Renee O'Connor

Renee O'Connor began her acting career in commercials for McDonald's and Exxon, but came to more serious attention on an episode of the crime drama "NYPD Blue" where she played the daughter of a couple who had been murdered. After that, O'Connor joined the cast of "Xena: Warrior Princess," a cult fantasy series that ran from 1995 to 2001, and co-starred Lucy Lawless. As Gabrielle on that show, the heterosexual O'Connor became a lesbian icon due to her heated relations with Lawless's Xena. Thereafter, she continued her acting career with sci-fi efforts such as "Alien Apocalypse" and "Ark." O'Connor also directed two episodes of "Xena" and has co-directed the video "Diamonds and Guns" and the short film "Words Unspoken." Born Evelyn Renee O'Connor in Caty, Texas, O'Connor started studying acting at age 12 at Houston's Alley Theatre, and attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston.