"I thought having a doll named after 'Gabby' was cool, but now I am "over the moon"! I am feeling very mercurial right now." - Renee on finding out the planet 'Xena' was to have one of its moons named 'Gabrielle'.
Renee was actually born Evelyn Renee O'Connor on 15th February 1971, in Katy, a suburb of Houston, Texas. The daughter of Walter and Sandra O'Connor, she has one brother, Chris, and two children. She is divorced from first husband Steve Muir, with whom she has a son, Miles William Muir (born in September 2001). She is now in a relationship with actor Jed Sura, with whom she has a daughter, Iris Sura O'Connor (born in March 2006).
Although best known for her role in Xena between 1995 and 2001, Renee continues to work in film and TV as an actress, producer and director. She owns her own production companies, ROC Pictures and ROC Productions, and is also a talented artist, selling her artwork on eBay and Cafe Press.
Three Reasons to LOVE Renee O'Connor
1. She is a hugely talented actress who portrays her roles with strength and emotion
2. She is a unique, warm, genuine and friendly person as reported by all those who meet her
3. As well as acting, she directs, paints and runs her own companies too!
THE LATEST FROM RENEE!
Mocumentaties on YouTube, starring her partner and daughter!
Great Renee O'Connor Stuff from Amazon
Renee Interview on Amazon Blogs!
- Renee Interview on Armchair Commentary
- Renee is interviewed by a fan about her work on Xena
Most Famous For...
Playing Gabrielle!
Renee is of course best known for playing Xena's 'sidekick' Gabrielle in the fantasy series Xena: Warrior Princess.
Gabrielle was a character that viewers took to their hearts. As the seasons progressed, Gabrielle moved beyond the stigmas of 'sidekick' and 'the irritating blonde' and evolved into a strong, powerful woman in her own right. She was Xena's soulmate and her saviour, keeping the warrior princess on the path of light and providing words of wisdom at all the right moments.
First and foremost, Gabrielle was a bard. A gifted writer and storyteller, she kept a 'diary' of the adventures she and Xena shared in the form of scrolls (which, according to the show's storyline, were eventually excavated and formed the inspiration for the TV series!).
A young village girl when she first met Xena, she was eager to explore the world and become a mighty warrior like her new heroine. However the wonderful thing about early Gabrielle was that although she learned to fight, she never took a life.
Season Three of Xena saw Gabrielle put through the emotional wringer, and every moment was played with incredible talent by Renee. From the loss of her blood innocence to her assault by the evil god Dahak, the birth of her demon child to the incidents leading up to the death of Xena's son, which saw the two friends undergo a terrible division. They were, of course, reunited in forgiveness, but it still took Gabrielle a long time to get over her terrible memories. Would this series have been half as powerful if not for the versatile, engaging performances given by Renee?
Gabrielle went on to be inspired by spiritual 'devi' Eli and embark on a path of peace. However, this was to come to an abrupt and breathtaking end when Xena was in mortal danger. Gabrielle the warrior was back, and this time she was prepared to kill for her friend. The moments where Xena watches helplessly as her friend becomes a killer of Roman soldiers is incredibly emotional.
Seasons Five and Six saw Gabrielle develop as a warrior. This leads us to the series finale, where Gabrielle had to let her beloved soul friend go and take over where she had left off.
"I hear they are in need of a girl with a chakram," Gabrielle says of Egypt, the place to which she is headed in the final scene. And we can but wonder what adventures await the battling bard, and marvel at how far she has come.
Where Is She Now?
Keep Up to Date with Renee's Independent Movies!
Renee now has an official website for her production company ROC Pictures. Here you will find information about Renee and all of her film projects. So far these include Diamonds and Guns, and the forthcoming Words Unspoken, which stars her partner Jed Sura and her son Miles Muir. Keep up to Date with Renee's Forthcoming Projects
- ARK The Series
- Official website for the new online sci-fi series ARK, coming soon in 2009.
- Bitch Slap
- Official site of Bitch Slap! reuniting Renee O'Connor and Lucy Lawless of Xena fame, coming soon in 2009
- Words Unspoken
- Renee talks about her latest independent project on her ROC Pictures site
Download Bitch Slap Wallpapers!
Download Renee as Sister Batril
You can now download images and wallpapers from the official Bitch Slap site. Find wallpapers, including one of Renee reunited with former Xena co-star Lucy Lawless as Sister Batril and Mother Superior, here
Support Renee's Independent Film Making!
Renee first began selling her artwork on eBay, under the seller ID rocproductions, to partly raise money for charity and partly for funding her independent film making. Now, as well as selling artwork prints and photos through her fan club website, she has also opened a Cafe Press store. Keep an eye out for new auctions and sales at the links below!
Renee's Official Fan Club Page!
