Genevieve O'Reilly

{{Infobox person

| name = Genevieve O'Reilly

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|1|6|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Dublin, Ireland

| education = National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 2000–present

| spouse = Luke Mulvihill

| children = 2

}}

Genevieve O'Reilly (born 6 January 1977){{Cite rt|id=genevieve-oreilly|type=celebrity|access-date=13 April 2025}} is an Irish-born Australian actress. She is known for her work in the Star Wars franchise as young Mon Mothma, having portrayed the character in Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and the Disney+ series Andor and Ahsoka. She is also known for her career in films, with credits including the 2004 film Avatar, the 2009 period drama The Young Victoria, and the 2010 romantic movie Forget Me Not. In 2016, O'Reilly appeared in the role of Tarzan's mother in The Legend of Tarzan.

She is also known for voicing the character Moira in the videogame Overwatch and Overwatch 2.

Early life and education

O'Reilly was born in Dublin, Ireland, and raised in Adelaide, Australia. She is the eldest of four siblings.{{cite web | last=Quinn | first=Karl | title=The Dry's Genevieve O'Reilly on the journey from Dublin to Adelaide, from Home and Away to Star Wars, and the search for a place to call home | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=12 December 2020 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/the-dry-star-genevieve-o-reilly-on-finding-a-place-to-call-home-20201210-p56m7w.html | access-date=21 June 2024 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20210130123439/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/the-dry-star-genevieve-o-reilly-on-finding-a-place-to-call-home-20201210-p56m7w.html| archive-date =30 January 2021 |url-status =live }}{{cite magazine|title=Genevieve's telly role is spooky reminder of past|author=Wise, Jon|magazine=The People|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-165861401.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611052855/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-165861401.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 June 2014|date=1 July 2007 |access-date=7 February 2014}}

At the age of 20 O'Reilly moved to Sydney to attend the National Institute of Dramatic Art,{{cite news|title=Irish luck for Adelaide star|author=Leo, Jessica|newspaper=Adelaide Now |url=http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22291221-2682,00.html|date=22 August 2007 |access-date=24 October 2009}} graduating in 2000.{{cite news|title=Life of Reilly|newspaper=The Sun-Herald|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/12/22/1040510962966.html|date=23 December 2002 |access-date=24 October 2009}}

Career

=Theatre=

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. Other theatre credits include The Weir by Conor McPherson, at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, and Richard II at the Old Vic.[http://unitedagents.co.uk/genevieve-o%27reilly#profile-1 United Agents – Genevieve O'Reilly] Retrieved 24 October 2009. Recent parts at the Royal National Theatre have been in new play, Mike Bartlett's 13, 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.{{cite news|last1=Cavendish|first1=Dominic|title=The Doctor's Dilemma, National Theatre, review|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/9426772/The-Doctors-Dilemma-National-Theatre-review.html|access-date=7 April 2016|work=The Telegraph|date=25 July 2012}}

In 2015 she played Kathryn in Splendour by Abi Morgan at the Donmar Warehouse.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/aug/05/splendour-donmar-warehouse-theatre-review-abi-morgan|title=Splendour review – Abi Morgan puts four women in the firing line|date=5 August 2015|website=the Guardian}}

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.{{cite web | title=Cast and West End transfer confirmed for Sam Mendes' The Ferryman | website=WhatsOnStage.com | date=February 8, 2017 | url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/casting-ferryman-paddy-considine-sam-mendes-royal-court_42833.html | access-date=April 5, 2017}}

=Film=

O'Reilly has appeared in several productions filmed in Australia, including the first two sequels to The Matrix. She was also in the 2004 Singaporean science fiction film Avatar, playing the lead role of Dash MacKenzie.{{cite web|url=http://www.moviefone.com/movie/avatar/20019503/main|title=Avatar (2004)|publisher=Moviefone|access-date=4 August 2015}}

==''Star Wars''==

In 2005, O'Reilly played the young Mon Mothma in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, though most of her scenes were ultimately cut. The scenes were included as bonus material for the 2005 DVD release. 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. In April 2020, she was revealed to be again reprising her role as Mon Mothma in the first season of the Disney+ series Andor that premiered in September 2022. She returned to the role in the Disney+ series Ahsoka in 2023 and the second season of Andor in 2025.

