Featured Snippet Summary: Renee O’Connor is an actress and producer best known for playing Gabrielle on Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001). Born in Houston, Texas, she founded ROC Productions after the series ended and has worked in independent film, theater, and convention appearances. She lives in Texas with her family.
Lucy Lawless wielded the sword, but Renee O’Connor gave Xena: Warrior Princess its heart. For six seasons, she brought depth and warmth to Gabrielle, the farm girl turned warrior who anchored one of the 1990s’ most beloved fantasy series. When the show wrapped in 2001, O’Connor didn’t disappear into nostalgia. Instead, she built a career on her own terms—producing films, stepping onto stages, and staying connected to the fans who still light up convention halls when she walks in.
Born on February 15, 1971, in Houston, Texas, O’Connor grew up far from Hollywood’s spotlight. She was christened Evelyn Renee O’Connor, the daughter of Walter and Sandra O’Connor. Texas shaped her early years, but her path toward acting started at the Alley Theatre in Houston, where she trained and discovered her love for performance. That foundation in theater would become something she’d return to again and again, long after her TV fame.
Who is Renee O’Connor?
Renee O’Connor is an actress, producer, and director best known for playing Gabrielle on Xena: Warrior Princess from 1995 to 2001. Her portrayal of the loyal companion turned formidable fighter made her a cult icon and earned her a devoted fanbase that spans generations. She didn’t just act in the show—she helped shape Gabrielle’s evolution from innocent sidekick to equal partner in one of television’s most celebrated female-led action series.
Beyond Gabrielle, O’Connor’s career includes independent films, television guest spots, and stage productions. She founded ROC Productions, her own production company, which gave her creative control and let her move between acting, producing, and directing. She’s worked in Shakespeare productions, appeared in TV movies, and taken on roles that challenged her range beyond the fantasy genre that made her famous.
Early Life and First Steps Into Acting
Growing up in Houston, O’Connor wasn’t surrounded by entertainment industry connections. Her route into acting came through local theater and training programs. The Alley Theatre gave her the skills and confidence to pursue professional work, and she started landing small roles in her teens. By the time she was 16, she’d already booked guest appearances on television shows.
Her early credits included spots on Tales from the Crypt and the TV movie Teen Angel. She moved to Los Angeles to chase bigger opportunities, working steadily in commercials and small TV roles through the early 1990s. Her work ethic and natural screen presence caught the attention of casting directors. When producers for a new fantasy series set in New Zealand started looking for someone to play opposite Lucy Lawless, O’Connor’s audition tape stood out.
Breakthrough: Gabrielle on Xena: Warrior Princess
Landing the role of Gabrielle changed everything. Xena: Warrior Princess premiered in 1995 as a spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and it quickly developed its own identity. The show followed Xena, a reformed warlord seeking redemption, and Gabrielle, the young woman who left her village to travel with her. What could have been a simple sidekick role grew into something much richer.
O’Connor’s chemistry with Lawless became the show’s emotional core. Gabrielle started as a chatty optimist with a staff, but over 134 episodes, she transformed into a warrior in her own right. O’Connor played every stage of that journey—the loss of innocence, the moral struggles, the physical transformation. Fans responded to the authenticity she brought to the character. The bond between Xena and Gabrielle sparked debate and devotion, with many viewers reading deeper meaning into their connection.
The show was filmed in New Zealand, which meant long months away from home. O’Connor embraced the experience, learning fight choreography and performing many of her own stunts. She worked six-day weeks, sometimes in harsh conditions, but the cast and crew built a tight-knit community. That intensity created performances that still hold up decades later.
What Changed After Xena — Film, Theatre, and ROC Productions
When Xena ended in 2001, O’Connor faced the question every TV actor knows too well: what comes next? She returned to Texas and took time to figure out her direction. Rather than chase another long-running series, she founded ROC Productions. The company gave her control over her projects and let her explore both sides of the camera.
