Katy O'Brian

Last updated

Katy O'Brian
Katy O'Brian in 2024.png
O'Brian in 2024
Born (1989-02-12) February 12, 1989 (age 35)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Education Indiana University Bloomington (BA)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • martial artist
Years active2010–present
Spouse
Kylie Chi
​
(m. 2020)​
Website katyobrian.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Katy M. O'Brian [1] (born February 12, 1989) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as bodybuilder Jackie in Love Lies Bleeding , Imperial communications officer Elia Kane in the second and third seasons of The Mandalorian , George in Syfy's zombie show Z Nation , [2] Major Sara Grey in The CW's superhero series Black Lightning , Kimball in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , and Jentorra in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania .

Contents

Early life

O'Brian was born on February 12, 1989, in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has three older brothers. She is of mixed ethnicity, with African-American and European-American ancestry. [3] O'Brian began studying martial arts at five years old, and at age nine earned her brown belt in Shorei Goju Ryu Karate. [4] Throughout her youth, she participated in numerous sports programs and also in music programs as a percussionist. [5]

She attended Indiana University Bloomington, majoring in psychology and Germanic studies. [6] She was one of the first members of the university's short-form improv troupe Hoosonfirst. She received law enforcement certification through the university's Cadet Officer Program. At university, she received her black belt in hapkido through the US Hapkido Federation. [7]

After graduation, she was a police officer for seven years at the Carmel Police Department in Carmel, Indiana, including the department's Crisis Intervention Team, which specialized in helping individuals with various conditions such as psychosis, depression, Alzheimer's, and autism. [8] She obtained her personal trainer certification and began competing in bodybuilding figure competitions, [9] and began training at the Indy Actors Academy. [10] She competed twice in figure, in September 2014 and May 2015, but stopped because of the expense and because she did not want to take steroids like some other competitors. [11]

In 2016, O'Brian moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. While waiting to land a role, she worked with the University of California, Los Angeles Martial Arts Program, helping with self-defense classes and instructing the Hapkido program. Through the same program she also studied Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. [8]

Career

O'Brian's first television role was as a Savior named Katy on AMC's The Walking Dead , [12] followed by roles on Halt and Catch Fire , Tosh.0 and How to Get Away with Murder .[ episode needed ]

In 2018, O'Brian booked her first regular role on the comedy action series Z Nation where she played George, a budding leader of the apocalypse. In 2019, she appeared in the CW series Black Lightning as an ASA antagonist, Major Sara Grey. She appeared in season 3 of HBO's Westworld .

In 2020, O'Brian was cast as Elia Kane, a key recurring character in Seasons 2 and 3 of the Star Wars series The Mandalorian . [13]

She had been featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: in 2020 as Kimball in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ; and in 2023, in a leading role as Jentorra, leader of the Freedom Fighters in the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania . [13] She is one of the few actors who has appeared in both the Star Wars and Marvel franchises. [14]

In 2022, it was announced that O'Brian would star opposite Kristen Stewart in Love Lies Bleeding, her first major film role. [15] The film was released theatrically by A24 on March 8, 2024. [16]

Personal life

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles in 2016, O'Brian met her partner, Kylie Chi, on a student film project set. The couple live together in Los Angeles and married in July 2020. [17]

She has Crohn's disease and underwent bowel surgery after shooting Love Lies Bleeding . [18]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2021 Sweet Girl TV Host
2023 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Jentorra
2024 Love Lies Bleeding Jaqueline "Jackie" Cleaver
Twisters Dani
2025 Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning TBAPost-production
The Running Man Filming
TBA Queens of the Dead Post-production
Untitled Christy Martin film Lisa HolewynePost-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017 Tosh.0 Softball PlayerEpisode: "UCF Baseball Player"
Halt and Catch Fire BartenderEpisode: "Search"
2017–2018 The Walking Dead Katy2 episodes
2018 How to Get Away with Murder Cashier GirlEpisode: "Ask Him About Stella"
Z Nation Georgia "George" St. ClairMain cast (season 5)
2019–2020 Black Lightning Major Sara GreyRecurring role (season 3)
2020 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Kimball3 episodes (season 7)
Westworld EMTEpisode: "The Absence of Field"
The Talking Zed ShowHerselfTV series
2020–present The Mandalorian Elia KaneRecurring role (seasons 2–3)
2021 Magnum P.I. Kai DurrellEpisode: "First the Beatdown, Then the Blowback"
The Rookie Katie BarnesEpisode: "New Blood"
24 Hours of Nothing But Net with Debbie AntonelliHerselfTV special

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ming-Na Wen</span> American actress and model (born 1963)

