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Morgana O'Reilly

Morgana O'Reilly (born 19 August 1985) is a New Zealand film, television and theatre actress. She has appeared in several theatre productions and created the one-woman play The Height of the Eiffel Tower, which she performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014. O'Reilly played Lynn Matthews in the biographical television film Billy and starred as Kylie Bucknell in the horror-comedy Housebound. She has made appearances in Nothing Trivial, Sunny Skies, This is Littleton. O'Reilly played Naomi Canning in Neighbours from 2013 until 2015. She made guest appearances in 2020 and 2022. She starred in sitcom Mean Mums and joined the cast of Wentworth as Narelle Stang in 2019. O'Reilly and her husband Peter Salmon created the comedy-thriller INSiDE, which won the International Emmy Award for Best Short-Form Series in 2021.

Morgana O'Reilly
Born
Morgana Le Fay Naomi Jane O'Reilly[1]

(1985-08-19) 19 August 1985 (age 39)[2]
New Zealand
OccupationActress
Years active2003–present
SpousePeter Salmon
Children2

Early life

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Morgana Le Fay Naomi Jane O'Reilly was born in New Zealand to Mary-Jane, a dancer and choreographer, and Phil O'Reilly, a graphic designer.[3] She grew up in the Ponsonby/Grey Lynn area.[4] O'Reilly said she got her love of performing from her mother and that she wanted to be an actor since she was 15.[3] O'Reilly attended Unitec Institute of Technology and graduated in 2006.[5]

Career

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After graduating from Unitec, O'Reilly appeared in several theatre productions, including Three Sisters, Marat/Sade and Coram Boy.[3][6] She also undertook some bar work at The Basement Theatre in Auckland.[3] After a stint in the comedy show A Thousand Apologies, O'Reilly was cast in a new production of Toa Fraser's play Bare.[3] The director, Oliver Driver, said O'Reilly was cast because of her ability to play several different characters.[3]

In 2009, O'Reilly created a one-woman play called The Height of the Eiffel Tower. The play focuses on Terri Hulme, a mother of four, who takes a closer look at her life when she goes on a coffee date with an old university friend.[7] O'Reilly approached her friend Abigail Greenwood to direct and act as dramaturge. Her mother Mary-Jane O'Reilly danced a solo piece on stage for the first time in years, before O'Reilly premiered The Height of the Eiffel Tower.[7] The play was well-received and O'Reilly went on to perform it at the New York Fringe Festival.[7]

After O'Reilly was cast as Amber in Thomas Sainsbury's black comedy Dance Troupe Supreme, she turned to her mother for help researching the role due to her background in dance.[8] In 2011, O'Reilly appeared in the biographical television film Billy, where she played Lynn Matthews, the wife of comedian, musician and actor Billy T. James.[9] She also starred as Desdemona in Jesse Peach's production of Othello and made a guest appearance in the comedy-drama series Nothing Trivial, as lead character Mac's love interest, Alison.[5][10]

O'Reilly went on to star in the television film Safe House, which aired during TV One's Sunday Night Theatre.[11] She was also cast in TV3's comedy series Sunny Skies as Nicky, an "independent, organised campground owner".[12] On 30 December 2013, it was announced O'Reilly had joined the cast of Neighbours as Naomi Canning.[13] O'Reilly attended two rounds of auditions before she won the role. O'Reilly and her husband filmed her first audition in their garden in Sydney, before O'Reilly flew to Melbourne to audition in the studio, with cast members Colette Mann and Stefan Dennis.[14] She made her first appearance as Naomi on 25 March 2014.[15]

O'Reilly appeared in This is Littleton in February 2014. She also wrote for the series.[16] O'Reilly stars as Kylie Bucknell in Gerard Johnstone's horror-comedy Housebound, which had its world premiere at SXSW.[17] For her performance as Kylie, O'Reilly earned a nomination for Best Actress at the 2014 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards.[18] O'Reilly performed The Height of the Eiffel Tower at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2014.[19] O'Reilly departed Neighbours in mid-2015 to pursue new acting roles.[20] The following year, she was cast as the female lead, Vanda, in the Auckland Theatre Company's production of Venus in Fur.[1]