Through ROC, she produced and starred in independent films like Rock N’ Roll Cop and Diamonds and Guns. The films were modest in budget but let her work with collaborators she trusted and tell stories on her own timeline. She also returned to the theater, the place where her career began. Shakespeare productions became a focus—she performed in Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, and other classics. Stage work offered something TV couldn’t: immediate audience connection and the chance to disappear into completely different characters every night.
Timeline:
- 2003: Founded ROC Productions
- 2004–2007: Multiple theater productions in Texas
- 2008–2010: Independent film work (producer and actor)
- 2012–present: Convention appearances and reunion projects
Television Actress & Producer
O’Connor never left television entirely. She took guest roles on shows like Ark II and Crash Site, and appeared in TV movies including Ghost House and Darkroom. These weren’t high-profile gigs, but they kept her working and let her explore different genres. She played nurses, investigators, and troubled characters—roles far removed from Gabrielle’s heroic arc.
Notable Post-Xena Projects
Her work in The Bitch That Cried Wolf showed her comedic timing. Ghost House leaned into horror. Diamonds and Guns let her play a hard-edged character in an action setting. She also directed episodes for web series and short films, expanding her skill set behind the camera. Each project added to her range, proving she wasn’t locked into one type of role or one kind of storytelling.
Off-Screen Life: Family, Relationships, and Where She Settled
O’Connor’s personal life stayed relatively private during her Xena years. She married restaurant manager Steve Muir in 2000, and they had a son, Miles, in 2001. The marriage ended in divorce in 2005. She later partnered with actor Jed Sura, whom she met through mutual friends in the entertainment industry. They had a daughter, Iris, in 2006 and married in 2017.
She settled back in Texas, close to family and the theater community she’d known since childhood. That choice reflected something central to who she became after Xena—someone who valued roots and creative freedom over the grind of Hollywood auditions. She’s spoken in interviews about wanting to raise her kids away from the spotlight and maintain control over her work schedule. Texas gave her that balance.
The Xena Legacy — Fan Love, Questions About Gabrielle & Xena, and Reunions
More than two decades after the finale, Xena fans haven’t moved on. O’Connor and Lawless remain close, and they’ve reunited multiple times at conventions and fan events. The question that never goes away: Were Xena and Gabrielle in love? O’Connor has addressed it thoughtfully in interviews, acknowledging the subtext fans saw and validating their interpretation while also honoring what the show was able to say within the constraints of 1990s network television.
The fandom’s dedication keeps the show alive. Fan art, cosplay, and online communities still celebrate Gabrielle’s journey. O’Connor understands the role she played in LGBTQ+ representation, even when it couldn’t be explicit. She’s expressed gratitude for fans who found themselves in Gabrielle’s story and the relationship at the show’s heart.
Today: Conventions, Interviews, Art, and How She Frames Her Career Now
O’Connor remains active in the convention circuit. In 2025, she appeared at Oz Comic-Con in Australia, where she discussed the show’s lasting impact and her creative projects. She’s candid in interviews about the challenges of post-TV life and the joy of staying connected to fans. She’s also pursued visual art, particularly painting, which gives her another creative outlet beyond performance.
She’s selective about new acting roles, prioritizing projects that interest her over work for work’s sake. She’s expressed interest in returning to theater and has hinted at potential reunion projects with the Xena cast, though nothing concrete has materialized. Her social media presence is modest but engaged—she responds to fans and shares updates on her website and Instagram.
Why She Still Matters
Renee O’Connor matters because she showed what a “supporting character” could become when an actor brought real commitment to the role. Gabrielle wasn’t just there to ask questions or get rescued. She grew, struggled, and stood as an equal partner. O’Connor made that believable. She gave a generation of viewers a character who proved you could be gentle and fierce, loyal and independent, soft-spoken and brave.
Her choice to step back from the Hollywood machine and build a career on her terms also resonates. Not every actor wants the same path, and O’Connor’s story offers a different model—one where creative control, family, and personal fulfillment matter as much as fame. Fans still show up because she never stopped showing up for them. Whether at conventions, in interviews, or through small creative projects, she’s remained present and genuine. That’s rare. That’s why Gabrielle’s story still hits, and why Renee O Connor’s career continues to inspire.