Renee now has a brand new look to her fan club page with a new web address. Visit the beautiful ROC Fan Club, to view her news updates, film projects, videos and more, including a brand new forum to join, and a gallery of gorgeous shots, many I've not seen before. Renee no longer has a shopping section on her site (this used to sell her photos and artwork) - I will find out whether it is still possible to purchase these from anywhere and post news shortly. Buy from Renee on Cafe Press!
Renee's own artwork on everything from T-shirts to mugs!
Xena at Beach Ornament (Oval)
Price: 9.99
Warrior Art Journal
Price: 12.99
Gothic Wolf Dog T-Shirt
Price: 20.99
Xena at Beach Tote Bag
Price: 17.99
Xena at Beach Tile Coaster
Price: 8.99
Buy from Renee on eBay!
Keep an eye out for RARE and exclusive auctions direct from Renee here. Previous auctions have included original artwork, original sketches for the Renee range of Xena artwork trading cards, and personalized signed photos!
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Renee's Filmnut Interview - Watch the Whole Episode!
Renee talks about her filmmaking
- Renee Filmnut Interview
- Filmnut Interview with Renee O'Connor of Xena Warrior Princess - watch the whole episode here!
What are your Favourite Renee Movies?
Aside from Xena, which of Renee's film and TV roles are your favourites? Have you got them all yet? Vote for your fave DVDs here!
Dean Teaster's Ghost Town
Love, hate, family, forgiveness, redemption and sa more...0 points
Diamonds and Guns
Renee O Conner ( Xena: Warrior Princess , The Gene more...0 points
Follow the River
Studio: Platinum Disc Llc Release Date: 02/28/2006 more...0 points
Darkman 2 - The Return of Durant
Sam Raimi created Darkman with a potential franchi more...0 points
The Adventures of Huck Finn
Climb aboard for an extraordinary version of Mark more...0 points
Renee O'Connor on IMDB
- Renee on IMDB
- Lists all film and TV appearances along with biography and trivia
BUY RENEE O'CONNOR STUFF!
Gabrielle mugs, autographs and more! - Forbidden Planet (click the banner)
Quick, What Do You Think of Renee O'Connor?
Fascinating Facts About Renee O'Connor!
* Renee played Lady Macbeth in the Shakespeare by the Sea production of Macbeth* Renee has a cat called Kiaora, which means "hello" in Maori
* Renee had a part in the Tales from the Crypt episode "The Switch", famous for being directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, but ended up on the cutting room floor
* Renee's mother Sandra and stepfather Eddie Wilson own the famous Threadgills restaurants in Texas, where many Renee fans drop by to say hi
* Renee's original fan club was run by her mother in the 90's
* She was voted number one in the lesbiaNATION poll 2006, beating Xena co-star Lucy Lawless into second place
* It was a running joke on Xena that Gabrielle's costume magically shrank season by season
* Renee works on those abs by keeping fit on the gym ball, kickboxing, horse riding and rock climbing. She is also proficient in martial arts
* She has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro
* Nicknames include ROC, Stumpy and Ren
* She is 5 ft 4
* Her favourite movie is The Piano
* Renee still regularly attends the annual Official Xena Convention in the USA
Renee's Dedication to Charity
Help Support Renee's Causes
As well as raising money towards her independent movie projects, Renee also raises tons of money for charity through her eBay auctions and by donating prizes for other auctions and events. One of the main charities that she supports is the Alisa Ann Ruch Burns Foundation. You can find out more about this charity and how to support it here.The popular AUSXIP site also hosts regular charity auctions to raise money for what is currently called the Renee O'Connor Outreach Fund (Renee wants to find a new name for this). The most recent auction raised funds to support the Huilloq school project in Peru, in collaboration with Christopher Howard's company to help eradicate poverty. You can keep an eye out for future auctions at the AUSXIP website.
Renee on Vibe TV
- Renee O'Connor on Vibe TV
- Hilarious Renee O'Connor (Xena) clips
Renee O'Connor on Flickr
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Great Renee O'Connor Toys!
But which are your faves?
Renee was immortalized in plastic as Gabrielle, the Battling Bard. But which of her many incarnations was the best?
Shout Out For Renee O'Connor!
Why do you love Renee?
Share your stories, sightings, thoughts, rants, raves...
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- ashroc ashroc Feb 25, 2009 @ 4:59 pm
- Brilliant lens, lots of current information, heaps that i didnt know. great job!
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- EyeWomski EyeWomski Jan 11, 2009 @ 9:31 pm
- This a really nice page. It's specific, and easy to follow. A lot of information.
