Genevieve O'Reilly

Last updated

Genevieve O'Reilly
Born (1977-01-06) 6 January 1977 (age 47)
Dublin, Ireland
Alma mater National Institute of Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active2000–present
SpouseLuke Mulvihill
Children2

Genevieve O'Reilly (born 6 January 1977) is an Irish actress. She is known for her work in the Star Wars franchise as Mon Mothma, having portrayed the character in Revenge of the Sith , Rogue One , and the Disney+ series Andor and Ahsoka, as well as her voice role as the character in Star Wars Rebels , and as Moira in Overwatch .

Contents

Alongside her appearances in television, O'Reilly is also known for her career in films with credits including the 2004 film Avatar in which she portrayed Dash MacKenzie, the 2009 period drama The Young Victoria in which she played Lady Flora Hastings, and the 2010 romantic movie Forget Me Not where she played Eve. In 2016, O'Reilly appeared in the role of Tarzan's mother in The Legend of Tarzan.

Early life and education

O'Reilly was born on 6 January 1977 in Dublin, Ireland, and raised in Adelaide, Australia. She is the eldest of four siblings. [1] At the age of twenty O'Reilly moved to Sydney to attend the National Institute of Dramatic Art, [2] graduating in 2000. [3]

Personal life

In 2005, she moved to the United Kingdom with her husband, Luke Mulvihill, and lives in East London. [2] They have two children, a son and a daughter. [4]

Career

Theatre

O'Reilly was cast as the understudy in director Gale Edwards' production of The White Devil a week after graduating from drama school. She went on to appear in Edwards' Sydney Theatre Company production of The Way of the World . [3] Other theatre credits include The Weir by Conor McPherson, at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, and Richard II at the Old Vic. [5] Recent parts at the Royal National Theatre have been in new play, Mike Bartlett's 13, and as Helena, wife to Andrew Scott's emperor Julian in the 2011 production of Ibsen's epic Emperor and Galilean . In July 2012, O'Reilly performed in George Bernard Shaw's The Doctor's Dilemma . [6]

In 2015 she played Kathryn in Splendour by Abi Morgan at the Donmar Warehouse. [7]

In 2017, she played Mary Carney in The Ferryman, first at the Royal Court Theatre and later at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End of London. [8]

Film

O'Reilly has appeared in several productions filmed in Australia, including the first two sequels to The Matrix . She was also in the 2004 Singaporean science fiction film Avatar , playing the lead role of Dash MacKenzie. [9]

Star Wars

In 2005, O'Reilly played the young Mon Mothma in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith , though most of her scenes were ultimately cut. The scenes were included as bonus material for the 2005 DVD release. In 2016, she reprised her role as Mon Mothma in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story , and voiced the same character in the animated TV show Star Wars Rebels in early 2017. In April 2020, she was revealed to be again reprising her role as Mon Mothma in the Disney+ series Andor that premiered in September 2022. She returns to the role in the Disney+ series Ahsoka in 2023.

Television

In television, O'Reilly's first appearance was in 2001 in the Canadian television series BeastMaster as a guest star in "Slayer's Return". The following year O'Reilly appeared in Young Lions as Kimberly Oswald in the episode "Asylum Seekers". O'Reilly then appeared as a prominent character in All Saints from 2002 - 2005 as Leanne Curtis. From 2011 to 2014, O'Reilly appeared in the series Episodes as a recurring character alongside Matt LeBlanc. Later in 2014, O'Reilly appeared in the television mini series The Honourable Woman as Frances Pirsig. In 2015, O'Reilly appeared in the BBC television series Banished as Mary Johnson. In 2016, O'Reilly appeared in the British drama The Secret from which she gained acclaim and was reported to play her character "beautifully". [10] In Australia she starred as Leanne Curtis in the medical drama All Saints . She also starred alongside Tim Roth in Tin Star .

Since moving to the UK, O'Reilly has starred in the political mini-series The State Within , played Princess Diana in the 2007 television docudrama Diana: Last Days of a Princess , and taken the lead role in The Time of Your Life . She played CIA liaison officer Sarah Caulfield in the eighth series of BBC drama Spooks . [11] She played Julie Rees in Harbinger, S9:E1&2 of Waking the Dead . O'Reilly also played the character of Michelle Beadley in the remake of The Day of the Triffids that aired on BBC One in December 2009. [12]

In June 2013, O'Reilly appeared in the pilot episode of the international crime drama Crossing Lines cast as detective and interrogation specialist Sienna Pride, [13] attached to the ICC team from Britain's Scotland Yard.

In early 2015, O'Reilly starred as Mary Johnson in Jimmy McGovern's Banished , a television drama focusing on British convicts in an Australian penal colony. [14]

In 2015, O'Reilly starred as Dr Elishia McKellar, in an Australian paranormal drama Glitch , set in fictional small country town called Yoorana. Series 1 with 6 episodes won major awards. Series 2 was broadcast on ABC1 and Netflix toward the end of 2017.