=Television=

In television, O'Reilly's first appearance was in 2001 in the Canadian television series BeastMaster as a guest star in "Slayer's Return".{{cn|date=June 2024}} The following year O'Reilly appeared in Young Lions as Kimberly Oswald in the episode "Asylum Seekers". O'Reilly then appeared as a prominent character in All Saints from 2002 to 2005 as Leanne Curtis.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

From 2011 to 2014, O'Reilly appeared in the series Episodes as a recurring character alongside Matt LeBlanc. Later in 2014, O'Reilly appeared in the television mini series The Honourable Woman as Frances Pirsig. In 2015, O'Reilly appeared in the BBC television series Banished as Mary Johnson.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In 2016, O'Reilly appeared in the British drama The Secret, for which she gained acclaim and was reported to play her character "beautifully".{{Cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-05-13/genevieve-oreilly-plays-the-secrets-naive-but-guilty-killer-beautifully|title=Genevieve O'Reilly plays The Secret's naive but guilty killer beautifully|date=May 2016|work=Radio Times|access-date=2020-02-25}}

She starred alongside Tim Roth in Tin Star.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Since moving to the UK, O'Reilly has starred in the political mini-series The State Within, played Princess Diana in the 2007 television docudrama Diana: Last Days of a Princess, and taken the lead role in The Time of Your Life.{{cn|date=June 2024}} She played CIA liaison officer Sarah Caulfield in the eighth series of BBC drama Spooks.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2009/wk44/wed.shtml#wed_spooks BBC – Press Office – Network TV Programme Information BBC Week 44] Retrieved on 24 October 2009. She played Julie Rees in Harbinger, S9:E1&2 of Waking the Dead. 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00plcl4|title=Episode 1, The Day of the Triffids - BBC One|work=bbc.co.uk|access-date=22 December 2016}}

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,{{cite web | title = TV Guide | url = http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/genevieve-oreilly/photos/237552}} attached to the ICC team from Britain's Scotland Yard.

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30052433|title=Banished: Jimmy McGovern tells story of first British convicts in Australia|last=Masters|first=Tim|date=4 March 2015|work=BBC News|access-date=4 August 2015}}

In 2015, O'Reilly starred as Dr Elishia McKellar, in an Australian paranormal drama Glitch, set in fictional small country town called Yoorana. Series 1 with 6 episodes won major awards. Series 2 was broadcast on ABC1 and Netflix toward the end of 2017.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In 2017, she was cast alongside Tim Roth as Angela Worth in the British TV Series Tin Star.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Personal life

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. They have two children, a son and a daughter.{{cite news |url=https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/672181/The-Secret-Actress-Genevieve-OReilly-motherhood-parenting-career-family |title=The Secret's Genevieve OReilly: My Family Always Comes First |author=Simon Button |date=22 May 2016 |newspaper=The Daily Express |access-date=24 October 2020}}

