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
Born in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, and raised in suburban
Katy, Texas
Katy is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Greater Katy area, itself forming the western part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Homes and businesses may have Katy postal addresses without being in the City of Katy. The city of ...
, by her mother Sandra, O'Connor at age 12 studied acting at the
Alley Theatre
The Alley Theatre is a Tony Award-winning theatre company in Houston, Texas. It is the oldest professional theatre company in Texas and the third oldest resident theatre in the United States. Alley Theatre productions have played on Broadway at L ...
in
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
.
She attended
Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Kinder HSPVA, HSPVA or PVA) is a secondary school located at 790 Austin Street in the downtown district of Houston, Texas. The school is a part of the Houston Independent School District. ...
in Houston, and made her professional debut as a dancing
Porky Pig
Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his celebrity, star power, and the animators created ma ...
at that city's
Six Flags AstroWorld
Six Flags AstroWorld, also known simply as AstroWorld, was a seasonally operated amusement park in Houston, Texas. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park was situated between Kirby Drive and Fannin Street, directly south of I-610. The park o ...
. Afterward, she moved to
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, to pursue an acting career.
Career
She made her screen debut at 17, starring in the "Teen Angel" segment of the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
's ''
The Mickey Mouse Club
''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised fo ...
'',
and the subsequent ''
Teen Angel'' TV series. She went on to the Disney film ''The Adventures of Huck Finn'' and
TV-movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
s including ''Follow the River'', ''Danielle Steele's Changes'', and ''
Hercules and the Lost Kingdom
''Hercules and the Lost Kingdom'' is the second television movie in the syndicated fantasy series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys''.
In the film, Hercules comes to the aid of a young woman who is seeking the lost city of Troy. Eventually, H ...
'', starring
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and as Captain Dylan Hunt in '' Andromeda''. Sorbo is also known for acting ...
.
There, in the role of
Deianeira
Deianira, Deïanira, or Deianeira (; Ancient Greek: Δηϊάνειρα, ''Dēiáneira'', or , ''Dēáneira'', ), also known as Dejanira, is a Calydonian princess in Greek mythology whose name translates as "man-destroyer" or "destroyer of her hu ...
, she came to the attention of ''Hercules'' executive producers
Rob Tapert
Robert Gerard Tapert (born May 14, 1955) is an American film and television producer, writer and director, best known for co-creating the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess''.
He is also one of the founding partners of the film produc ...
and
Sam Raimi
Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the Spider-Man (2002 film series), ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007) and the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present). He also directed the 1 ...
, 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
Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy '' Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes quee ...
in the
Shakespeare by the Sea production of ''
Macbeth
''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
''. She reprised the role in a House of Bards Theatre Company production in
San Pedro, California
San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...
, 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
Television
Theatre
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Renee
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Texas
American child actresses
American film actresses
Film producers from Texas
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American television directors
American voice actresses
American women film directors
Film directors from Texas
Living people
People from Katy, Texas
American women television directors
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
American women film producers
1971 births