Xena: Warrior Princess starring Lucy Lawless became required viewing from the mid 90s until 2001.
The fantasy series was a spin-off from Herclues: The Legendary Journeys, which saw Xena featuring as the antagonist. But, when all eyes weren’t on Xena, they fell upon her sidekick Gabrielle who grew to become a firm fan favourite.
Renee O’Connor played the iconic character, who played opposite Lawless in the action series. The pair kept the fans guessing as to whether or not their characters were a couple throughout the show’s run, with Lawless later admitting they were.
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Now 23 years to the day since the last episode aired O’Connor, who hails from Texas, looks almost unrecognisable from her action hero heyday.
(Image: instagram/@realreneeoconnor)
The 53-year-old’s braids have now disappeared and the shoulder-length hair is now mostly fashioned into a trendy bob.
O’Connor was selected for the part following her performance in the TV movie, Hercules and the Lost Kingdom. She participated in the show for six years, starting in 1995 and continuing until the show ended in 2001.
Her character was known for her trademark weapons which included the Amazon fighting staff and sai daggers.
(Image: instagram/@realreneeoconnor)
At the beginning of the show, she was a young and innocent farm girl. However, as the series progressed, her character transformed into a rational warrior, ready to walk the path of the title character Xena.
Right from the start, however, she had the ability to talk herself out of tough situations. Her storylines included convincing a Cyclops not to eat her, stopping a violent crowd from killing Xena, and persuading her to become a travel companion.
Her most recent film role was in the 2017 movie, A Question of Faith and in 2021 she reunited with Lucy Lawless in the TV show, My Life Is Murder.
(Image: instagram/@realreneeoconnor)
And earlier this year she even posted a pic alongside her former co-star, to congratulate her on her directorial debut with her film Never Look Away.
O’Connor captioned her photo: “Congratulations Lucy on your directorial debut, Never Look Away, a riveting documentary about the first female New Zealand CNN videographer, Margaret Moth. I loved it, Lucy. You have many skills!!”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
