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Genevieve O'Reilly

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Genevieve O'Reilly
O'Reilly at Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025
Born (1977-01-06) 6 January 1977 (age 48)
Dublin, Ireland
EducationNational Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active2000–present
SpouseLuke Mulvihill
Children2

Genevieve O'Reilly (born 6 January 1977) is an Irish-Australian actress. She is known for portraying Mon Mothma in the Star Wars franchise beginning with Revenge of the Sith (2005), a role which earned her a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in season 1 of Andor. She has also amassed significant other acting credits on stage and in film and television.

Early life and education

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Genevieve O'Reilly was born on 6 January 1977 in Dublin, Ireland,[1] and at age ten emigrated to Adelaide, in South Australia.[2] She had two younger siblings when the family emigrated, eventually gaining Australian citizenship.[2][3]

O'Reilly moved to Sydney to attend the National Institute of Dramatic Art, eventually being accepted after three attempts.[2] She graduated in 2000.[4]

Career

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Theatre

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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.[4] Other theatre credits include The Weir by Conor McPherson, at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, and Richard II at the Old Vic.[5][better source needed] Recent parts at the Royal National Theatre have been in new play, Mike Bartlett's 13,[citation needed] 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 O'Reilly 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

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O'Reilly has appeared in several productions filmed in Australia,[citation needed] including Matrix franchise sequels, The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and The Matrix Revolutions (2003).[1] She also starred in the 2004 Singaporean science fiction film Avatar,[9] which also was marketed under the title Cyber Wars (2006), where she played the lead role of Dash MacKenzie.[10][9]

Star Wars

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In 2005, O'Reilly played the young Mon Mothma in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith;[11] although most of her scenes were cut, they were included as bonus material for the 2005 DVD release.[11][12] 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.[13][11] Per a Disney+ announcement in April 2020,[citation needed] O'Reilly would reprise her role as Mon Mothma in the first season of the series Andor, that premiered in September 2022.[14] She returned to the role in the Disney+ series Ahsoka in 2023 and then in the second season of Andor in 2025.[15]

Television

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In television, O'Reilly's first appearance was in 2001 in the Canadian television series BeastMaster as a guest star in "Slayer's Return".[citation needed] The following year O'Reilly appeared in Young Lions as Kimberly Oswald in the episode "Asylum Seekers".[citation needed] O'Reilly then appeared as a prominent character in All Saints from 2002 to 2005 as Leanne Curtis.[citation needed] Since moving to the UK, O'Reilly starred in the political mini-series The State Within, (first episode 2 November 2006) played Princess Diana in the 2007 television docudrama Diana: Last Days of a Princess,[citation needed] and had the lead role in The Time of Your Life (summer 2007).[citation needed] In 2009, she played CIA liaison officer Sarah Caulfield in the eighth series of BBC drama Spooks.[16] She played Julie Rees in Harbinger, the two-part, season 9-opening episodes of Waking the Dead.[when?][citation needed] 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.[17]

From 2011 to 2014, O'Reilly appeared in the series Episodes as a recurring character alongside Matt LeBlanc.[citation needed] 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, attached to the ICC team from Britain's Scotland Yard.[18] Later in 2014, O'Reilly appeared in the television mini series The Honourable Woman as Frances Pirsig.[citation needed] In 2015, O'Reilly appeared in the BBC television series Banished as Mary Johnson.[citation needed]

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.[19] In 2015, O'Reilly also starred as Dr Elishia McKellar, in an Australian paranormal drama Glitch, set in fictional small country town called Yoorana.[citation needed] The six-episode first series won major awards.[citation needed] Series 2 was broadcast on ABC1 and Netflix toward the end of 2017.[citation needed] In 2016, O'Reilly appeared in the British drama The Secret, for which she gained acclaim and was reported to play her character "beautifully".[20]