In 2017, O'Reilly directed a touring production of family drama deVINE with the RECollective Theatre Company. In August that year, she starred as Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Silo Theatre.[21] O'Reilly and Anna Jullienne appeared in the 2018 comedy pilot Mean Mums, which competed against four other sitcoms as part of Three's Comedy Pilot Week.[22] The pilot performed well and MediaWorks New Zealand picked it up to series.[23] In 2019, O'Reilly joined the cast of Wentworth, playing the role of "volatile" prisoner Narelle Stang.[24] The following year, she returned to Neighbours for a guest stint, and appeared in mystery drama series The Sounds.[25] O'Reilly also starred in comedy-thriller INSiDE, created with her husband Peter Salmon during New Zealand's COVID-19 lockdown. The series was filmed in the couple's house in Auckland.[26] INSiDE won the International Emmy Award for Best Short-Form Series.[27]

O'Reilly guested in an episode of the 2022 New Zealand comedy series Kid Sister.[28] She also made a cameo appearance in Neighbours in July 2022,[29] and appeared in the comedy film Nude Tuesday, which features full nudity.[30] O'Reilly stars in the season final of the comedy anthology series Summer Love.[31] She also created and toured a one-woman theatre show called Stories About My Body from late 2022 until early 2023. The show is an account of O'Reilly's relationship with her body, with material taken from her personal diaries.[27] In January 2024, O'Reilly joined the cast of American dark comedy The White Lotus for its third season. Production will begin in February.[32] On 16 September 2024, O'Reilly was named as part of the cast for new Paramount+ series Playing Gracie Darling at the 2025 Channel 10 / Paramount+ Upfronts.[33]

Personal life

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O'Reilly is married to filmmaker Peter Salmon.[19] O'Reilly announced her pregnancy on 6 June 2015,[34] and she gave birth to their daughter on 25 August.[35] O'Reilly gave birth to their second child, a son, in 2018.[22]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 The Jaquie Brown Diaries Alt girl 1 episode
2008 A Thousand Apologies Various TV series
2009 Piece of My Heart June Watt TV film
2011 Billy T James Lynn Matthews TV film
2011 Nothing Trivial Alison
2012 Safe House Carol Taylor TV film
2013 Sunny Skies Nicky
2014 This is Littleton Various characters Also writer
2014–2015, 2020, 2022 Neighbours Naomi Canning Main cast
2018–2022 Mean Mums Jess Main cast
2019 Below Guard Main cast
2019 Wentworth Narelle Stang 2 episodes
2019 Secret Bridesmaids' Business Rachel Atwood Miniseries
2019 Rosehaven Pen Episode: #4.8
2020 The Sounds Hannah McGregor 7 episodes
2020 INSiDE Rose TV mini series
2021 My Life Is Murder Dennie Episode: "Wild Life"
2022 Kid Sister Sarah Episode: #1.3
2022 Summer Love Becky Episodes: "Trevor & Frankie"
2024 Friends Like Her Nicole TV series
2025 Playing Gracie Darling Joni TV series
TBA The White Lotus TBA

Film appearances

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Year Title Role Notes
2024 Bookworm Zo Film[36]
2022 Don't Make Me Go Krystal Film
Nude Tuesday Shan Film
2019 Below MIchelle
2014 Housebound Kylie Bucknell Nominated – Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Award for Best Actress
2012 We Feel Fine Kelly
Ten Thousand Days Arabella Short
2011 Rebecca 2 Vixen Misfit
Dr Grordbort Millicent Short
2007 Knickers Chole Short

