Chatting with Morgana O’Reilly from her Auckland home felt like reconnecting with an old friend. Her infectious laughter and sharp wit made the conversation a joy, while the playful sounds of her two children, Luna and Ziggy, in the background, made the exchange even more real.
Yet, Morgana is far from ordinary. At 38, the New Zealand actress boasts an impressive and diverse career in film, television, and theatre, rapidly solidifying her status as a rising star on our screens.
Attributing her theatrical flair to her artistic parents – her mother is a dancer and her father a designer “with the gift of the gab” – Morgana’s first foray into the performing arts was through tap dancing. “I loved tap dancing because I just wanted to make noise,” she laughs. “There’s something really rebellious about it, which of course, me being me, I really enjoyed.”
Morgana realised she wanted to be an actress when she joined the Outloud Theatre Company, run by Ros Gardener, during high school. “Ros really kicked it into a more serious drama group of young teenagers who managed not to giggle every time you went deep into character.
For me, being in this drama group was the turning point. It was like, ‘Oh my gosh, yes! This is delicious.’ I knew right then that acting was what I wanted to do and I have never questioned it since,” she recalls.
This passion for acting led Morgana to pursue drama at Auckland’s Unitec Institute of Technology, where she honed her craft for three years.
After graduating, she dove headfirst into the world of theatre, performing at Silo Theatre and collaborating with playwright Tom Sainsbury. Wishing to travel the world, Morgana’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to create a one-woman show.
“With the audacity of youth, I thought a solo show was perfect as it meant I didn’t have to pay anyone else. I would ride my bike to one house, perform in their living room, pass around a little bag for donations, and then ride off to the next, with a backpack full of cash and the wind in my hair. I mean, it was outrageously bold of me, but also not completely stupid,” she laughs.
Moving to Australia saw her land a role as Naomi Canning on the iconic Neighbours. “It was a moment of great personal and professional growth,” she says.
Her husband, Peter Salmon, a director-producer, also found success in Australia, working on the popular television series Offspring.
“Both jobs were in Melbourne, and we were given an apartment each – his in Collingwood and mine in Toorak – so we were living this epic life pre-children where we could decide whose house we’d stay at each night,” she laughs. While living in Australia, she also appeared in the television drama series Wanted and Wentworth.
Returning to New Zealand in 2019, Morgana and Peter created the Emmy-winning series and comedy-thriller, INSiDE, a project born out of lockdown and a quick response grant by NZ On Air. “We made it in our house, and it subsequently won an Emmy, which we are so damn proud of,” she beams.
On her home turf, Morgana is best known for her roles in feature films, Housebound and Below, and television shows, The Sounds and Mean Mums. She has just wrapped up the lead role in the juicy new local drama on Three, Friends Like Her, and later this year, will be seen on screen in the feature film, Bookworm.
Lately, she’s been flying back and forth to Thailand to film the highly anticipated third season of HBO’s hit show The White Lotus. This could be the biggest break of her career yet – sharing the screen with a stellar cast, including Parker Posey and Michelle Monaghan.
Reflecting on how she’s ended up on an internationally acclaimed show that had everyone gripped to their seats for two seasons in a row, she remains modest yet proud. “I auditioned, and then I got it… The humble Kiwi in me wants to say things like, ‘Oh, it was probably because there was that writer’s strike in the States so not many Americans auditioned…’
But every time I discuss that with anyone on set, they’re like, ‘Oh, Morgana, no, it’s because you’re great!’ I have had to remind myself that I have every right to be there. I’m a bit over that thing we do as Kiwis where we play everything down, so I’m trying really hard to be more sure of myself. We all need to start celebrating our own success more.”
“Tales of foot fetish parties in NYC, diary entries from ’98, boobs, birth, and trying to like my chins.
Looking ahead, Morgana is excited about turning her acclaimed one-person show – which she wrote and has performed on stage in New Zealand and across the Tasman for the last few years – into a film. She will be co-directing it with her husband.
A wild and hilarious ride into O’Reilly’s inner world, Stories About My Body includes: “Tales of foot fetish parties in NYC, diary entries from ’98, boobs, birth, and trying to like my chins.” Sure to make you both laugh and cry, Morgana hopes that by turning it into a film, she can create “something really unique, that is a feast for the eyes, heart, soul and mind”.
With each new project, Morgana continues to prove her mettle, bringing a blend of talent and authenticity that is all her own. A star which is unmistakably on the rise. So, keep your eyes peeled – this Kiwi sensation is just getting started.
For those keen to see Morgana in action, she will be performing Stories About My Body at The Rose Theatre 6-7 June. Tickets are available at iticket.co.nz.