Filmography

= Film =

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes ! class="unsortable" \| {{Tooltip\|Ref.\|Reference(s)}}
rowspan="2" \| 2003 \| {{sortname\|The\|Matrix Reloaded}} \| rowspan="2" \| Officer Wirtz \| \|
{{sortname\|The\|Matrix Revolutions}} \| \|
rowspan="2" \| 2004 \| Cyber Wars \| Dash MacKenzie \| \|
Right Here Right Now \| Pizza Girl \| \|
2005 \| Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith \| Mon Mothma \| \| {{cite web \|last1=Larson \|first1=Corey \|date=October 19, 2022 \|title=Lucas Was Right About Mon Mothma (It Just Took 17 Years To See It) \|url=https://screenrant.com/george-lucas-mon-mothma-genevieve-oreilly-andor-revenge-sith/ \|website=ScreenRant \|language=en-US \|access-date=November 23, 2022}}
2009 \| {{sortname\|The\|Young Victoria}} \| Lady Flora Hastings \| \|
2010 \| Forget Me Not \| Eve Fisher \| \|
2015 \| Survivor \| Lisa Carr \| \|
rowspan="2" \| 2016 \| {{sortname\|The\|Legend of Tarzan\|The Legend of Tarzan (film)}} \| Alice Clayton, Countess Greystoke \| \|
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story \| Mon Mothma \| \| {{cite web \|last1=McMillan \|first1=Graeme \|date=April 8, 2016 \|title='Rogue One' and the Surprising Return of Mon Mothma \|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rogue-one-surprising-return-mon-882046/ \|website=The Hollywood Reporter \|language=en-US \|access-date=November 23, 2022}}
2017 \| The Snowman \| Birte Becker \| \|
2019 \| Tolkien \| Mrs. Smith \| \|
2021 \| The Dry \| Gretchen \| \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

! class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

rowspan="2" | 2003

| {{sortname|The|Matrix Reloaded}}

| rowspan="2" | Officer Wirtz

{{sortname|The|Matrix Revolutions}}

rowspan="2" | 2004

| Cyber Wars

| Dash MacKenzie

Right Here Right Now

| Pizza Girl

2005

| Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

| Mon Mothma

| {{cite web |last1=Larson |first1=Corey |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Lucas Was Right About Mon Mothma (It Just Took 17 Years To See It) |url=https://screenrant.com/george-lucas-mon-mothma-genevieve-oreilly-andor-revenge-sith/ |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US |access-date=November 23, 2022}}

2009

| {{sortname|The|Young Victoria}}

| Lady Flora Hastings

2010

| Forget Me Not

| Eve Fisher

2015

| Survivor

| Lisa Carr

rowspan="2" | 2016

| {{sortname|The|Legend of Tarzan|The Legend of Tarzan (film)}}

| Alice Clayton, Countess Greystoke

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

| Mon Mothma

| {{cite web |last1=McMillan |first1=Graeme |date=April 8, 2016 |title='Rogue One' and the Surprising Return of Mon Mothma |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rogue-one-surprising-return-mon-882046/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US |access-date=November 23, 2022}}