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

Personal life

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In 2005, O'Reilly moved to London with her husband, Luke Mulvihill, intending to stay for a couple of years, but were still living there in 2020.[2] They have two children, a son and a daughter.[21][2]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2003 The Matrix Reloaded Officer Wirtz [1]
The Matrix Revolutions [1]
2004 Avatar (Cyber Wars, 2006) Dash MacKenzie [9][10]
Right Here Right Now Pizza Girl [citation needed]
2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Mon Mothma Deleted scenes [11]
2009 The Young Victoria Lady Flora Hastings [citation needed]
2010 Forget Me Not Eve Fisher [citation needed]
2015 Survivor Lisa Carr [citation needed]
2016 The Legend of Tarzan Alice Clayton, Countess Greystoke [citation needed]
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Mon Mothma [13]
2017 The Snowman Birte Becker [citation needed]
2019 Tolkien Mrs. Smith [citation needed]
2021 The Dry Gretchen [citation needed]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2001 BeastMaster Nagha Episode: "Slayer's Return"
2002 Young Lions Kimberly Oswald Episode: "Asylum Seekers"
2002–2005 All Saints Leanne Curtis Recurring role
2005 The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant Alicia TV miniseries
Second Chance Susie Fulham Television film
Life Shelly Deane Television film
2006 The State Within Caroline Hanley Main role
2007 The Time of Your Life Kate Main role
Diana: Last Days of a Princess Diana, Princess of Wales TV docudrama
2009 Spooks Sarah Caulfield Recurring role
Waking the Dead Julie Rees Harbinger Series 9, Episodes 1 & 2
The Day of the Triffids Michelle Beadley Episode: "Part 1"
2010 New Tricks Miranda Armstrong Episode: "The Fourth Man"
Law & Order: UK Claudia Martin Episode: "Skeletons"
2011 Waking the Dead Julie Rees Episode: "Harbinger: Parts 1 & 2"
2011–2014 Episodes Jamie Lapidus Recurring role
2012 Midsomer Murders Nina Morgan Episode: "A Rare Bird"
The Last Weekend Daisy TV miniseries
2013 Crossing Lines Sienna Pride Episode: "Pilot: Parts 1 & 2"
2014 The Honourable Woman Frances Pirsig TV miniseries
2015 Banished Mary Johnson TV miniseries
2015–2019 Glitch Dr. Elishia McKellar Main role
2016 Endeavour Annette Richardson Episode: "Arcadia"
The Secret Hazel Buchanan / Hazel Stewart TV miniseries
The Fall Joan Kinkead Episode: "His Troubled Thoughts"
2017 Star Wars Rebels Mon Mothma Voice; 5 episodes [22]
2017–2020 Tin Star Angela Worth 25 episodes
2021 Three Families Rosie Fortress Two-part BBC drama [23]
2022–2025 Andor Mon Mothma 17 episodes
Nominated—Astra TV Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Drama Series
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television 		[14][24][citation needed]
2023 Ahsoka 3 episodes [15]

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes Refs.
2017 Overwatch Moira [citation needed]
2022 Overwatch 2 [citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Genevieve O'Reilly". Rotten Tomatoes. Beverly Hills, CA: Fandango Media-NBC Universal. 20 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Quinn, Karl (12 December 2020). "Star Wars' Genevieve O'Reilly Nails the Aussie Accent in The Dry. Here's Why". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2024. Genevieve was 10 and the oldest of three children when her father, who worked in computing, and her mother, a homemaker, decided to emigrate from Dublin to Adelaide.
  3. ^ 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. We emigrated to Australia when I was ten and this happened in the first few days we were there. My sister Louise, who was nine at the time...
  4. ^ a b "Life of Reilly". The Sun-Herald. 23 December 2002. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  5. ^ United Agents – Genevieve O'Reilly Retrieved 24 October 2009.[independent source needed]
  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. ^ a b c Tong, Kelvin (25 December 2000). "Made-in-S'pore Sci-Fi Flick". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  10. ^ a b Moviefone Staff (11 April 2006). "Cyber Wars (2006)". Moviefone.com. Moviefone Media LLC. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d Larson, Corey (19 October 2022). "Lucas Was Right About Mon Mothma (It Just Took 17 Years To See It)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  12. ^ Fenton, Andrew (7 September 2016). "Aussie Actor Genevieve O'Reilly on Star Wars: Rogue One, Secrets, Glitch, Banished and Episodes". News.com.au. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  13. ^ a b McMillan, Graeme (8 April 2016). "'Rogue One' and the Surprising Return of Mon Mothma". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  14. ^ a b 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.
  15. ^ a b Glazebrook, Lewis (7 April 2023). "Ahsoka Show Cast & Star Wars Character Guide". ScreenRant. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  16. ^ BBC – Press Office – Network TV Programme Information BBC Week 44 Retrieved on 24 October 2009.
  17. ^ "Episode 1, The Day of the Triffids - BBC One". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  18. ^ "TV Guide".
  19. ^ Masters, Tim (4 March 2015). "Banished: Jimmy McGovern tells story of first British convicts in Australia". BBC News. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  20. ^ "Genevieve O'Reilly plays The Secret's naive but guilty killer beautifully". Radio Times. May 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  21. ^ Button, simon (22 May 2016). "The Secret's Genevieve OReilly: My Family Always Comes First". The Daily Express. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ BBC Staff. "Cast Confirmed for BBC One Drama Three Families, From the Producers of Three Girls". BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  24. ^ 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.
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