Renee is afraid to let anyone put mascara on her, so she does this part of her make-up herself.
Renee's parent's own a restaurant called Threadgill's in Texas, and this restaurant was the site of the first Xena convention.
Renee did very little of the singing for the two musicals of Xena: Warrior Princess. Instead she mouthed the words to someone else's singing in her place, except during the songs "War" and "Getting Ready" from the episode "Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire".
Renee starred in the movie eXtreme Reality, which was a mockumentary about a reality dating show.
Xena: Warrior Princess costar Lucy Lawless tried to teach Renee how to do the Xena war-cry a number of times, but Renee just couldn't pick it up. However, she thought that was just as well, because it was funnier to have Gabrielle not be able to do it.
The production companies ROC Productions and ROC Pictures are owned by Renee.
Renee was present for both of her fellow Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless' concerts in January of 2007. Renee joined Lucy on stage and helped with some backup vocals and dance moves.
Renee's first tv kiss was on The Mickey Mouse Club serial Teen Angel.
Renee would go to auditions for Southern characters and use her real Texas accent and be told that her accent was terrible- it wasn't strong enough!
Renee starred in a Syfy Channel movie Alien Apocalypse alongside Bruce Campbell. Renee also starred in the indie film Diamonds and Guns along with her future second husband Jed Sura, who played her character's love interest. She was also the movie's executive producer.
Renee was a contestant on The Price Is Right when she was eighteen. She made it to the "Showcase Showdown" but overbid and lost.
During the first year Renee's nickname on the set of Xena: Warrior Princess was "Halfday Renee", since she'd work half the day and then have nothing else to do.
Renee thought her role on Xena: Warrior Princess was only going to last one season, so she kept her apartment in LA. When the first season ended and she knew she'd be back she put everything in storage and gave up her apartment.
Renee had her infant son Miles with her while she was taping the commentary for the DVD release of the final Xena: Warrior Princess episode. She would come in and out of the room as he needed feeding.
After her show Xena: Warrior Princess was finished Renee studied Shakespeare at Will Grier's Theatricum Botanicum. Armin Shimmerman (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) taught a there on text analysis, and Jenya Lano (Xena: Warrior Princess, Mutant X) was a fellow student.
Renee auditioned for the part of Gabrielle, even though Rob Tapert had said that she was the one he wanted for the part. He loved her work on the Hercules movie Hercules and the Lost Kingdom, and knew that she would make the perfect Gabrielle.
When Renee found out Lucy Lawless was pregnant with Julius she started to "feel clucky", the Kiwi phrase for wanting a child of her own, so she went out and got a dog.
Renee is still close friends with her Xena: Warrior Princess co-star, Lucy Lawless.
Fans of Renee's from her stint on Xena: Warrior Princess, are known as "ROCkers."
Renee has a cat named Kia Ora.
In 2002, Renee was on a five-week tour playing Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeare by the Sea's version of Macbeth.
Renee was on the cover of TV Guide's July 29 - August 4, 2000 cover.
In 1997, Renee was voted as one of the most beautiful people by People Online.
Renee lived in Auckland, New Zealand for the six years she was on Xena: Warrior Princess.
Renee was once an aerobics instructor in L.A. and Renee once worked as Porky Pig at Astroworld.
Renee was in commercials for McDonald's and Exxon when she was 16.
Renee graduated from Taylor High School in Houston, TX.
Renee was in a total of 133 episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess. She is not credited in the two "Adventures in the Sin Trade" episodes, in which she appears in "flash-forward" sequences and her face on a CGI image. Renee was also in a total of 4 episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Renee also provided her voice for the 1998 animated video, Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus.
Renee has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Renee states that it was actually her mother's idea for her to do it.
Renee has stated that her favorite movie is The Piano. Interestingly enough, much of the movie was filmed in New Zealand, the same country in which Renee would live and work for six years while starring on Xena: Warrior Princess.
Renee hooked up with boyfriend, Jed Sura, in 2005. Renee gave birth to her second child (Jed's first) on March 19, 2006. They named the baby Iris Sura O'Connor.
Renee likes to kick box, horse riding and rock climb.
Renee is an avid artist. Her work has been showcased at a gallery exhibition, trading cards and at the Official Xena Convention. Renee also sells her work on her official website.
Renee attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas.
Renee engaged Steve Muir from New Zealand in February 2000. They married on October 14, 2000, and have one child, Miles William Muir, born September 2001. The couple divorced in 2005.
Renee's parents are Sandra Wilson Walter O'Connor. She has also a stepfather named Eddie Wilson. Chris O'Connor is Renee's brother.
Renee has green eyes and blonde hair.
Renee is 5' 4" (1.63 m).
Renee's nicknames are Ren and ROC.
Renee: I remember when Rob (Tapert) was first trying to get Xena off of the ground, I wasn't actually with him, but I remember it was just fresh, that we were the underdogs, no one was expecting very much of us, and it's just incredible to see what's happened since then. We' re probably on the preface of some sort of revolutionary role for women.
Renee O'Connor: (when talking at a "Xena" convention about Gabrielle's "peacenik" phase) You didn't like that, did you? I did.
Renee: (when she heard that Lucy Lawless had gone to a fashion show in drag) Who would have thought of that? I'd probably do it, but I wouldn't have thought of it. I think that's brilliant, living large.
Renee: (on directing) I think the joy of wanting to direct is having that nervous anxiety knowing your film is abot to be shown and you're sitting right there with everyone. You're going to hear the response. To me that's a scary feeling I need to address.
Renee O'Connor: Now any time I see a show that has action, I can't help but see things we used to do (on Xena) and how it works. It's like the magic isn't there anymore. Like when you go to a magic show and you know how they do the illusions. That's how I am when I watch any movies where they have people flying through the air.
Renee O'Connor: I remember (playing) Gabrielle hitting a tree (with her staff) during "The Geater Good". They kept giving me more and more staffs to hit the tree 'cuz I kept bending them. I can't remember who ws directing- it's like another lifetime- but he kept saying, 'Go until you can't go anymore.' Well, I kept going and they were running out of staffs. They were worried, too. I was on the last one.
Renee O'Connor: Maybe they say they do but I don't think many actors really enjoy trying to do a Shakespearean play. I find that actors who are wanting to pursue tv or films don't seem to have much interest in classical theatre.
Renee O'Connor: (on playing Gabrielle) I don't think she ever felt fear of Xena or Xena's history. And that is one of the things that probably made her warm and inviting to Xena. She was one of the few people who wasn't afraid of her.
Renee O'Connor: (on her acting life after "Xena") I just want to sit somewhere in an office and speak with some real clothes on.
Renee O'Connor: (about her six years on "Xena") More than anything, I learned about my own level of tolerance and perseverance. How to get through six years of physically demanding work. It's been a great film school, but also personal training. I remember telling one of the people who was there that last day that it was like boot camp. And in many ways it was. We're out there working in the rain and the mud and the cold. It brings out the strength you have within yourself to keep going. That was really good for me to learn.
Renee O'Connor: (referring to her first time directing on "Xena") There's a joke they play on first time directors here. At lunch on the first day, the producers bring them an airline ticket and say 'The first day you get behind schedule, you're outta here.' I kept waiting to get my ticket.
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