Lucy Lawless Serves Up Coffee For Starship Welfare, Auckland

She may be a vindictive little ninny named Lucretia Batiatus in Spartacus, sure, but she’s an actress and a woman by heart. See more of Lucy Lawless in Spartacus: Vengeance Season 1 Episode 1 which will hit millions of small screens on January 27, 2011.

And what’s more surprising this time is that Lucy Lawless will be your bonus the moment you get tp claim your morning coffee and breakfast .

Wearing a black apron, she cheerfully asked customers: "Is there anything I can get you?".

Lawless now greets customers at Café Melba somewhere in downtown Auckland’s Vilcan Lane just yesterday in order to raise some funds for the Starship Children’s Hospital.

Celebrating 15 years this week, Café Melba has been donating to Starship for the past five years and for this week, c’mon in for your caffeine and donate 50c for every cup of coffee sold.

Lawless - who worked for about an hour yesterday - served several customers who were clearly awestruck.

Mates Grant Fife, Zach Hitchcock and Gus Pickering were about to tuck into their breakfast when they realised who had just brought their drinks.

"I didn't recognise her at first," Mr Pickering said. "I think I was a bit awestruck."

Mr Hitchcock did recognise the star: "I watch her onSpartacus."

Mr Fife said it was great to see a celebrity giving back: "I think that it's a wonderful thing she's doing - especially for a good cause like Starship."

Lawless, who is also a member of the hospital's Board of Trustees, said it was a good chance to get people involved with Starship, which was in much need of new medical technology and equipment.

"Science and medical technology is improving at an exceptional rate and right now there's a lack of technology here. This will help Starship get there," she said.

Cafe co-owner Shawn Pope said the aim was to raise at least $10,000 for Starship this year.

He said news of Lawless' arrival had brought excitement to regular customers.

Lawless said: "Melba has been helping Starship for years - I'm only too happy to come out and give them a little bit of love." Now that’s a feast of love and humanitarian concern. Just don’t miss her on Spartacus: Vengeance Season 1 Episode 1.