He may not be Dynasty's Alexis Carrington, but Alexis Arquette strives to be fierce and fabulous in his own right. A scion of Hollywood's Arquette acting clan - which includes famous siblings David, Patricia and Rosanna - the actor has carved out a colorful career of his own with roles in flicks like Bride of Chucky and She's All That. Now, he means to cross swords with another campmeister, Lucy Lawless of Xena: The Warrior Princess.
"I'm going to New Zealand to do the final episodes of Xena," Arquette tells TV Guide Online. "My friend has been the director for years, and I said, 'you have got to get me on before they're done.' I love that show. It's so corny."
Reminiscent of Joaquin Phoenix's treacherous turn in Gladiator, Arquette will portray a debauched Roman emperor in two back-to-back episodes airing early next year. "I'm going to play Caligula," he previews. "It's the basic story, except the only spin the show pulls is that Claudius - the brother who takes over after Caligula's killed - has always been portrayed as retarded. On Xena, he's only acting like [that] so he won't get killed by me in an untimely way, and he can take over."
Fortunately, the raunchy role lends itself to Arquette's penchant for wacky wardrobe choices. "Well, Caligula's a big freak, so I'll be in drag for half of it," quips the actor, who's well known for his dragalicous doings in the L.A. club scene.
"I'm all about what was hip last year," he jokes of his fashion sense. "I'm total drag wear, so what I wear, women can't wear. If a girl sees me wearing something, she should stop wearing it, 'cause I'm all about tacky. I'm all about what the hookers and strippers wear."
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