Source: Radio New Zealand
In the past, when she didn’t get an acting role, Morgana O’Reilly often blamed her body. Now the 40-year-old understands that her physical appearance and her acting ability are two different things.
While an actor’s looks are important, O’Reilly says, a huge part of casting is about whether or not someone looks “right” for that part.
“It’s more regarding, do you look like that person’s brother or sister? Do you look like you are married to that person? Do you not look too much like the lead? It’s not just about being perfect,” she tells RNZ’s Culture 101.
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“If I look in the mirror before a walk and after a walk, it’s a dysphoria thing. I see somebody completely different.”
Morgana O’Reilly in a promo image for her 2022 play Stories About My Body.
Morgana O’Reilly
The 2022 stage play Stories About My Body
After it touched a nerve with so many other people, she felt a duty to keep sharing it.
So Stories About My Body could “live on” without O’Reilly’s physical presence, she and husband Peter Salmon (BAFTA-nominated director of After the Party
Morgana O’Reilly as the hotel staff member Pam in The White Lotus Season 3.
Fabio Lovino/HBO
While O’Reilly has “street cred” on a New Zealand set, the actor was understandably intimidated flying into Thailand in 2024 to spend a month at the very fancy Four Seasons Koh Samui, shooting season three of the hit HBO show The White Lotus .
“I had to go straight to a costume fitting, which is always a little bummer because after a big flight, no matter how fancy your flight is, you’re bloated and gross and got cankles.
“My first night, I couldn’t even handle the idea of being social … I just sat in my room and ate the free food and swam in my private pool.”
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The next day on set, when somebody said ‘It’s your turn, Morgana’, the actor had a real sense that millions of people would be watching her performance, and a “calm” descended.
“I was like, ‘Oh, baby, I can do this bit. I’m real good at this bit. I’ve run on stage topless, baby girl. I’ve done so many crazy things. This is absolutely fine. It’s the ‘having dinner with you all later’ that’s going to freak me out.
Parker Posey as Victoria Ratcliff in season three of The White Lotus.
Fabio Lovino/HBO
That first day, O’Reilly got to work with, and later became good friends with, The White Lotus castmate she was the most excited to speak to – Parker Posey .
“I think she saw another comedy girl in me, and she just genuinely enjoyed my performance, which was very heartening… bless her heart. I love that woman.”
Morgana O’Reilly at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards (formerly Screen Actors Guild Awards) on 1 March 2026, in Los Angeles.
Image Press Agency / NurPhoto via AFP
While O’Reilly often gets “wigged out” visiting Los Angeles, at this year’s Actors’ Awards , she and “friend slash agent” Zara Cormack prioritised having a good time.
“As soon as you go in, you’re reminded that there’s star system upon star system, hierarchy upon hierarchy, and inadequacy is on the table at any time, if you should choose to partake. I said, no, thank you. I’m just here to have a good time. Just here to have fun.”
Later at the Netflix afterparty, amongst “so many fancy people”, she and Cormack danced the night away.
“It was the best time. Felt like Cinderella.”
Stories About My Body screens in Auckland on 12 May, Wellington on 16 May and Christchurch on 17 May as part of the NZ International Comedy Festival .
Morgana O’Reilly with Culture 101 ‘s Perlina Lau.
So’omālō Iteni Schwalger
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
