Frances O'Connor

Early life

O'Connor was born in Wantage, at the time part of Berkshire, England, to a pianist mother and nuclear physicist father; her family moved to Perth, Western Australia, when she was two years old. She is the middle of five children, with one older brother, one older sister, and two younger sisters. O'Connor who is of Irish descent was raised Roman Catholic, and attended the Mercedes College in Perth. She then went on to attend the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature from Curtin University in Western Australia.

Career

Not long after graduating from WAAPA in late 1992, O'Connor joined the supporting cast of television drama series Law of the Land as Marissa Green. She also appeared in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of The Dutch Courtesan in June 1993, followed by a production of Much Ado About Nothing with Hugo Weaving and Pamela Rabe in August 1993. O'Connor made her film debut in Emma-Kate Croghan's critically acclaimed independent romantic comedy Love and Other Catastrophes (1996). She received her first AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination for her performance in the film. In 1997, she had the leading role in Kiss or Kill, and starred opposite Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh in Thank God He Met Lizzie. The following year, O'Connor earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance as Emma Bovary in the film Madame Bovary.

In 2000, O'Connor began her Hollywood career with a role in the remake with Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley of the 1967 British film Bedazzled. The following year, she had a leading role in the Steven Spielberg science fiction drama A.I. Artificial Intelligence, earning her a nomination for a Saturn Award for Best Actress. In 2002, she starred alongside Rupert Everett, Colin Firth and Judi Dench in the romantic comedy-drama The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Oliver Parker and based on Oscar Wilde's classic play. In 2003, O'Connor starred opposite Paul Walker in the science fiction film Timeline, which bombed at the box office.

In 2004, O'Connor returned to independent films and starred in Book of Love opposite Simon Baker, and Iron Jawed Angels with Hilary Swank, Julia Ormond and Anjelica Huston. In 2008, she starred in the short-lived ABC comedy-drama series Cashmere Mafia alongside Lucy Liu, Miranda Otto and Bonnie Somerville. From 2013 to 2014, she starred as Rose Selfridge in the British period drama Mr Selfridge.

In 2014, O'Connor was cast as the lead in the British drama The Missing. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for her performance in the series. She then appeared as Belle's mother Colette in the fourth season of the American series Once Upon a Time. In 2016, O'Connor co-starred in the horror film The Conjuring 2, alongside Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, and in Cleverman, opposite Iain Glen.

In 2022, O'Connor made her directorial debut with Emily, a biographical drama she also wrote, about the life of English writer Emily Brontë (portrayed by Emma Mackey).

Personal life

O'Connor and her long-term partner, Gerald Lepkowski, had a son in 2005. The couple married in 2011 at O'Connor's mother's residence in Australia.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. ''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at [[Ancestry.com]]
2. (12 June 2014). "Today in History". [[ABC News (United States).
3. (17 June 2002). "The earnest gypsy".
4. "O'Connor Frances: Bedazzled".
5. James, Caron. (5 June 1993). "Hostage horror is no act!".
6. "Frances O'Connor; Movies and Biography".
7. "Kiss or Kill".
8. "Mansfield Park".
9. "Frances O'Connor Biography".
10. Ojumu, Akin. (2000-04-02). "Australia's latest export, Frances O'Connor". The Guardian.
11. "Timeline (2003)".
12. (26 November 2003). "Timeline (2003) – Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast".
13. Andreeva, Nellie. (25 February 2011). "Several Actors Join Broadcast Pilots".
14. (28 February 2011). "Frances O'Connor boards ABC pilot". [[Digital Spy]].
15. Lazarus, Suzanna. (2 January 2013). "Meet the cast of Mr Selfridge". [[Radio Times]].
16. (28 March 2013). "Playing the Mrs. to 'Mr. Selfridge'".
17. Jeffery, Morgan. (6 March 2014). "James Nesbitt, Frances O'Connor to star in BBC One's The Missing". [[Digital Spy]].
18. (12 November 2014). "Golden Globe Awards Nominations: The Complete List". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
19. (9 April 2014). "'Once Upon a Time' casts Frances O'Connor as Belle's mom". [[Entertainment Weekly]].
20. Kit, Borys. (15 September 2015). "Frances O'Connor Joins 'The Conjuring 2' (Exclusive)". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
21. Friedlander, Whitney. (3 September 2015). "Iain Glen, Frances O'Connor's 'Cleverman' Series to Air on SundanceTV". [[Variety (magazine).
22. Knox, David. (2023-04-27). "Production begins on Erotic Stories for SBS {{!}} TV Tonight".
23. Knox, David. (2023-08-31). "Production underway on The Twelve S2 {{!}} TV Tonight".
24. (2 October 2006). "20 Questions With… Frances O'Connor". www.whatsonstage.com.
25. (2 October 2006). "20 Questions With… Frances O'Connor". www.whatsonstage.com.
26. "Frances O'Connor". [[AusStage]].