AUSXIP:. The very last Xena Convention is coming up
in January 2012, what are your thoughts on the convention
being the very last one?
RENEE: I am excited! It is a grand weekend, with
anticipation and high emotions rolling around already. I
love knowing when it is time for a natural closure to happen
and this one feels right. The Xenaverse will always be
there.
AUSXIP:. In 2004 you appeared at a Xena Convention
and wore Gabrielle’s much loved BGSB (Billious Green Sports
Bra) and brown skirt and recently in your 5 Ways video. Can
we expect a return of this outfit for one final time?
RENEE: Hmmm, who knows?
AUSXIP:. It’s been over 10 years since Xena ended and
you have gone on to act and create other roles from sci fil to
very dramatic and intense roles such as Infinity and Words
Unspoken. Have you always wanted to be in creative control and
how has that influenced the projects you undertake with ROC
Pictures?
RENEE: No, I don't think I started to want to have an
active part in the creative control until the second time I
directed on Xena. I knew then that the ability to share a story
moves deeper as you begin to see it from all the angles. I want
to tell stories that I enjoy. You know, ones without aliens. I
like to laugh, to cry and to feel alive. These are the stories I
create and develop for myself.
AUSXIP. What motivated you to be the one to tell the
story rather than be the one to bring the character to life?
RENEE: It goes in both directions. I love to be an
actor, and I don't feel I have to set that aside to produce or
to direct a film. It all depends on what serves the project,
leaving my Ego by the roadside.
AUSXIP: I was in the audience when Unspoken Words was
shown at the Xena Convention and the reaction from the fans; the
in-depth discussions was extremely emotional and quite moving.
The emotional level in that room was something I had never seen
before at a convention; it was raw and very real. What were you
thinking as people expressed themselves so honestly and openly?
RENEE: From what I can remember, it felt as real and
honest as the time when I was onstage for the 'one woman show' I
put up for everyone at a previous convention. I always
appreciate when people can open their hearts to relate to the
characters they see come to life, and that does not always mean
they have to be crying!
AUSXIP. For many in that room, their past (whether they
were abused or knew someone who was abused) coloured how they
saw that film. For you personally was this a movie about
forgiveness or was it this a movie about the continuation of the
abuse from the father to the son?
RENEE: I wanted to make a film about forgiveness. I
appreciate that people see it differently, and I think a good
piece should stir up a discussion. In any case, people do feel
for these characters. They will see the story from the
perspectives of each character, and I think that is important.
AUSXIP: One of the goals of any writer/director is to
make people feel and think about the work they have created. During the 2011 Xena
Convention you showcased your new movie Infinity with it’s very
powerful message about returning soldiers and Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder. The reaction from the audience was one of
shock. Do you think Infinity shocked allot of fans because of the
subject or the fact that the ending was horrific for your
character?
RENEE: I think the piece itself is disturbing, because it
is a series of unfortunate events that could have been avoided.
I feel some of the most haunting moments of our lives are when
we should have acted when our hearts spoke to us, and yet we
ignored the warning signs. PTSD is a complicated, very sad
situation, yet I don't feel it has been given its due respect in
terms of how to discover the symptoms in the early stages.
AUSXIP. What message did you want to leave your audience
after they saw that movie?
RENEE: I would like for people to pay closer attention to
their friends and loved ones who have been through traumatic
events.
AUSXIP: When you started out what were your expectations
for your career?
RENEE: I did not even think about it. I knew I wanted
to act professionally and I always felt grateful when I had
opportunities to work with people I admired. I still feel this
way.
AUSXIP: You've worked in film, television, and have done
theatre. Is there one that you enjoy more than another, or do
you just enjoy the variety?
RENEE: I do not resonate with the theater right now, and
I am sure it is because I am not in that environment anymore. I
am immersed in film and 'television' or internet-vision. Yes, I
made up that word.
AUSXIP:. When actors talk about working on stage compared
to film or television. It's normally about the differences of
what it gives them or
teaches them. What are your thoughts about stage work? What does
being in front of a theater audience give you or taught you?
RENEE: There are moments when you are acting when you
have no separation from the character, and of course the goal is
to have that all the time. I think it may be easier on some
levels to do the theater because you can sustain this feeling
longer without breaking in and out. I love these heightened
moments in any capacity I can get them. Now, it does not only
have to be while I am 'acting'. That's cool!
AUSXIP. Of all the things that have happened to you
professionally, what moments stand out for you and why?
RENEE: Too many to count. I feel very fortunate, and
it ain't over yet.
AUSXIP: How did you get involved with the Rocamora
School?
RENEE: I met Mary Rocamora through a mutual friend and
fell 'in love' with the way she moves in the world. I wanted
some of that special sumthin-sumthin! She started to teach me
more about the depth of humanity than I ever thought I could
feel and know to be. If it were not for Mary Rocamora, I would
not be the artist I am today. I would not have made Words
Unspoken, nor played with my sense of humour with the
5ways.tv website, nor thought it
possible to have a production company, nor actively participated
in sharing her Awareness work with my
peers.
AUSXIP: Can you tell us about the I Am Aware seminars and
what motivated you to be a part of it?
RENEE: What motivated me was how much Mary's work has
changed my life and feeling the desire to place the kernels in
the field for harvesting season. :)
I think the websites speak more clearly about the work:
www.rocamora.org, and
www.iAmAware.info
AUSXIP: What's the habit you're proudest of breaking?
RENEE: I would like to stop picking at my nails, yet I am
sad to say I may never break this nasty habit. Ted Raimi would
watch me pick away for hours throughout the day, and now, My Jed
gets to be surrounded by the constant, dull clicking away as I
seem to be compelled to keep alive.
Thanks to Renee for the interview! Renee will next be seen in the
upcoming movie
Beyond The Farthest Star which she stars as Maureen Wells. In
January Renee is at the 2012 Xena
Convention in Burbank, California for the Final Journey Convention
where she will be appearing on stage and also doing Photo Ops and
signing autographs with
fans.
PREVIOUS AUSXIP INTERVIEWS WITH RENEE
26 April 2008 - Renee once again agreed to be interviewed by
Christa (and KT this time) at Southern California Firefighters
Burn Relay which was held in Los Angeles on 26 April 2008.
▪
Full Interview
28 April 2007 -
Renee was gracious enough to give AUSXIP reporter Christa and
her sidekick Ruth a video interview for the site. It's a wide
ranging interview covering a great many topics including working
on Boogeyman, Ghost Town, her thoughts on her co-workers over
the years in various movies and some stories. Her thoughts about
living in New Zealand, what Xena taught her and other topics.
▪
Full Interview
AUSXIP Renee Links
- iAmAware
-
Infinity Subsite
-
Beyond The Farthest Star subsite
Interesting Links
- Official Renee
O'Connor Site
