Emily O'Brien

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Emily O'Brien
* Emily O'Brien * 2008 Daytime Emmy Awards.jpg
O'Brien at the 2008 Daytime Emmy Awards
Born
Emily O'Brien
OccupationActress
Years active2003–present
Emily O'Brien, right, with people from the 2015 film Pernicious. Pernicious movie people.jpg
Emily O'Brien, right, with people from the 2015 film Pernicious .

Emily Roya O'Brien is an English three-time Daytime Emmy-nominated actress and writer who is known for her role of Jana Hawkes Fisher on The Young and the Restless from 2006 to 2011. She voiced The Woman in Love, Death and Robots Season 1 episode of The Witness, which won The Emmy for Best Animation. She went on to portray motion capture and the voice of Eve in season 2 of Love, Death and Robots entitled Pop Squad. She also portrayed Julia in the 2014 film Pernicious and provided the voices of Camille and Samira in League of Legends , and Y'shtola in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn . Emily also voiced Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series and Special Agent Iman Avesta in Batman: The Enemy Within . In 2018, she became part of the main cast of the animated film Dagon Troll World Chronicles. She also voiced Amelie and young Bridget Strand in the 2019 game Death Stranding . In 2020, O'Brien joined the cast of Days of Our Lives and currently portrays the character Gwen Rizczech, the daughter of Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford) on the daytime drama. [1] In October 2023, O'Brien took over the role of Theresa Donovan, the daughter of Shane Donovan (Charles Shaughnessy) and Kimberly Brady (Patsy Pease).

Contents

Life and career

Emily O'Brien was in plays at Carlsbad High School, where she graduated in 2003, and at MiraCosta College, where she completed a theater major in 2005. In 2005, she graduated with a degree in theater from Mira Costa College.

She was named a finalist in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival’s Irene Ryan Acting Competition in 2005, where she was pitted against several hundred students from colleges and universities across the country. She attended Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England and wrote, produced and directed her first project Beatrice in 2011 which won best film at BIFF.

She portrayed Jana Hawkes Fisher in The Young and the Restless . O'Brien was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards for her performance in The Young and the Restless. She portrayed the role again in November 2008, when a parody of the show was the theme of the 1st showcase on The Price Is Right . O'Brien portrayed the role initially on a recurring status from 11 May to 5 September 2006, [2] and then on contract from 10 October 2006 to 20 February 2007, [3] when the character disappeared from the canvas temporarily until her return on 15 June 2007. [4] O'Brien earned two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Younger Actress in 2008 and 2009. [5] [6] In March 2011, news broke that O'Brien had been let go from The Young and the Restless, [7] with her final airdate on 6 May 2011. Prior to her dismissal, O'Brien was pre-nominated for another Daytime Emmy in the same category. [8]

O’Brien is in much demand as a voice actor, and provided the voices of Y'Shtola in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn , Camille in League Of Legends , Faris Scherwiz in World of Final Fantasy , and Veruca Salt in Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory . [9]

Emily then portrayed Julia in the 2014 supernatural horror film Pernicious , directed by James Cullen Bressack. [10]

She also voiced Gamora in the Telltale video game, Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series . [11] She voiced Special Agent Iman Avesta in Batman: The Enemy Within , a fan of Batman. [12] O'Brien is partially deaf, and teared up having to voice a scene where the character can be rendered deaf by the Riddler.

In 2018, she briefly played Jillian Marshall in the Focus on the Family radio program Adventures in Odyssey . That same year, she provided the voice of Renee Chandler in the CW Seed animated series Constantine: City of Demons . [13] She also appeared as the suspicious Portia in the thriller Dangerous Matrimony, then signed on to play the voice of Ruth the human mother and wife of the Ambassador of Earth in the upcoming dark fantasy motion comic Dagon Troll World Chronicles that is set to be released in 2021. She reprised the role of Gamora in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order .

O'Brien appeared in Hideo Kojima's 2019 game Death Stranding [14] as the voices of Bridget and the young Amelie Strand, characters using the likeness of Lindsay Wagner. She has several projects in hand that are currently in post-production, like Vampire Dad, Iris, and Beautifully Flawed.

In May 2020, it was announced that O'Brien had joined the cast of Days of Our Lives in the role of Gwen Rizczech. She made her first appearance on 1 June of the same year. [15]

On October 2, 2023, it was announced she would assume the role of Theresa Donovan on Days of Our Lives. [16]

In November 2024, it was announced O'Brien would return to play her iconic character Theresa in March 2025, before reprising her role Gwen Rizczech in July 2025 on Days of Our Lives . [17]