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- Monica Monica Jan 11, 2009 @ 3:44 pm
- I love what you've done with this page!!! Look how many unique details there are. I thoroughly enjoyed Reading it over. I do now very much appreciated Renee. She would love this page too :)
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- Monica Monica Jan 11, 2009 @ 3:43 pm
- I love what you've done with this page!!! Look how many unique details there are. I thoroughly enjoyed Reading it over. I do now very much appreciated Renee. She would love this page too :)
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- Monica Monica Jan 11, 2009 @ 3:43 pm
- I love what you've done with this page!!! Look how many unique details there are. I thoroughly enjoyed Reading it over. I do now very much appreciated Renee. She would love this page too :)
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- xenitegirl xenitegirl Jan 11, 2009 @ 3:08 pm
- I LOVE Renee! ROC rocks! This is an awesome page, thanks for creating!
Gorgeous Gabrielle!
The Best of Gab on YouTube
Many Xena fans will know of the incredible music video phenomenon that has seen tons of Xenites get hooked on making musical tributes to the Warrior Princess and Battling Bard. Here are some of my favourites, but do you agree?
Gabrielle's Hair - The Long and Short of It!
There were many debates on Xena... Were they lovers or best friends? Should Xena have died or survived? Love Joxer or hate Joxer? And of course the most important of all... did you prefer Gabby's hair long or short??? And why?
I liked Gabrielle's hair best when it was
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byLong
EelKat says:
I liked her hair better in Season one of Xena when it was really long
Posted March 12, 2009
xenitegirl says:
Definitely long! She looked so adorable with long hair!
Posted January 11, 2009
Short
kassy says:
love her hair short it definds her lovely features xx
Posted May 07, 2009
renee says:
shoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooort
but shes beautifull and great in any form ,, any shape ,, any hair style .... love her
Posted February 14, 2009
The Best Renee O'Connor Links on the Web!
- Ausxip Renee O'Connor Info
- One of the many sites born of parent site ausxip, the definitive guide to all things Xena. This is continuously updated with all the latest news on Renee and features and exhaustive list of resources, photos, interviews, videos and more.
- ROC Fan Club Site
- The official Fan Club site for Renee. All the latest news along with store to buy photos and artwork.
- ROC Pictures
- Renee's official site for her production company ROC Pictures. Come here to find out more about her own projects.
- ROC Productions Cafe Press Store
- Buy items featuring Renee's artwork here.
- ROC Productions eBay MyWorld
- Renee's official eBay ID. Check here for auctions.
- Renee O'Connor on IMDB
- The Internet Movie Database lists every film and TV appearance with dates and info along with biographies and trivia. Find Renee's page here.
- Deianeria's Lost Kingdom
- Includes info on Renee's early work with some great screen grabs!
- Taiko's Renee O'Connor Picture Gallery
- Tons of info, screen shots, photos, news and more.
Collect Renee and Xena Items!
Complete Guide to Everything Out There!
If you love to collect all things Xena, Gabrielle and, of course, Renee, check out Anything for a Dinar? This is a CD-ROM fanzine that I sell on eBay for charity.
It builds up into a complete guide to all the Xena-related merchandise out there, including Lucy and Renee items, and includes photo checklists to help you keep track of your collection.
AFAD is entirely non-profit with 80% of its cost going to charity. It has so far benefited Redwings Horse Sanctuary, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Habitat for Humanity and The Woodland Trust.
CHECK OUT THE CURRENT ISSUE NOW! Issue 8 includes a complete guide to official Xena Creation Photos and all of Renee's current Cafe Press stock!
Keep an eye out for issues here!
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byFinal Words from the Bards...
Please feel free to leave your comments about Renee and this lens here! Thank you.
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- renee renee Feb 14, 2009 @ 4:04 pm
- I just love her very very much
my name is renee too ;)
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- SolarFeline SolarFeline Jan 30, 2009 @ 11:31 am
- Great lens. A big fan of both Lucy and Renee. Very informative. So much about her I never knew. 5 stars!
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- K.B. K.B. Jan 19, 2009 @ 5:16 am
- Many thanks for creating this very beautiful and very great lens. It is very informativ, very well-written and has a lot of very nice photos and videos. I enjoyed to read it and I will definitely visit your lovely lens more often.
Renee is a very talented actress and a very friendly and very generous person. She is a very great story-teller too (I always enjoyed the stories she told on Xena). I love all her movies, especially the Diamonds and Guns movie, because it was so great and very funny.
Thanks again for this gorgeous lens, I love it.
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- MissMerFaery MissMerFaery Jan 12, 2009 @ 2:24 am
- I've not met her in person but did get to talk to her through ebay a couple of times! Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed the lens!
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- RinchenChodron RinchenChodron Jan 11, 2009 @ 5:57 pm
- She must be from a different generation. I've never seen her nor heard of her, but that says a lot about me and nothing about your lens. It seems very comprehensive and is interesting. Do you know her personally? Nice job.
by MissMerFaery
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