Reneé O'Connor stars as fast-talking Gabrielle, Xena's faithful sidekick and devoted best friend, in the hit syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess. Described by Reneé as "a romantic storyteller with a passion for adventure," Gabrielle often saves the warrior princess from her darker impulses and is the perfect foil for Xena's wit. O'Connor first came to the attention of executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi when as audition won her the role of the young Deianeira in their tow-hour Action Pack adventures Hercules and the Lost Kingdom. They were so impressed by her performance opposite Hercules star Kevin Sorbo, they signed her for a starring role in Darkman II: The Return of Durant, a feature released on home video in July 1995. Prior to Darkman II, she co-starred with Ellen Burstyn and Sheryl Lee in the ABC movie Follow the River, portraying a young woman captured by Shawnee Indians. Set in the year 1744, the drama was based on a true story. In her next role, she starred opposite James Garner as a self-obsessed actress who hires Rockford as her bodyguard in CBS' The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise, which was initially broadcast in May 1995. Born in Houston and raised in the suburb of Katy, Texas, O'Connor began studying acting at the age of 12 at Houston's Alley Theatre, and later attended Houston's High School of the Performing and Visual Arts. She made her professional acting debut in 1989 starring in the Teen Angel serial, which was featured on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to star in Match Point, another serial for the popular children's show. That same year, O'Connor moved to Los Angeles. O'Connor went on to portray Cheryl Ladd's daughter in Danielle Steels' Changes. Later, she starred as one of a group of students whose lives are suddenly endangered in the NBC movie The Flood. Her most recent theatrical film role was that of Julia Wilkes in Disney's The Adventure of Huck Finn, starring Elijah Wood. She also guest-starred as the daughter of a murdered couple in an episode of the acclaimed ABC television series NYPD Blue. Reneé is single and enjoys horseback riding, rock climbing and kickboxing. She jogs and lifts weights to keep in shape for her work on the show, which has become increasingly more physical as her character has evolved. Reneé recently bought a home in
Auckland, New Zealand, where the series is filmed. When not in Auckland, she makes her
home in Austin, Texas, where her mother and stepfather, Sandra and Eddie Wilson, own the
famous Austin restaurant Threadgill's.
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