Xena’s Gabrielle Took a Break From TV to Raise a Family. 25 Years After the Finale, Here’s What Renee O’Connor Is Doing Now

Renee O’Connor was so much more than just Xena’s sidekick. Her dynamic performance in the franchise won the heart of fans around the world. So, where is she now?

Gabrielle, the aspiring bard who left her village to travel with Xena, was the heart of Xena: Warrior Princess. Fans remember O’Connor’s character for her empathy, style evolution, and impressive physical abilities (despite having no powers or military training). The romantic subplot between Xena and Gabrielle also cemented her as a ‘90s queer icon.

These days, O’Connor graces the convention circuit and pops up in various projects, sometimes when you least expect her to. In February this year, the actress turned 55 and audiences definitely haven’t forgotten about her. But how did she land the role that made her a household name, and what else is she up to today?

Renee O’Connor’s Early Life and Acting Career

Renee O’Connor knew she wanted to be an actress from a very young age. At 12, she began studying acting at Houston’s Alley Theatre, and by 16 she was appearing in commercials for McDonald’s and Exxon. She also worked as a dancing Porky Pig at Houston’s Six Flags AstroWorld.

In 1989, she appeared in the TV series Teen Angel (part of the Disney Channel’s The Mickey Mouse Club), as well as a handful of other projects. After attending Houston’s Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, she moved to Los Angeles to look for bigger roles. In 1991, she even appeared as a contestant on The Price Is Right.

How Renee O’Connor Became Gabrielle in Xena: Warrior Princess

Back in the ‘90s, the Xena: Warrior Princess franchise was exceptionally popular [80% on Rotten Tomatoes for Season 1]. It started as an accidental spin-off after Xena appeared as a villain in the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

O’Connor got the role of Gabrielle, Xena’s best friend, through the traditional auditioning process. But she’d already impressed executive producers in previous projects like Hercules and the Lost Kingdom (as Deianeira, Hercules’ wife) and Darkman II: The Return of Durant.

Next, O’Connor was on her way back to New Zealand, where she’d spend the next six years filming this soon-to-be iconic series. She was often praised for her athleticism, professionalism, and the depth with which she brought the character of Gabrielle to life.

In both 1997 and 1998 she was an OFTA Television Awards nominee for Best Actress in a Syndicated Series.

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Renee O’Connor After Xena: Movies, Family and ROC Productions

Xena: Warrior Princess was an intense project to be part of. There were long days on set, scenes that required physical strength, and plenty of time spent away from home.

When everything wrapped up in the early 2000s, O’Connor deliberately took a break from the demands of television projects to focus on her family. She married a New Zealand restaurant owner, Steve Muir, in 2000, and gave birth to their son in 2001. The couple divorced in the mid-2000s.

During this time, O’Connor still took on a few projects like:

• Rubbernecking (2001)
• One Weekend a Month (2004)
• Alien Apocalypse (2005)

In 2006, she welcomed her daughter with her new partner Jed Sura. And the roles kept coming. Most notably:

• Ghost Town: The Movie (2007)
• Boogeyman 2 (2007)
• Bitch Slap (2009)
• Words Unspoken (2010)
• Ark (2010)
• Infinity (2011)
• Beyond the Farthest Star (2015)
• A Question of Faith (2017)
• My Life Is Murder (2021)
• We Have Many Skills (2024)

And it wasn’t just acting that was keeping her busy. In 2001, she started her own production company, ROC Productions. Their first project was the Las Vegas-set rom-com Diamonds and Guns (2008). Next came the short film Words Unspoken (2010), followed by the feature film Watch the Sky (2017).

O’Connor has also returned to her stage roots. She played Lady Macbeth in a 2002 production of Macbeth, reprised the role in 2019 alongside her husband, Jed Sura, and performed in Romeo and Juliet with her teenage son, Miles, in 2018. Behind the camera, she directed Broken Things (2015).

Renee O’Connor Now: What She’s Doing in 2026

Her most recent credit was a guest appearance in an episode of Hacks (2026), as herself. She’s also a familiar face on the convention circuit, meeting fans at Oz Comic-Con in Australia (Perth, March 2026), the Wellington Armageddon Expo, and Comic Con Brussels in recent years.

Both her children have grown up, and she’s been married to Jed Sura since 2017. In her off-time, the 55-year-old enjoys painting.

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While we haven’t found any officially announced acting projects for O’Connor, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the actress back on our screens in the near future. After all, she never publicly announced her retirement from Hollywood, and it’s clear she’s truly passionate about what she does!

RELATED: Lucy Lawless Looks Beautiful & Fierce 30 Years After Xena: Warrior Princess Made Her a TV Star

Xena: Warrior Princess was most recently listed on Prime Video in the US, and seasons can also be bought digitally from Amazon, Apple TV and Fandango at Home.