Ming-Na Wen is an American actress and model. She is best known for playing Melinda May / The Cavalry in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020). Wen made her breakthrough in The Joy Luck Club (1993) as June Woo. She voiced the eponymous character in the animated film Mulan, its sequel Mulan II, and in the video game. Additionally, Wen made a cameo appearance in the live-action remake of Mulan (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh O'Brian</span> American actor (1925–2016)

Hugh O'Brian was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the ABC Western television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955–1961) and the NBC action television series Search (1972–1973). His notable films included the adaptation of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians (1965); he also had a notable supporting role in John Wayne's last film, The Shootist (1976).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katee Sackhoff</span> American actress (born 1980)

Katee Sackhoff is an American actress. She is known for playing Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009), Niko Breckenridge on the Netflix series Another Life (2019–2021), Victoria "Vic" Moretti on the A&E / Netflix series Longmire and Bo-Katan Kryze on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian (2020–present). She also provided the voice for Kryze in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels (2017) and Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (2024), as well as the voice of Bitch Pudding on Robot Chicken (2005–present). She was nominated for four Saturn Awards for her work on Battlestar Galactica and won the award for Best Supporting Actress on Television in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassie Lang</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Cassandra "Cassie" Lang is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie and John Byrne, the character first appeared in Marvel Premiere #47. Cassandra Lang is the daughter of the superhero Scott Lang / Ant-Man. She has also been known as Stature, Stinger, and Ant-Girl at various points in her history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristen Stewart</span> American actress (born 1990)

Kristen Jaymes Stewart is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a César Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pokwang</span> Filipino actress

Marietta Tan Subong, known professionally as Pokwang, is a Filipino comedian, actress, television host and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana Lee Inosanto</span> American actress, director, and martial artist

Diana Lee Inosanto is an American actress, director, former stunt performer, and martial artist. She also wrote and directed the film The Sensei (2008), and wrote the 2020 children's book The Curious Mind of Sebastian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathryn Newton</span> American actress (born 1997)

Kathryn Love Newton is an American actress and semi-professional golfer. She is known for her starring roles as Louise Brooks in the CBS comedy series Gary Unmarried (2008–2010), Abigail Carlson in the HBO mystery drama series Big Little Lies (2017–2019), and Allie Pressman in the Netflix teen drama series The Society (2019). She is also known for portraying the older versions of Claire Novak in The CW dark fantasy series Supernatural (2014–2018) and Joanie Clark in the AMC period drama series Halt and Catch Fire (2016–2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedro Pascal</span> Chilean and American actor (born 1975)

José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal is a Chilean and American actor. After nearly two decades of taking small roles on stage and television, Pascal had his breakout role as Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones (2014). He gained further prominence with his portrayal of Javier Peña in the Netflix crime series Narcos (2015–2017). He went on to appear in the films The Great Wall (2016), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), The Equalizer 2 (2018), and Triple Frontier (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Swallow</span> American actress

Emily Swallow is an American actress. She is best known for her role as The Armorer in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian. She is also known for her roles as Kim Fischer in The Mentalist and as Amara / The Darkness in the 11th season of Supernatural. She also had a minor role as Emily in the video game The Last of Us Part II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Randolph</span> American YouTuber, host, and comic book writer

Grace Randolph is an American film critic, YouTuber, and comic book writer. On YouTube, she hosts her channel Beyond the Trailer. She has written numerous comics, among them issues of Justice League Unlimited and X-Men: Nation X, as well as creating the original comic book series Supurbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope van Dyne</span> Character in Marvel Cinematic Universe

Hope van Dyne is a fictional character portrayed primarily by Evangeline Lilly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character Hope Pym. Portrayed as the daughter of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, she was a senior board member of her father's company, Pym Technologies, and later inherits the superhero identity of Wasp from her mother, using a suit containing shrinking technology to shrink to the size of an insect and also fly with insect-themed wings. Her appearances in the MCU have received media attention, with praise often given to her authentic, relatable portrayal as superheroine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jena Malone on screen and stage</span>

Jena Malone is an American actress who has appeared in over 40 feature films since beginning her career as a child actor in 1996. She gained critical acclaim for her film debut in Anjelica Huston's Bastard Out of Carolina (1996), followed by supporting parts in major studio films such as Contact with Jodie Foster (1997) and Stepmom with Julia Roberts (1998). She subsequently had roles in the cult film Donnie Darko, and the drama Life as a House, before having starring roles in the independent American Girl (2002), the dark comedy Saved! (2004), and the drama The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005).

<i>Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning</i> Upcoming film by Christopher McQuarrie

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is an upcoming American action spy film directed by Christopher McQuarrie from a screenplay he co-wrote with Erik Jendresen. The direct sequel to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), it is the eighth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series. Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett, and Rolf Saxon reprise their roles from the previous films.

