FOX NEWS26 (Houston, TX) -May 8, 1997


Reneé O'Connor
Reporter: Andrea Watkins

Andrea: Reneé O'Connor isn't a household name, but she's working on it. O'Connor's developing a following in the mythological series Xena: Warrior Princess as Xena's quick-witted sidekick Gabrielle.

Reneé: Gabrielle is the voice of the audience. I usually think of seeing what they see for the first time and try to react to that.

O'Connor has had a variety of TV and movie roles over the years including this one in the Adventures of Huck Finn, (clips from this movie and ROC are shown). She's happy now being involved in a successful series. O'Connor lives in New Zealand where Xena is filmed, but her roots are in Houston. (They show ROC looking at some slides of her former classmates) This informal slide show was part of a reunion O'Connor attended at the Houston High School of Visual and Performing Arts (HSVPA). It was O'Connor's chance to look back at the way she was 7 years ago.

Bob Singleton (Reneé's former theater teacher): Reneé was very... she was one of those students that you wished you had ALL of them like her.

O'Connor's former theater teacher Bob Singleton says Reneé was always a friendly and willing student.

She had that ability to play absolute innocence, and, um... the charming girl next door...or, she could do that seductress siren. It was a real delight to see this versatility.

Singleton was TOUGH... very tough. I remember just being in awe of him...a bit intimidated, (laugh), 'cause he knows soooo much. It's still that way actually.

O'Connor was genuinely excited to come home and encourage students to stick with their dreams. She said that the support and discipline she picked up at the HSVPA has helped her to keep going.

There are demands placed on you to act like an adult. To work as a professional. And you learn that here at HSVPA. It's been a lot of work. A lot of hard work, and determination. Umm... there are times when people say; "maybe this isn't for you." And you just have to believe that it is.

Meanwhile there's a payoff for people who can say; I knew her when.

It's actually something kind of pleasant to sit in a theater and say "Oh... that's one of my students."

In Houston... Andrea Watkins.


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