Austin Chronicle -February 13-19 1998
MOMMA
ROCS!
by Virginia B. Wood
There was an air of excitement and anticipation
among the little girls attending an ice cream social at Threadgill's
restaurant. Some of the girls were shy about approaching their idol.
A few were confused about the difference between the actress and her
TV character. The young actress cheerfully chatted with each one,
autographing 8x10 glossies and posing for snapshots while they stared,
wide-eyed and breathless. It was the fall of 1996, and Reneé O'Connor
had just participated in the first fan event of her acting career.
Fast forward to October 5, 1997. More than 2,000 fans gathered in
the Valley Forge Convention Center in Pennsylvania to attend the Official
Hercules & Xena Convention. Many of the fans donned elaborate costumes,
tattoos, T-shirts, and homemade tributes to their TV heroes and heroines.
Members of the Reneé O'Connor International Fan Club proudly wore
official ID badges decorated with their idol's picture. Participating
in the fan convention gave the young actress her first real taste
of the impact of the television series - her biggest career break.
"When Reneé was planning for her career, this kind of thing never
occurred to us," recalls Reneé's mother, Sandra Wilson. In fact, O'Connor
was just like many attractive, talented young actresses headed for
Hollywood. But she had better luck than most. A featured role in Hercules
and the Lost Kingdom brought her to the attention of producers who
were looking for a young woman to portray Gabrielle, the plucky sidekick
of the formidable warrior princess, Xena. The brassy O'Connor was
cast opposite the dark, statuesque New Zealander Lucy Lawless and
reported to Auckland, New Zealand to begin filming, hordes of fans
were the farthest thing from her mind. As O'Connor's following grew,
the preponderance of fan mail and the proliferation of websites regarding
her daughter concerned Wilson. Though she's the farthest thing imaginable
from a "stage mother," Wilson felt compelled to get involved. So she
created the Reneé O'Connor Official International Fan Club.
Known as "MommaROC" here in the states, Wilson has much more interaction
with fans than her daughter and surely more fan contact than most
mothers of people in the entertainment business. According to Wilson,
younger viewers write asking Reneé to be their friend. Teenagers often
seek career advice on how they, too, can become actresses. This touches
Wilson, who is surprised and gratified that so many professional women
also respond to the loving, supportive friendship depicted between
two strong female characters, and she also welcomes the vocal lesbian
contingent in the fanbase - the club membership currently numbers
more than 2,000. Everyone seems to be interested in whether or not
O'Connor has a boyfriend (she does, New Zealand restaurateur Steve
Muir) and there are plenty of marriage proposals. Some fans are so
ardent that letters just aren't enough. And while Xena and Gabrielle
paraphernalia such as T-shirts, posters, and action figures capitalize
on the avid fan market, Sandra Wilson will do her best to ensure that
the public appreciates the talented young woman who brings one of
those characters to life: Reneé O'Connor.
[back
to articles index]