<i>Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania</i> 2023 Marvel Studios film

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a 2023 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Scott Lang / Ant-Man and Hope Pym / Wasp. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It was directed by Peyton Reed, written by Jeff Loveness, and stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, alongside Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, Katy O'Brian, William Jackson Harper, Bill Murray, Michelle Pfeiffer, Corey Stoll, and Michael Douglas. In the film, Lang, Van Dyne, and their family are accidentally transported to the Quantum Realm and face off against Kang the Conqueror (Majors).

<i>The Mandalorian</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of the American television series The Mandalorian is part of the Star Wars franchise, set after the events of the film Return of the Jedi (1983). It continues the story of a bounty hunter and his charge, Grogu, after they were reunited in the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett. It also depicts efforts to unite the scattered Mandalorian people and retake their home planet from remnants of the Empire. The season was produced by Lucasfilm, Fairview Entertainment, and Golem Creations, with Jon Favreau serving as showrunner.

Ahsoka, also known as Star Wars: Ahsoka, is an American space fantasy television series created by Dave Filoni for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise and a spin-off from The Mandalorian, taking place in the same timeframe as that series and its other interconnected spin-offs after the events of the film Return of the Jedi (1983). Ahsoka follows former Jedi apprentice Ahsoka Tano and her allies as they fight the remnants of the Galactic Empire during the time of the fledgling New Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Glass</span> British filmmaker and screenwriter

Rose Glass is an English film director and screenwriter. She made her feature film debut with the 2019 psychological horror film Saint Maud, which was nominated for two awards at the 74th British Academy Film Awards. In 2020, Glass was named Best Debut Director at the British Independent Film Awards.

StageCraft is an on-set virtual production visual effects technology composed of a video wall designed by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. It has since been used in other productions and has been cited as a revolutionary visual effects technology. The soundstage in which StageCraft is implemented is called The Volume.

<i>Love Lies Bleeding</i> (2024 film) 2024 film by Rose Glass

Love Lies Bleeding is a 2024 romantic thriller film directed by Rose Glass from a screenplay she co-wrote with Weronika Tofilska, and starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris. It is an international co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States. Set in 1989, the film's plot follows the lesbian relationship between a reclusive gym manager, who is part of a crime family, and an ambitious bodybuilder who gets wrapped up in organized crime.

References

  1. ↑ Romano, Evan (March 15, 2023). "This New 'Mandalorian' Villain Will Make You Question Who to Trust". Men's Health . Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  2. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 20, 2018). "'Z Nation': 'Walking Dead' Alum Katy O'BRIAN Joins Season 5 as Series Regular". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ "That's very kind of you". X. March 29, 2023. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Katy O'Brian: 'GEORGE' from z Nation Discusses ACTING, Success, and Greek Mythology". Your Money Geek. January 23, 2020. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  5. ↑ O'Brian, Katy (October 18, 2018). "Sometimes Coco Chanel Makes Sense". KATY O'BRIAN. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Meet Katy O'brian of Sag-Aftra". VoyageLA. January 29, 2019. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  7. ↑ Burlingame, Russ (December 2, 2019). "Katy O'Brian Talks Her Black Lightning Character, Transitioning from Real Fighting to Stage Fighting, and LGBTQ Representation at DC and Marvel". ComicBook.com . Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Katy O'Brian". MARTIAL ARTS IN EDUCATION. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  9. ↑ Frost, Zenobia (August 20, 2020). "Archer asks: Katy O'Brian, actor and martial artist". Archer. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  10. ↑ "IAA Student and current LA Resident Katy O'Brian". Indy Actors Academy. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  11. ↑ Merritt, Greg (March 15, 2024). "Bodybuilder Katy O'Brian Stars in "Love Lies Bleeding"". The Barbell. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  12. ↑ Saavedra, John (August 17, 2021). "The Walking Dead Season 11 Could Introduce Rick Grimes' Killer". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Who is Elia Kane in The Mandalorian and actress Katy M O'Brian?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  14. ↑ April 07, Devan Coggan; EDT, 2023 at 07:26 PM. "Katy O'Brian thought her 'Mandalorian' character was dead before her season 3 return". EW.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Kroll, Justin (June 27, 2022). "Dave Franco, Katy O'Brian, Ed Harris And Jena Malone Join Kristen Stewart In 'Love Lies Bleeding' For A24". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  16. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (March 8, 2024). "Thriller Love Lives Bleeding With Kristen Stewart, Glitter & Doom Romance With Indigo Girls Soundtrack, Open In Limited Release – Specialty Preview". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Katy O'Brian: Cop, Actor, Bodybuilder". Martial Arts in Education. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  18. ↑ "How Katy O'Brian Got Ripped for 'Love Lies Bleeding'—While Dealing With a Major Health Scare". SELF. March 13, 2024. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.