Celebrity Nooz: Renee O'Connor

Renée O'Connor (Actress) - Xena: Warrior Princess

Updated: 7/12/21

Name: Renée O'Connor

Birth Name: Evelyn Renee O'Connor

Born: February 15, 1971 in Katy, Texas, USA

Nickname: Ren, ROC

Claim To Fame: Renée O'Connor is an American actress, producer, and director, best known for playing the role of Gabrielle on the television series Xena: Warrior Princess.

Family Life: O'Connor was married to restaurateur Steve Muir from 2000 to 2005. They have a son, Mile Muir. In 2017, she married Jed Sura; together they have a daughter, Iris Sura O'Connor.

Info: Raised by her mother Sandra.

Studied acting, at age 12, at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas.

Went to Houston High School of Visual and Performing Arts but transferred back to Taylor High School (Her first H.S.) in order to graduate with her friends.

Moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue an acting career.

Her hobbies include rock climbing (she has scaled Mount Kilimanjaro), kickboxing, horseback riding, and painting (her work has been exhibited in several art shows).

Trivia: 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 be cast in 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.

While on Xena: Warrior Princess, the majority of Gabrielle's stunts and fight scenes were performed by Renée O'Connor herself, including the backflip from "The Abyss" where Gabrielle kicks a cannibal in the face mid-flight, which was done without any wirework.

Renée O'Connor was not in the opening credits for season 1. At Lucy Lawless' insistence, Renee was included in opening credits from season 2 onwards.

When the producers of Xena: Warrior Princess (1995) became aware of how athletic she was, it prompted the new costume for season 2. It became a running joke on the show that the costume continued to shrink as the seasons passed.

In 2001, O'Connor began her own film production company, Roc Productions.

In 2002, O'Conner played Lady Macbeth in the Shakespeare by the Sea's production of Macbeth. She's also taken the stage in several productions like Dinner With Friends, Annie, On Clover Road, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, Uncle Vanya, and appeared in the Southern Shakespeare Company's production of Romeo and Juliet alongside her 16-year-old son, Miles Muir.

O'Conner has also become an accomplished director with several projects: Diamonds and Guns (2008), Words Unspoken (2010), Are You Kidding Me (2011), and Broken Things (2014).

Where Are They Now: In the last few years, Renée O'Connor has been spending time juggling directing, acting, and performing on stage. Hopefully, she has new projects on the horizon. Wouldn't it be great to see a Xena: Warrior Princess reboot or reunion? More Xena, people!

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