Emily O'Brien

Emily O'Brien (born May 28, 1985) was born in Bedfordshire, England but moved with her family to Carlsbad, California when she was 9 years old (see External link 2 below). Her mother is Persian and her father is British. Emily speaks Persian fluently as well as French and Spanish. Emily currently plays Jana Hawkes on the daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Ironically, Emily's character speaks with a British accent - which Emily tried for years to eradicate after moving to California as a young child (see External link 3 below).

Emily's parents Flora and Michael O’Brien say that “Acting is the only thing she wanted to do.” She was in plays at Carlsbad High School, where she graduated in 2003, and at MiraCosta College, where she completed a theater major in 2005.

She was named a finalist in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival’s Irene Ryan Acting Competition in 2005, where she was pitted against several hundred students from colleges and universities across the country.

Emily started with a spot on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless" in April 2006. She plays a girl named Jana Hawkes who is not so rich and works in a coffee shop for a living. The owner of the coffee shop (Kevin Fisher) falls in love with this girl without knowing who she really is. Jana killed Carmen Mesta off camera. Emily was released from her contract in the spring of 2007, but rehired again in June 2007.

Kevin proposed to Jana in prison and she was released on January 17, 2008.On the August 18, 2008 episode of The Young And The Restless, Jana and Kevin were married in a Hindu-like ceremony.She’s been in scenes with stars such as Michael Madsen, Tony Todd and George Hamilton.

Roles

*The Young and the Restless - Series Regular-Jana Hawkes (April 2006-Feb 2007, Jun 2007-present)
*Coma {with Michael Madsen}- Supporting
*Séance - Supporting (2006)
*What About Brian- Two in Twenty-Four - Guest Star (2006)
*Danny Roane {with Andy Dick}- Supporting
*Ring around the Roses - Lead- (2005)

Awards

*ACTF Irene Ryans Theater festival Finalist and 2006 Nominee (2005)
*CHS Film Festival: Best Actress of 2003 Best Film (Pleasant Dreams) of 2003 (2003)
*DTASC Shakespeare Festival : 3rd place award for Othello (2003)
*BEST FEST San Diego Film Festival (2003) 3rd place award for Pleasant Dreams
*Team Power Award Don't Drink the Water from the city of Carlsbad (2002)
*Daytime Emmy Award Nomination: Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series (2008)

External links

* [http://www.emilyobrien.net Official Web Site]
*
* [http://www.todayslocalnews.com/index.php?sect=tln&p=2540 Today’s Local News » Restless no more - Emily O'Brien]
* [http://www.tv.com/emily-obrien Emily O'Brien]
* [http://www.image-metrics.com/node/330 Emily Project]