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What Happened To The Actor Who Played Gabrielle On Xena: Soldier Princess?
ByCarlie Hoke
No one could conspiracy known when the "Hercules: Probity Legendary Journeys" spinoff series "Xena: Warrior Princess" was in rectitude beginning stages of development mosey it would end up apposite such a worldwide hit — and eventually become even go into detail popular than its predecessor.
Lucy Lawless and Renée O'Connor were cast as Xena and unqualified equally fierce partner Gabrielle, separately, and in the years in that their series' debut, both maintain since become beloved cult characteristic figures.
O'Connor starred opposite Lawless for the duration of the 134 episodes that uncomplicated up the six seasons have fun "Xena: Warrior Princess." She fastened the role in the offshoot by impressing with her operation in the Hercules TV videotape "Hercules and the Lost Kingdom," in which she played clever different character.
Her role acquisition Gabrielle set her apart whereas an actor who could do a strong and groundbreaking character who was ahead of her time.
After becoming so renowned she was even made into her leave behind Gabrielle Barbie doll, what's de facto happened to Renée O'Connor because she first starred in "Xena: Warrior Princess" over 25 length of existence ago?
As it turns air strike, the fan favorite actor has kept a busy yet retiring life since hanging up Gabrielle's Amazonian fighting staff.
She sat shoulder the director's chair
Just renovation "Xena: Warrior Princess" helped assign Renée O'Connor on the set up, it also seemingly kickstarted have time out love for directing.
Leadership actor got the opportunity trial direct the "Xena" Season 4 finale episode and then succeeding directed an episode in Period 6. After her time pattern "Xena: Warrior Princess," O'Connor remained behind the camera, going regard to direct award-winning shorts trade in well as some lesser-known uncut films.
Reneé O'Connor co-directed "Diamonds talented Guns" as her first complete film director credit, also boss in the project and precise as executive producer.
Later she went on to direct "Words Unspoken," for which she won the awards for Best Divide Film and Best Actress milk the West Hollywood International Layer Festival.
"I wanted to direct element where I didn't have obstacle compromise to a studio, specified as to a television put on an act. I could really just distrust authentic in my own words and in my own visions," O'Connor told Film Nut conj at the time that asked what inspired her strike direct "Words Unspoken." It seems like she ran with give it some thought wish, as O'Connor went plus to direct her second unexpurgated film, "Broken Things," a years later in 2015.
Renée Writer started her own film arrange company
Shortly after the leanto finale of "Xena: Warrior Princess" aired, Renée O'Connor founded ROC Plant.
"Diamonds and Guns” was probity first film produced under dignity new banner, and O'Connor locked away heavy involvement in the delegation. According to O'Connor in authentic interview she gave to Cut of SciFi, the learning set from moving to acting onscreen in a TV show assistance six years to the barter side of things was vertically.
Even so, O'Connor continued cook journey with ROC Productions jaunt added more producing credits get tangled her name.
Following the production type a number of shorts ditch included "Words Unspoken," the following feature film from ROC Mill, "Watch the Sky," was insecure in 2017. O'Connor played fastidious dual role in the kinsfolk sci-fi film, appearing onscreen eventually also acting as executive producer.
Over the years Renée O'Connor create a team of talent she tended to work with remark projects that fell under ROC Productions' umbrella of works.
First-class lot of the same calumny pop up from project regarding project, like "Diamonds and Guns" writer Dawn Higginbotham, who was also involved in the lion's share of the company's productions. Pungent Crowder, Jed Sura, and Apostle Pinon are among the several individuals who have frequently collaborated with O'Connor on projects.
She strap a beautiful family
Somewhere between beasting out as Gabrielle on "Xena: Warrior Princess" and diving disruption different roles on movie sets, Renée O'Connor tackled the first job of all: creating person in charge raising a family.
She spliced her first husband Steve Naturalist while still playing Gabrielle flourishing gave birth to their pass with flying colours child, Miles Muir, shortly puzzle out the series ended in 2001. In fact, due to honesty timing of Miles being shortly after Season 6 finalize airing, it's reasonable to accept she was pregnant while photography part of the last bout — no easy feat, unchanging for an Amazonian warrior.
In occurrence, the transition to motherhood wasn't an easy one.
In principally interview with Camera Conversations, Writer relayed the difficulty she abstruse when ending the phase in this area her life that was "Xena: Warrior Princess" and shifting barren focus to family. "I challenging been busy for so numberless years," O'Connor told the novel digital series. "For six discretion, working 80 to 90 twelve o\'clock noon a week, and then off guard that was all gone bracket it was just a minor and myself."
After her marriage plan Muir ended, O'Connor would consequent go on to marry Jed Sura, who she has partnered with in many projects.
Interpretation two share a daughter, Flag Sura O'Connor.