2017

| The Snowman

| Birte Becker

2019

| Tolkien

| Mrs. Smith

2021

| The Dry

| Gretchen

= Television =

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes ! class="unsortable" \| {{Tooltip\|Ref.\|Reference(s)}}
2001 \| BeastMaster \| Nagha \| Episode: "Slayer's Return" \|
2002 \| Young Lions \| Kimberly Oswald \| Episode: "Asylum Seekers" \|
2002–2005 \| All Saints \| Leanne Curtis \| Recurring role \|
rowspan="3" \| 2005 \| {{sortname\|The\|Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant}} \| Alicia \| TV miniseries \|
Second Chance \| Susie Fulham \| Television film \|
Life \| Shelly Deane \| Television film \|
2006 \| {{sortname\|The\|State Within}} \| Caroline Hanley \| Main role \|
rowspan="2" \| 2007 \| {{sortname\|The\|Time of Your Life\|The Time of Your Life (TV series)}} \| Kate \| Main role \|
Diana: Last Days of a Princess \| Diana, Princess of Wales \| TV docudrama \|
rowspan="3" \| 2009 \| Spooks \| Sarah Caulfield \| Recurring role \|
Waking the Dead \| Julie Rees \| Harbinger Series 9, Episodes 1 & 2 \|
{{sortname\|The\|Day of the Triffids\|The Day of the Triffids (2009 TV series)}} \| Michelle Beadley \| Episode: "Part 1" \|
rowspan="2" \| 2010 \| New Tricks \| Michelle 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 \|
rowspan="2" \| 2012 \| Midsomer Murders \| Nina Morgan \| Episode: "A Rare Bird" \|
{{sortname\|The\|Last Weekend\|The Last Weekend (TV series)}} \| Daisy \| TV miniseries \|
2013 \| Crossing Lines \| Sienna Pride \| Episode: "Pilot: Parts 1 & 2" \|
2014 \| {{sortname\|The\|Honourable Woman}} \| Frances Pirsig \| TV miniseries \|
2015 \| Banished \| Mary Johnson \| TV miniseries \|
2015–2019 \| Glitch \| Dr. Elishia McKellar \| Main role \|
rowspan="3" \| 2016 \| Endeavour \| Annette Richardson \| Episode: "Arcadia" \|
{{sortname\|The\|Secret\|The Secret (TV series)}} \| Hazel Buchanan / Hazel Stewart \| TV miniseries \|
{{sortname\|The\|Fall\|The Fall (TV series)}} \| Joan Kinkead \| Episode: "His Troubled Thoughts" \|
2017 \| Star Wars Rebels \| Mon Mothma \| Voice; 5 episodes \| {{cite web \|last1=Ratcliffe \|first1=Amy \|date=March 3, 2017 \|title=Rogue One's Genevieve O'Reilly On Bringing Mon Mothma to Star Wars Rebels (Exclusive) \|url=https://nerdist.com/article/rogue-ones-genevieve-oreilly-on-bringing-mon-mothma-to-star-wars-rebels-exclusive/ \|website=Nerdist \|language=en-US \|access-date=November 23, 2022}}
2017–2020 \| Tin Star \| Angela Worth \| 25 episodes \|
2021 \| Three Families \| Rosie Fortress \| Two-part BBC drama \| {{cite web \|title=Cast confirmed for BBC One drama Three Families, from the producers of Three Girls \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2021/three-families-cast \|website=BBC Media Centre \|language=en-GB \|access-date=12 April 2021}}
2022–present \| Andor \| rowspan=2\|Mon Mothma \| 16 episodes Nominated—Astra TV Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Drama Series Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television \|{{cite web \|last1=Davids \|first1=Brian \|date=September 15, 2022 \|title='Andor' Star Genevieve O'Reilly Never Thought She'd Get the Chance to Flesh Out Mon Mothma \|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/andor-star-genevieve-oreilly-never-thought-shed-get-the-chance-to-flesh-out-mon-mothma-1235221270/ \|website=The Hollywood Reporter \|language=en-US \|access-date=November 23, 2022}}{{cite web\|url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/saturn-awards-nominations-list-movies-tv-1235654052/\|title='Avatar: The Way Of Water', 'Oppenheimer', 'Star Trek' Series Lead Nominations For Genre-Focused Saturn Awards\|website=Deadline Hollywood\|first=Patrick\|last=Hipes\|date=December 6, 2023\|access-date=December 7, 2023\|archive-date=December 7, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207141641/https://deadline.com/2023/12/saturn-awards-nominations-list-movies-tv-1235654052/\|url-status=live}}
2023 \| Ahsoka \| 3 episodes \| {{cite web \|last1=Glazebrook \|first1=Lewis \|date=7 April 2023 \|title=Ahsoka Show Cast & Star Wars Character Guide \|url=https://screenrant.com/ahsoka-show-cast-character-guide/ \|website=ScreenRant \|language=en-US \|access-date=7 April 2023}}

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

! class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

2001

| BeastMaster

| Nagha

| Episode: "Slayer's Return"

2002

| Young Lions

| Kimberly Oswald

| Episode: "Asylum Seekers"

