Muck Raking: Marie Matiko
Archaeology's never been this much fun! Unearthing the secrets of the cast and crew.
Fresh from playing the twins Pao Ssu and K'ao Hsin in the Xena episodes Purity and Back in the Bottle, Marie Matiko shares some of her most revealing experiences with K. Stoddard Hayes.
Official Xena Magazine: Issue 04
Birth name: Marie Bernadette Guomatico.
Favourite word: Sensuous.
Hometown: Huntington Beach, California.
Current residence: Bonsall, California, in San Diego county. Population: 800.
Croutons or bacon bits? Really good beer croutons; really oily and really big!
Favourite salad dressing: Tomato vinaigrette sauce.
Have you ever gone skinny dipping? [Hesitates] Yeah. Oh my God! I was RA [Resident Assistant] at the UCLA dorm. All the RAs and I went skinny- dipping at the University pool... I didn't look at anybody, we just went in and went out.
Do you make fun of people? I have fun with people. I don't like mean people. With people who are ugly [with other people], I have free rein with them.
Favourite colour: Deep dark pink. It’s strong, but it's also feminine.
One pillow or two? I don't use any pillows. I don't like them.
Have you any pets? I have a lot of pets. We have 10 chickens, four dogs and two cats.
Favourite music? Romantic classical and alternative rock with female lead singers.
Hobbies: I teach singing to little kids. I have five classes (of different ages from four through to adults) and I have a waiting list now. I teach them all how to sing and act, and how to be artists, and mostly to be proud of themselves as individuals... That's my love and passion. I think about that every single day. I also play the piano and l make crafts; beautiful journals covered in beautiful papers... I sing a lot and I was a back-up singer for a rock band in Hollywood... I love to read too.
Which toothpaste do you use? Tom's Natural Toothpaste.
Favourite food? Mexican cuisine all the way. To be very specific: chicken wings, any time, any day, any style. That's my comfort food.
Favourite ice cream flavour: I'm allergic to ice cream.
Favourite non-alcoholic drink: A fruit smoothie.
Adidas, Nike, Reebok or other? I have Adidas right now. Definitely not Reebok, so snobbish!
Favourite perfume/cologne: I don't wear perfume. I like that men's cologne, Cacharel, whenever I smell it. It doesn't matter what guy it's on.
Most humiliating moment? In Miss Saigon, I was in the first scene and I wear a bikini. It's this huge opening number, and I'm on the very lip of the stage. My bikini top snapped and I flashed at 3,000 people simultaneously! I turned around and pulled it together, and when I could, left the stage. But the thing is: I'm the person who has the first solo in the whole show. So I went back on stage and then sang my solo!
What is your craziest or silliest idea? A party can only be great if it has a great ice-breaker. It doesn't matter how shi-shi my parties are, I will always have an ice-breaker. I'm the ice-breaker queen! I don't want anybody to feel left out.