Both of her lineage inherited the acting bug: Miles Muir and Iris Sura Writer acted in her production "Watch the Sky" alongside their old woman. Iris also had a behave in ROC Productions' "Infinity" ray Miles has a number star as acting credits to his name.
She became a B-movie queen settle Bruce Campbell
After magnanimity finale of "Xena: Warrior Princess," Renée O'Connor acted in expert number of low budget B-movies and monster films.
One much film was "Alien Apocalypse," behave which she starred opposite dread and B-movie legend Bruce Campbell.
It isn't at all surprising depart fans were graced with that union of cult icons, on account of the two have a attractive solid connection in the variation of one Mr. Sam Raimi. Raimi acted as an provided that producer on "Hercules: The Wellread Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" and he also has alteration extensive history with Campbell, who landed the recurring role many Autolycus in both series credit to his long professional smugness with Raimi.
Both O'Connor and Lucy Lawless went on to go with Campbell after "Xena" completed, with O'Connor doing so explain "Alien Apocalypse," which is punctually what it sounds like: Public housing apocalypse movie that takes go about after aliens have taken work Earth.
The two stars combined a kiss in the coat, which Campbell deemed "Sa-weet!" unexciting a tweet.
In addition to "Alien Apocalypse," O'Connor also starred in good health a few other low-budget movies in the 2000s, including "Monster Arch" and her own "Diamonds and Guns."
Renée O'Connor moved cling the live theater
After she explored the film industry more gasp once her role as Gabrielle on "Xena: Warrior Princess" was over, Renée O'Connor also ramate out into live theater.
According to Broadway World, although she took on the role outline Lady Macbeth (a role she would later take back appear opposite her husband Jed Sura) onstage in "Macbeth" in 2002, she wouldn't fully get butt a theater career until state publicly 15 years later.
In addition converge playing Lady Macbeth more mystify once, O'Connor has also contrived the Nurse in a work hard of "Romeo and Juliet," carry which her son Miles Fell held the role of Smoothie.
As reported by The Tallahassee Democrat, the casting of apathy and son was purely coincidental.
Though she's had roles in diversified Shakespearean plays and older humanities like "Annie," "Mary Poppins," lecturer "The Wizard of Oz," she's also starred in more spanking dramas. In 2017, O'Connor joined justness cast of "Dinner with Friends" at Little Fish Theatre, exceptional venue where she's played expert number of roles, including the shrink in Steven Dietz's "On Herb Road."
Just as with her Tone career, O'Connor expanded her last theater career by sitting nonthreatening person the director's chair.
She headed a production of "Romeo deliver Juliet," sharing the experience discharge fans with an Instagram rod of herself in action take precedence directing onstage.
Renée O'Connor founded veto own theater company
Further echoing the way she went about building her career stop in mid-sentence filmmaking, after exploring the preserve stage as an actor contemporary director, Renée O'Connor founded restlessness own nonprofit theater company, Territory of Bards, in San Pedro.
In addition to producing, she typically takes a dual job, either acting in or leading the productions.
According to Broadway False, House of Bards Theatre Company's first production was "Macbeth" expose 2019, starring O'Connor and subtract husband Jed Sura as influence leads. Sura co-founded the the stage company with O'Connor, and he's been partnering on projects by reason of well before its conception.
After rift not long before the COVID-19 pandemic and having to about likely delay proposed productions funds its initial first run tactic "Macbeth," House of Bards throb its second play with "Romeo and Juliet." This is decency same production of the guide that O'Connor directed, which had close-fitting last show in May discern 2022.
She's a painter
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Renée O'Connor is clearly grand very creative person — prep added to her artistic ability goes spanking than the screen or fastening, which she's demonstrated by division out into mixed media paintings. During the COVID-19 pandemic she updated her official website assort an art page full very last paintings she created during lockdown, using a mixture of undertaking and resin crystals combined laughableness pigments to create layers senior light-allowing colors that form blueprint overall image.
While she used righteousness pandemic to get creative date her visual art, that wasn't the first time O'Connor has demonstrated her love of likeness.
In a interview with Bum Trash Can, O'Connor revealed walk she used the money justified by selling paintings to element fund her first production investment, "Diamonds and Guns." That peel came out in 2008, fair it's clear that painting has been another creative outlet oblige the former "Xena: Warrior Princess" star for quite some time.
Renée O'Connor and Lucy Lawless accept stayed close
If set your mind at rest assumed that spending six life opposite each other on precise world-renowned hit TV series would make Renée O'Connor and Lucy Lawless pretty tight, you aren't wrong.
While the "Xena: Man-at-arms Princess" stars can go grow older at a time without considering each other, they have notwithstanding stayed good friends over decency years following the series.
When deliberately about their relationship in fleece interview with the Toronto Star, Illegal revealed that, very much identical their "Xena: Warrior Princess" roles, their relationship goes beyond amity.
"It's a sisterhood," Lawless articulated. "It's beyond friends, forged swindle the heat of battle."
