Morgana O'Reilly: White Lotus, an Emmy, and the Hardest Year of Her Life
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What is discussed at the start of this section?
Hey, I'm Dom, and this is my podcast, the Dom Harvey Podcast. Hey, I'm well aware there's millions of podcast options out there. So the fact that you've chosen to listen to this episode right now means a lot. So thanks. Coming up, Morgana O'Reilly.
I was at a friend's wedding in Los Angeles and then I was just about to go take my seat for the ceremony and I got a text from Zara to say, oh my gosh, we just had this amazing feedback from the casting of White Lotus. They liked me a lot and they reiterated the shoot dates. And I just remember thinking, well, I will just dine out on that. That's great. That show will come on telly and I'll say, hey, I auditioned for that and they liked me. So...
You know, it's not every day you have an Emmy award-winning actress on your podcast. As a matter of fact, in over 330 podcast episodes, this is the first. Morgana O'Reilly, Emmy award winner. You may know her from the hit HBO show, The White Lotus.
What was Morgana O'Reilly's experience with auditioning for The White Lotus?
Or maybe it's from the iconic Aussie soap, Neighbours. Or closer to home, the New Zealand show, Mean Mums. Or the cop show, Bust Up on Eon. Or maybe it's her incredible film, Stories About My Body. But this conversation reminded me very quickly that a person is never just what you read on their IMDB page. Morgana is so funny, so sharp, so sarcastic, so wildly honest and just one of those people who can tell a story about a rock bottom moment in life and still somehow manage to make it funny, thoughtful and vulnerable all at once. There is a lot in this episode. We talk White Lotus, of course. We talk her broke years in New York when she made money by being a model at a foot worship party. The reality of winning an Emmy Award during a global pandemic.
And her new film, Stories About My Body, which started as a solo show and has now become this incredibly personal movie about making peace with the bits of yourself you've spent years fighting. Morgana is awesome. For someone who is world-class at pretending to be other people, she is also incredibly comfortable in her own skin. Even if you don't know who she is or her work, I almost guarantee you'll be a fan after this. She is a brilliant storyteller. This is the Dom Harvey Podcast, and here is Morgana O'Reilly positioning the mug like a professional.
I know. It's called mug work.
Welcome to my podcast.
Hi.
Thank you for having me.
I'm so pleased we finally made it happen. I was going back through my DMs. I think I reached out to you maybe when the White Lotus stuff was first announced. Yeah. And you were too busy, obviously, then. Yeah. And we finally connected a couple of years later.
Yes, it's worked. It's working.
And I feel like, I don't know, from like an outsider's perspective, it feels like this is peak Morgana O'Reilly. Does it? I love that. It feels like you're on a hot streak. In terms of name recognition and the volume of work that's coming out?
It's so hard to tell from the inside out. To be honest, in all honesty, in the last month or so has sort of felt a bit weird and sad. I feel really aware of the fact now that I'm almost 20 years into the career post-drama school. that it's tides on the beach and, you know, ebbs and flows. And I sort of feel like there is a change from... Maybe it's just I have been really busy and it's been quieter and sort of my brain is seeking dopamine. But it hasn't... I don't know. So from the inside out, it's felt sort of quieter and more unsure, but... But great, if that's how it looks on the outside, brilliant. Yeah, I'm really important. Really, really busy.
Well, no, I'm thinking, yeah, there was the white load of staff. Then you were, oh, no, the Emmy Award first.
Oh, yes.
Emmy Award, White Lotus. Now you've got a movie out, Stories About My Body, which we'll get into. A new comedy show starting called Bust Up. It just feels like everything's going good. But I suppose for you, this is all work that's either in the rear view.
Yes, that's right. Yeah, so I think I finished shooting Bust Up in August last year, just in time for my birthday. And... I had finished an 18-month shooting spree.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is discussed at the start of this section?
0:00–0:57
2
What was Morgana O'Reilly's experience with auditioning for The White Lotus?
0:57–5:58
3
What does Morgana share about her early career struggles?
5:58–6:43
4
How does Morgana O'Reilly describe her journey to self-acceptance?
6:43–1:00:32
5
What challenges did Morgana face in her career during 2023?
1:00:32–1:02:51
6
How did Morgana's audition for The White Lotus unfold?
1:02:51–1:05:06
7
What was the impact of winning an Emmy during the pandemic?
1:05:06–1:05:56
8
What lessons did Morgana learn about happiness and parenting?
1:05:56–1:56:17
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The Dom Harvey Podcast
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