as the title character in Xena: Warrior Princess.

The actress became an instant hit with audiences who saw her tough alter ego go on a quest to redeem herself for her dark past alongside buddy Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor).

It has been a staggering 14 years since the fantasy drama aired its final instalment, and Lucy — who turned 48 today — is still as stunning as ever.

Despite no longer sporting her trademark dark tresses, the New Zealand star, who found international success with Xena, is unmistakable thanks to her blue eyes and incredible figure.

The activist and musician has long since hung up her armour and Chakram, and is now mother to a daughter and two sons — the latter with her current husband Robert Tapert.

Lucy nearly missed out on the role of Xena to Vanessa Angel, however she fell ill and was unable to travel to the set.

During her time on the programme, the star fractured her pelvis while riding a horse and number of the episodes had to be rewritten so she didn't need to spend as much time filming.

In 1997, Lucy was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People Weekly and she became a lesbian icon thanks to Xena's ambiguous relationship with Gabrielle.

More recently, the stunner went on to land a recurring role in Battlestar Galactica as D'Anna Biers, a reporter with the Fleet News Service.

As well as guest roles in Curb Your Enthusiasm and CSI: Miami, Lucy became a climate ambassador for the Greenpeace's Sign On campaign.

While also having a planet named after her most famous character, she also turned her attentions to music after an appearance on Celebrity Duets.

Last summer it was also reported that a reboot of Xena was in the works by NBC, however an  air date and a cast list are yet to be announced.