Evelyn Renee O’Connor is an American actress, director, and film producer, born on 15 February 1971, in Katy, Houston, Texas, and is probably best known for playing Gabrielle in the TV series “Xena: Warrior Princess” in the 1990s.
So just how rich is Renee O’Connor? Sources estimate her net worth to be over $5 million, as of early 2017, accumulated from her involvement in the entertainment industry now spanning almost 30 years.
Renee O’Connor Net Worth $5 million
O’Connor first studied at Taylor High School, later transferring to Houston High School of Visual Performing Arts. Her first taste of acting came at the age of eight, when she played a caterpillar as part of a “Theatre on Wheels” production, but began her professional career in commercials for McDonald’s and Exxon. At the age of 17 she moved to Los Angeles, and secured a few supporting roles on television, starting with an appearance in a 1989 episode of “Night Game”. Other shows in which she featured include “Stone Cold”, “The Adventures of Huck Finn”, “Teen Angel”, and “NYPD Blue”, which laid the basis of her net worth.
It was in 1995 that she first played the role for which she is now most famous – Gabrielle in the cult series “Xena: Warrior Princess”. Chosen for the role based on her performance in “Hercules: The Lost Kingdom”, O’Connor’s character proved to be a fan favourite, with an arc that spanned the entirety of the show. She proved particularly popular with lesbian audiences, coming top of Lesbianation’s 2006 Most Loved Women list, and has since appeared at several gay pride events. Maintaining a high level of athleticism throughout her career, having spent some time as an aerobics instructor in the late 1980s, she performed her own stunts on the show. She also directed three episodes. Her role in “Xena” contributed greatly to her net worth.
In 1997, she was voted #2 in People Magazine’s Most Intriguing People list. The same year, she also featured on the Most Beautiful People list.
Since “Xena”, O’Connor has appeared in shows including “Criminal Minds”, and “Ark”, as well as in the movies “Moby Dick”, “Alien Apocalypse” and “Deadrise”, amongst others. In 2002, she returned to the stage to play Lady Macbeth, in Shakespeare’s play.
O’Connor runs her own production company, ROC Pictures, founded in 2001.Their first production was the romantic comedy film “Diamonds and Guns”, which went straight to DVD. A 2017 release called “Watch the Sky”, described as a “science fiction family film”, is currently in post-production.
In her personal life, after moving to Auckland, New Zealand to film “Xena”, O’Connor met and then married local restaurant owner Steve Muir in 2000; they had a son, but divorced in 2005. Her partner since 2006 is the actor Jed Sura, and they have a daughter together. In her spare time, O’Connor enjoys various hobbies, including tae kwon do and painting. She lives in Manhattan Beach, California, and regularly attends conventions to meet fans of her work. She supports several charities, including the Alissa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, which helps burn victims, and educates people on burn prevention, and she has established her own foundation, The Renee O’Connor Outreach Fund, which donates to families who are struggling with overwhelming medical bills. Due to these philanthropic efforts, O’Connor has been nominated every year since 2010 for the Women Making a Difference Award by The Los Angeles Business Journal.
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