In 2017, she was cast alongside Tim Roth as Angela Worth in the British TV Series Tin Star.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2003 The Matrix Reloaded Officer Wirtz
The Matrix Revolutions Officer Wirtz
2004 Cyber Wars Dash MacKenzie
Right Here Right NowPizza Girl
2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Mon Mothma [15]
2009 The Young Victoria Lady Flora Hastings
2010 Forget Me Not Eve Fisher
2015 Survivor Lisa Carr
2016 The Legend of Tarzan Alice Clayton, Countess Greystoke
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Mon Mothma [16]
2017 The Snowman Birte Becker
2019 Tolkien Mrs. Smith
2021 The Dry Gretchen

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2001 BeastMaster NaghaEpisode: "Slayer's Return"
2002 Young Lions Kimberly OswaldEpisode: "Asylum Seekers"
2002–2005 All Saints Leanne CurtisRecurring role
2005 The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant AliciaTV miniseries
Second ChanceSusie FulhamTelevision film
LifeShelly DeaneTelevision film
2006 The State Within Caroline HanleyMain role
2007 The Time of Your Life KateMain role
Diana: Last Days of a Princess Diana, Princess of Wales TV docudrama
2009 Spooks Sarah CaulfieldRecurring role
Waking the Dead Julie ReesHarbinger Series 9, Episodes 1 & 2
The Day of the Triffids Michelle BeadleyEpisode: "Part 1"
2010 New Tricks Michelle ArmstrongEpisode: "The Fourth Man"
Law & Order: UK Claudia MartinEpisode: "Skeletons"
2011 Waking the Dead Julie ReesEpisode: "Harbinger: Parts 1 & 2"
2011–2014 Episodes Jamie LapidusRecurring role
2012 Midsomer Murders Nina MorganEpisode: "A Rare Bird"
The Last Weekend DaisyTV miniseries
2013 Crossing Lines Sienna PrideEpisode: "Pilot: Parts 1 & 2"
2014 The Honourable Woman Frances PirsigTV miniseries
2015 Banished Mary JohnsonTV miniseries
2015–2019 Glitch Elishia McKellarMain role
2016 Endeavour Annette RichardsonEpisode: "Arcadia"
The Secret Hazel Buchanan / Hazel StewartTV miniseries
The Fall Joan KinkeadEpisode: "His Troubled Thoughts"
2017 Star Wars Rebels Mon Mothma Voice; 5 episodes [17]
2017–2020 Tin Star Angela25 episodes
2021 Three Families Rosie FortressTwo-part BBC drama [18]
2022–present Andor Mon Mothma9 episodes
Nominated—Astra TV Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Drama Series
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television 		[19] [20]
2023 Ahsoka 3 episodes [21]

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017 Overwatch Moira
2022 Overwatch 2 Moira

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References

  1. ↑ Wise, Jon (1 July 2007). "Genevieve's telly role is spooky reminder of past". The People . Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  2. 1 2 Leo, Jessica (22 August 2007). "Irish luck for Adelaide star". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Life of Reilly". The Sun-Herald . 23 December 2002. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  4. ↑ Simon Button (22 May 2016). "The Secret's Genevieve OReilly: My Family Always Comes First". The Daily Express. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  5. ↑ United Agents – Genevieve O'Reilly Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  6. ↑ Cavendish, Dominic (25 July 2012). "The Doctor's Dilemma, National Theatre, review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Splendour review – Abi Morgan puts four women in the firing line". the Guardian. 5 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Cast and West End transfer confirmed for Sam Mendes' The Ferryman". WhatsOnStage.com. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  9. ↑ "Avatar (2004)". Moviefone . Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "Genevieve O'Reilly plays The Secret's naive but guilty killer beautifully". Radio Times. May 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  11. ↑ BBC – Press Office – Network TV Programme Information BBC Week 44 Retrieved on 24 October 2009.
  12. ↑ "Episode 1, The Day of the Triffids - BBC One". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  13. ↑ "TV Guide".
  14. ↑ Masters, Tim (4 March 2015). "Banished: Jimmy McGovern tells story of first British convicts in Australia". BBC News . Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  15. ↑ Larson, Corey (19 October 2022). "Lucas Was Right About Mon Mothma (It Just Took 17 Years To See It)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  16. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (8 April 2016). "'Rogue One' and the Surprising Return of Mon Mothma". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  17. ↑ Ratcliffe, Amy (3 March 2017). "Rogue One's Genevieve O'Reilly On Bringing Mon Mothma to Star Wars Rebels (Exclusive)". Nerdist. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  18. ↑ "Cast confirmed for BBC One drama Three Families, from the producers of Three Girls". BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  19. ↑ Davids, Brian (15 September 2022). "'Andor' Star Genevieve O'Reilly Never Thought She'd Get the Chance to Flesh Out Mon Mothma". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  20. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (6 December 2023). "'Avatar: The Way Of Water', 'Oppenheimer', 'Star Trek' Series Lead Nominations For Genre-Focused Saturn Awards". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Glazebrook, Lewis (7 April 2023). "Ahsoka Show Cast & Star Wars Character Guide". ScreenRant. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
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