Renee O'Connor facts for kids
Evelyn Renee O'Connor (born February 15, 1971) is an American actress, producer, and director, known for the role of Gabrielle on the television series Xena: Warrior Princess.
Early life
Raised in suburban Katy, Texas, by her mother Sandra, O'Connor at age 12 studied acting at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas. She attended Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, and made her professional debut as a dancing Porky Pig at that city's Six Flags AstroWorld. Afterward, she moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue an acting career.
Career
She made her screen debut at 17, starring in the "Teen Angel" segment of the Disney Channel's The Mickey Mouse Club, and the subsequent Teen Angel TV series. She went on to the Disney film The Adventures of Huck Finn and TV-movies including Follow the River, Danielle Steele's Changes, and Hercules and the Lost Kingdom, starring Kevin Sorbo. There, in the role of Deianeira, she came to the attention of Hercules executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi, who cast her as Gabrielle in the spinoff TV series Xena: Warrior Princess.
In 2001, O'Connor began her own film production company, Roc Productions. The following year, she played Lady Macbeth in the Shakespeare by the Sea production of Macbeth. She reprised the role in a House of Bards Theatre Company production in San Pedro, California, from October 11 to November 3, 2019. She played Nurse in the Southern Shakespeare Company's May 10–13, 2018, production of Romeo and Juliet alongside her 16-year-old son, Miles Muir.
Personal life
As of 1998, O'Connor was in a relationship with restaurateur Steve Muir. Renee and Steve were married in 2000 and divorced in 2004. She has a son with Muir, Miles Muir, who was 16 years old as of May 2018.
Renee began a relationship with Jed Sura sometime prior to 2006. They have a daughter Iris Sura O'Connor, born March 19, 2006. Renee and Jed were married in 2017.
Filmography
Film
..... | Sister Batril | ||
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Words Unspoken | Sue | Short film, Director, Executive Producer, Producer, Writer |
2010 | 2010: Moby Dick | Dr. Michelle Herman | |
2011 | Deadrise | Paula | |
2011 | Infinity | Elizabeth | Short film, Producer |
2011 | Are You Kidding Me? | Director | |
2013 | Stranded From An Island | Short, Executive Producer, Assistant Editor | |
2015 | Beyond the Farthest Star | Maurene Wells | |
2015 | Last Chance | Carrie | Television movie, Executive Producer |
2015 | Broken Things | Director | |
2016 | The Usual | Mrs. Ford | Short film, Executive Producer |
2017 | Watch the Sky | Shannon | Producer |
2017 | A Question of Faith | Mary Danielson |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Teen Angel | Nancy Nichols | |
1990 | Tales from the Crypt | Waitress | Episode: "The Switch" |
1991 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Linda | Episode: "The Less Than Perfect Daughter" |
1992 | FBI: The Untold Stories | Officer Renee Lanot / Tina Marie Risico | 3 episodes |
1993 | NYPD Blue | Rebecca Sloane | Episode: "Oscar, Meyer, Weiner" |
1997–1999 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Gabrielle | 4 episodes |
1995–2001 | Xena: Warrior Princess | Gabrielle | 134 episodes |
2002 | Mataku | American Buyer | Episode: "The Heirloom" |
2008 | Criminal Minds | Pam Baleman | Episode: "A Higher Power" |
2010 | Ark | Connie Miller | 9 episodes |
2021 | My Life Is Murder | Clarissa Klein | Episode: "Pleasure & Pain" |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | Shakespeare by the Sea |
2017 | Dinner With Friends | Beth | Little Fish Theatre |
2017 | Annie | Lily St.Regis (as Renee Sura) | Warner Grand Theatre |
2018 | Romeo and Juliet | The Nurse | Southern Shakespeare Company |
2018 | On Clover Road | Kate Hunter | Little Fish Theatre |
2018 | Mary Poppins | Ms. Brill (as Renee Sura) | Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center |
2019 | The Wizard of Oz | The Wicked Witch of the West (as Renee Sura) | Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center |
2019 | Uncle Vanya | Yelena Andreyevna | Little Fish Theatre |