References

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  1. ^ a b Hewitson, Michele (6 September 2016). "Morgana O'Reilly interview: "I let people lick my toes for money"". New Zealand Listener. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Mary Jane O'Reilly Curriculum Vitae October 2001" (PDF). Flagrant Productions. October 2001. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Huse, Shannon (5 October 2008). "Life of O'Reilly". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  4. ^ "TBI Q&A: Morgana O'Reilly". The Big Idea. 9 October 2008. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  5. ^ a b Barry Hill, Rebecca (23 February 2012). "Scene stealers: Young actors following their famous parents' lead". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Morgana O'Reilly – Actor Biography" (PDF). Johnson & Laird. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Scott, Owen (30 April 2010). "New York, New York". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  8. ^ Delilkan, Sharu (18 March 2010). "Super troupers". The Aucklander. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  9. ^ Hill Cone, Deborah (21 August 2011). "TV Preview: Billy". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  10. ^ Simpson, Roz (15 August 2011). "Review: Othello". Gayexpress.co.nz. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  11. ^ "Morgana O'Reilly". Johnson & Laird. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  12. ^ "Morgana O'Reilly as Nicki". TV3. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  13. ^ Earp, Catherine (30 December 2013). "Neighbours: Morgana O'Reilly to play Sheila Canning's daughter Naomi". Digital Spy. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  14. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (31 March 2014). "Exclusive: Neighbours: Morgana O'Reilly reveals Naomi Canning role gossip". Digital Spy. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  15. ^ "Soap Diary". TV Week (12): 38. 21–28 March 2014.
  16. ^ Knox, David (10 February 2014). "Airdate: This is Littleton". TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  17. ^ Whittaker, Richard (11 March 2014). "SXSW gets 'Housebound'". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Interview with Ant Timpson for Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards". Rialto Channel. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Morgana's blood sweat & fear!". Yahoo! Lifestyle. 24 July 2014. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  20. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (3 October 2015). "Exclusive: Neighbours star Morgana O'Reilly has left Naomi Canning role permanently". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Morgana O'Reilly on directing, acting and the importance of family dynamics". The New Zealand Herald. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  22. ^ a b Simich, Ricardo (15 September 2018). "Kiwi stars become Mean Mums". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  23. ^ Nealon, Sarah (4 July 2019). "Mean Mums, supportive parents and playing it for laughs". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  24. ^ Rigden, Clare (5 June 2019). "Wentworth's Kaz pays the price for taking on Marie". TV Week. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  25. ^ Simich, Ricardo (5 September 2020). "Spy: Actress Morgana O'Reilly is taking over your television". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  26. ^ Parkes, Melenie (6 August 2020). "INSiDE the new local comedy-thriller made in lockdown". Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  27. ^ a b Awarau, Aroha (2 December 2022). "Morgana O'Reilly bares all: 'Why I'm putting my body on the line'". New Zealand Woman's Weekly. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  28. ^ Brooks, Sam (26 May 2022). "Review: Kid Sister aims for greatness, and ends up somewhere pretty close". The Spinoff. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  29. ^ Denby, Laura (29 July 2022). "Neighbours finale cameos as fan-favourites make surprise returns". Radio Times. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  30. ^ Easther, Elisabeth (9 May 2022). "Morgana O'Reilly: My story as told to Elisabeth Easther". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  31. ^ Knox, David (18 October 2022). "Summer Love: Oct 19". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  32. ^ Otterson, Joe (12 January 2024). "'White Lotus' Season 3 Adds Five to Cast, Including 'Zone of Interest' Star Christian Friedel". Variety. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  33. ^ Knox, David (16 September 2024). "2025 Upfronts: Paramount+ | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  34. ^ Finbow, Katy (6 June 2015). "Neighbours star Morgana O'Reilly reveals she's expecting her first baby". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  35. ^ Dainty, Sophie (25 August 2015). "Neighbours star Morgana O'Reilly welcomes baby girl with husband Peter Salmon". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  36. ^ "Bookworm". New Zealand Film Commission. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Morgana O'Reilly Actor Profile". Johnson & Laird. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
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