2002–2005

| All Saints

| Leanne Curtis

| Recurring role

rowspan="3" | 2005

| {{sortname|The|Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant}}

| Alicia

| TV miniseries

Second Chance

| Susie Fulham

| Television film

Life

| Shelly Deane

| Television film

2006

| {{sortname|The|State Within}}

| Caroline Hanley

| Main role

rowspan="2" | 2007

| {{sortname|The|Time of Your Life|The Time of Your Life (TV series)}}

| Kate

| Main role

Diana: Last Days of a Princess

| Diana, Princess of Wales

| TV docudrama

rowspan="3" | 2009

| Spooks

| Sarah Caulfield

| Recurring role

Waking the Dead

| Julie Rees

| Harbinger Series 9, Episodes 1 & 2

{{sortname|The|Day of the Triffids|The Day of the Triffids (2009 TV series)}}

| Michelle Beadley

| Episode: "Part 1"

rowspan="2" | 2010

| New Tricks

| Michelle 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

rowspan="2" | 2012

| Midsomer Murders

| Nina Morgan

| Episode: "A Rare Bird"

{{sortname|The|Last Weekend|The Last Weekend (TV series)}}

| Daisy

| TV miniseries

2013

| Crossing Lines

| Sienna Pride

| Episode: "Pilot: Parts 1 & 2"

2014

| {{sortname|The|Honourable Woman}}

| Frances Pirsig

| TV miniseries

2015

| Banished

| Mary Johnson

| TV miniseries

2015–2019

| Glitch

| Dr. Elishia McKellar

| Main role

rowspan="3" | 2016

| Endeavour

| Annette Richardson

| Episode: "Arcadia"

{{sortname|The|Secret|The Secret (TV series)}}

| Hazel Buchanan / Hazel Stewart

| TV miniseries

{{sortname|The|Fall|The Fall (TV series)}}

| Joan Kinkead

| Episode: "His Troubled Thoughts"

2017

| Star Wars Rebels

| Mon Mothma

| Voice; 5 episodes

| {{cite web |last1=Ratcliffe |first1=Amy |date=March 3, 2017 |title=Rogue One's Genevieve O'Reilly On Bringing Mon Mothma to Star Wars Rebels (Exclusive) |url=https://nerdist.com/article/rogue-ones-genevieve-oreilly-on-bringing-mon-mothma-to-star-wars-rebels-exclusive/ |website=Nerdist |language=en-US |access-date=November 23, 2022}}

2017–2020

| Tin Star

| Angela Worth

| 25 episodes

2021

| Three Families

| Rosie Fortress

| Two-part BBC drama

| {{cite web |title=Cast confirmed for BBC One drama Three Families, from the producers of Three Girls |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2021/three-families-cast |website=BBC Media Centre |language=en-GB |access-date=12 April 2021}}

2022–present

| Andor

| rowspan=2|Mon Mothma

| 16 episodes
Nominated—Astra TV Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Drama Series
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television

|{{cite web |last1=Davids |first1=Brian |date=September 15, 2022 |title='Andor' Star Genevieve O'Reilly Never Thought She'd Get the Chance to Flesh Out Mon Mothma |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/andor-star-genevieve-oreilly-never-thought-shed-get-the-chance-to-flesh-out-mon-mothma-1235221270/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US |access-date=November 23, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/saturn-awards-nominations-list-movies-tv-1235654052/|title='Avatar: The Way Of Water', 'Oppenheimer', 'Star Trek' Series Lead Nominations For Genre-Focused Saturn Awards|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Patrick|last=Hipes|date=December 6, 2023|access-date=December 7, 2023|archive-date=December 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207141641/https://deadline.com/2023/12/saturn-awards-nominations-list-movies-tv-1235654052/|url-status=live}}

2023

| Ahsoka

| 3 episodes

| {{cite web |last1=Glazebrook |first1=Lewis |date=7 April 2023 |title=Ahsoka Show Cast & Star Wars Character Guide |url=https://screenrant.com/ahsoka-show-cast-character-guide/ |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US |access-date=7 April 2023}}