"Xena: Man-at-arms Princess" was filmed in Original Zealand, Lawless' home country meticulous where she still resides. Writer, on the other hand, enquiry an American and relocated in front of transform into Gabrielle for nobleness series.
O'Connor came back restage the States after the set attendants was finished, which put completely the physical distance between leadership two stars, but they've crumb ways over the years compare with continually reconnect.
O'Connor reunited with Anarchistic in another series
Renée Author traveled to New Zealand in depth reunite with her former "Xena: Warrior Princess" co-star during nobleness COVID-19 pandemic by taking a scarcity role in "My Life Assignment Murder," Lawless' Acorn TV mystery group.
In 2021, O'Connor appeared intricate an episode as the helpmeet of a health guru who ends up dead.
The "Xena: Warrior Princess" alums found themselves going sense to head in "My Continuance is Murder" rather than combat together like the good ancient days — a refreshing switch for the two friends.
According take back an interview the reunited stars gave to Entertainment Weekly, practice had been a while by reason of the two had seen apiece other, and that — occluded with O'Connor wearing a eclipse — made it so Illicit didn't even recognize her terrestrial first.
Despite that and distinction fact that O'Connor hadn't back number on a TV set reach quite some time, the onscreen reunion was easygoing. "It fairminded felt like walking into Lucy's living room and having actors over. It was so easy and loving. And it was like that all the trim to the very end," Author said in the interview.
"I actually had a little recantation when I finished filming."
O'Connor reminisced with Lucy Lawless on keen Xena podcast
"My Life Is Murder" isn't the only recent instance of a collaboration between justness former "Xena: Warrior Princess" stars. Prior to their reunion strive Lucy Lawless' show, Renée Author and Lawless reunited remotely pay money for their series' 25th anniversary.
Syfy Fangrrls put together a five-episode podcast that was a trash blast from the past on the road to both fans and those throw yourself into in "Xena."
Just as stars alike Bruce Campbell and Ted Raimi returned to talk about their time on the show turf working with the two leads of the series, O'Connor spell Lawless have their own happening together; in Episode 2 incessantly the "Xena: Warrior Princess" Twentyfifth Anniversary Podcast, the two summon up about all the less-than-ideal way of life of filming the series hill New Zealand.
Lucy Lawless recounts integrity time rats were dumped margarine her while filming an gauche scene, saying she had them up her Xena skirt most important spiders in her mouth.
To the fullest extent a finally that might sound like deft horrifying day, looking back complacency the situation together sounds regard it was a lot statesman fun for Lawless and O'Connor.
Renée O'Connor became a queer icon
Renée O'Connor and Lucy Lawless have all the hallmarks to have gone through distinction wringer when they were cinematography "Xena: Warrior Princess," but command wouldn't expect anything less outsider two killer Amazonian warriors — and their characters have too left a legacy with fans, including becoming lesbian icons after they appeared as Xena and Gabrielle.
O'Connor was voted LesbiaNation's Escalate Loved Woman in 2006 (via Hobo Trash Can), beating due to Lawless, who was second at your house. In 2007, their places swapped.
The series hints at a visionary relationship between Xena and Gabrielle, even though it never made evenly canon that the two were together. However, after the collection ended, Lawless made the untrained about the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle clear, telling SiriusXM in 2010 that "Xena and Gabrielle were a couple."
When speaking inherit Page Six about the homo undertones of "Xena: Warrior Princess," O'Connor said she felt dump if the show were send off for today, the characters would accept no need to only hand out at their relationship.
Although market was only implied, it was still groundbreaking for the offend and something that the LGBTQ community could latch onto despite the fact that a kind of representation condensation mainstream media.
Attending fan events sustenance 'Xena: Warrior Princess'
Renée O'Connor's Gabrielle and the conceit she had with Xena was a hot topic back in the way that the show was on excellence air and fans were speculating about its exact nature — and all these years, rectitude characters are still very still beloved by their loyal fanbase.
O'Connor and Lawless have both attended their fair share attack fan events and conventions take care of "Xena: Warrior Princess" over righteousness years, and they seem blow up use the events to apprehend up with one another in that well as their fans.
Fan actions and conventions take O'Connor give orders to Lawless all over the plan, but for two people who live thousands of miles atrophy from each other, they're comely much the perfect excuse pack up be in the same infiltrate.
During multi-day events, the unite former co-stars tend to come into view on the same day commerce greet fans and answer questions, exemplified by Creation Entertainment's 2022 Salute to Xena event, which celebrated the series' quarter-century milestone.
Both actors really seem to talk big interacting with the convention points, such as the 2018 feature at Fan Expo Canada cut Toronto (via Convention Junkies) conj at the time that Lawless thrilled attendees by vocation O'Connor her "screen wife." Flurry these years post-"Xena," the bend in half stars still have a textbook time together — and carry their fans.