Filmography

Film performances
YearTitleRoleNotes
2006SéanceGirl
ComaNurseVideo short
2010New GlassesShort film
2011MatchupHis SweetheartShort film
BeatriceBeatriceShort film; also writer and producer
2012SuperWannabeHeroesSuper SallyShort film
2014Edgar Allan Poe's the CaskShort film
Pernicious Julia
The Janus Project PreviewLexiShort film
On the RunAmyShort film
2016RestorationRebecca Jordan
Honey Jar: Chase for the GoldAnn Jordan
The Bad Batch Dream Girl
2017The Bigfoot ProjectJamie Kerrigan
Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Veruca Salt (voice)Direct-to-video
2018Get Married or DieSandi
Too CloseThe GirlShort film
Vampire DadNatasha
Dangerous Matrimony Portia
Constantine: City of Demons – The Movie Renee Chandler (voice)
2019IrisIrisShort film
Dagon Troll World ChroniclesRuth
The CloudMargerie
2021 Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms Jade, Lin Kang (voices)Direct-to-video
2022 The Sea Beast Villager 1 / Villager 2
2023 Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham Talia al Ghul, Martha Wayne (voices)Direct-to-video [18]
Television performances
YearTitleRoleNotes
2006 What About Brian Girl at ClubEpisode: "Two in Twenty-Four"
2006–2011 The Young and the Restless Jana Hawkes Series regular
2016Rock in a Hard PlaceYoung DebbieUnknown episodes
2017 One Day at a Time VO OperatorEpisode: "Hold, Please"
2018–2019 Constantine: City of Demons Renee Chandler (voice)2 episodes; web series
2019–2021 Love, Death & Robots Eve, The Woman (voices)2 episodes
2019Beautifully FlawedSusanTV movie
2020–present Days of Our Lives Gwen Rizczech
Theresa Donovan
Regular role
2024 Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft Young Agent, Passenger #2 (voices)Episode: "Whanaungatanga"
Video game performances
YearTitleRoleNotes
2013 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Y'shtolaEnglish dub
2014 Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Eryn
2015 The Order: 1886 Additional Voices
2016 World of Final Fantasy Faris Scherwiz English dub
League Of Legends Camille, Samira [19]
2017 Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series Gamora
2017–2018 Batman: The Enemy Within Iman Avesta / Bartender / Agency Female #3
2017Paranormal Activity: The Lost SoulThe Witch
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Rats Whisperers
2018 God of War Additional Voices
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Additional Voices
Thief of Thieves Taraneh Jamshidi
2019 The Elder Scrolls Online Khamira / Additional Voices
Days Gone Additional Voices
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order Gamora
Indivisible Mary
Death Stranding Amelie, young Bridget Lindsay Wagner as model
Apex Legends Additional Voices
2020 Tell Me Why Mary-Ann Ronan
2021 Nier Reincarnation Mama [20]
2022 Saints Row Player Voice 6
Gotham Knights Talia al Ghul
God of War Ragnarök Verðandi
Marvel's Midnight Suns Scarlet Witch, Sin
2023 Starfield Sarah Morgan
2024 Dead by Daylight Lara Croft

Other

Awards

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References

  1. Thomas, Michael. "Emily O'Brien's First Days of Our Lives Airdate Revealed!". Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  2. "The Young and the Restless: Ep. #8386". TV.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  3. "The Young and the Restless: Ep. #8583". TV.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  4. "The Young and the Restless: Ep. #8664". TV.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  5. Kroll, Dan J. (30 April 2008). "2008 Daytime Emmys - Nominations". SoapCentral. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  6. Kroll, Dan J. (14 May 2009). "AMC tops all Emmy tallies, DAYS has a big showing". SoapCentral. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  7. Kroll, Dan J. (22 March 2011). "Emily O'Brien let go from Y&R". SoapCentral. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  8. Kroll, Dan J. (26 February 2010). "2010 Daytime Emmys - Pre-Nominations Announced". SoapCentral. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  9. "Faris Scherwiz Voice - Final Fantasy franchise". behindthevoiceactors.com. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  10. "Production: Pernicious" (PDF). Film in Thailand. Thailand Film Office.
  11. Yin-Poole, Wesley (10 March 2017). "Nolan North is Rocket in Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy game". Eurogamer.net.
  12. "Catching Up With Emily O'Brien". 3 July 2017.
  13. Wickline, Dan (March 24, 2018). "Constantine: City of Demons Recap and Review". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  14. Bell, Brian (22 February 2018). "Troy Baker, Emily O'Brien Join Cast of Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding". Paste . Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  15. "Exclusive! Emily O'Brien to DAYS". Soap Opera Digest . United States: American Media, Inc. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  16. Fairman, Michael (3 October 2023). "Emily O' Brien Confirmed as Theresa Donovan Replacement on Days of our Lives". Michael Fairman TV . United States. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  17. "Emily O'Brien Brings Theresa and Gwen Back to DAYS". SoapOperaDaily.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. "'Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham' Sets Voice Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . 6 December 2022.
  19. @emilyXObrien (16 March 2017). "Only in this world can I have blade legs" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  20. "Emily OBrien (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  21. Debevec, Paul. "Animating a photo-real digital face" . Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  22. "ILMxLAB's Mark Miller on Rogue One: Recon and Putting Fans in X-wings". StarWars.com. 15 November 2016.