The Canadian actress Meghan Ory has been in the industry since 1999, and in that time has landed a number of high-profile roles, including Red Riding Hood/Ruby on the fantasy series Once Upon a Time and Claire Thompson in the horror-thriller film Dark House. Currently starring in one of her biggest roles to date as Abby O’Brien in the hallmark family drama Chesapeake, Ory is clearly an actress whose star is most definitely on the rise. Find out more with these 10 little known facts.
1. Her mother banned her from auditioning for TV
Meghan knew her destiny lay in showbiz from an early age, but for many years she had to limit her ambitions to the stage. When she began taking on roles in the theatre as a child actress, she was eager to explore other avenues of work as much as possible but was prevented by her mom, who banned her from auditioning for TV or stage roles until she was old enough to cover the cost of her own headshots.
2. Her film debut was in The Darklings
After finally having scraped together enough money to buy her headshots, Meghan began auditioning for work with a vengeance. The first gig she landed was alongside Suzanne Somers and Timothy Busfield in a small 1999 cable movie called The Darklings, a story about a teenage boy who, after witnessing the death of a neighbor, sets about proving the death when no body is found. The film was critically panned, but it did at least give Ory her first foot in the door.
3. He first major TV part was in Higher Ground
Meghan’s first big TV part came with a recurring role alongside A.J. Cook and Hayden Christensen in the TV series “Higher Ground”, a drama about the lives and struggles of a group of vulnerable kids in a therapeutic boarding school. Although the series was short-lived, it gave Meghan the opportunity to shine, and she managed to impress enough for MTV to cast her in “2ge+her”. A year later, she landed another recurring role in “Vampire High”.
4. She’s writing a novel
After spending years developing her career as an actress, Meghan is currently trying her hand at a very different kind of venture altogether. According to her IMDB profile, Meghan is currently in the process of writing a series of teen books. The first, entitled The Chronicles of Girl Wars, will deal with such typical teenage issues as bullying and frenemies. Once they’re complete, she plans to publish them under the name Meghan Reardon.
5. She’s appeared on the runway
In 2013, Meghan was invited to appear as a runway model at the From Scotland With Love Fashion Show in New York. As well as acting as a showcase for Scottish and Asian fashion designers, the show did its bit for charity, donating a percentage of all money made at the event towards the Wounded Warrior Project and the McConnell International Foundation. At the event, Meghan modeled one of the British designer Vivienne Westwood’s eclectic creations.
6. Her favorite role was in Merlin’s Apprentice
With so many high-profile roles to her name, choosing a favorite is obviously a tough job for the actress. If she had to pick, Meghan would choose Merlin’s Apprentice, for a very personal reason. “I have been very fortunate in that I’ve had the opportunity to play many rich and different characters so far,” she told TV Goodness. “But I’d have to say my favorite was Merlin’s Apprentice, where I got to play a boy and also met my now-husband! That was a pretty fantastic gig”.
7. She’s a mom of one
After meeting her partner, the Canadian actor and former university football player, John Reardon, on the set of Merlin’s Apprentice in 2006, the pair married in 2008. 10 years later, they welcomed their first child. Meghan announced the birth on Instagram with the message “#happymothersday to all you fierce mommas out there! To answer the question, yes, I have joined the ranks of love, cuteness, poops, and exhaustion and loving it! #motherhood #babies”
8. She couldn’t pick a favorite between Ruby and Red
In the ABC fantasy series, Once Upon a Time, Meghan played the dual role of Ruby and Red Riding Hood. Asked by TV Goodness to pick which of the two characters she preferred, Megan replied “Oh I can never choose between Red or Ruby. They both represent such fun aspects of the same person. I love them both.” Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to make the series finale but showed her support on Instagram with the message “Thank you #onceuponatime & #oncers for a wonderful adventure. Man will I miss that cape and Ruby’s wild hair! #littlereds. I sadly won’t be in the finale because of scheduling conflicts but I wish I could have been there. Can’t wait to see what magic is spun #fairytales #littleredridinghood”
9. She’s a millionaire
Thanks to her recurring roles on some of the most successful series on TV, Meghan has managed to build up quite the personal fortune. According to Net Worth Post, the actress is now worth an estimated $2 million.
10. She was drawn to Chesapeake by the family storyline
When Meghan first read the script to Chesapeake, she was immediately drawn to the warmth of its family heavy storyline. “I read the pilot and I just really loved that it was a story about a family and it was a show that was going to get into the family dynamics of being in a big family in a small town,” she told The PC Principle. “It just lends itself to so many different, dramatic situations that are really fun to play. I also love a love story and I saw what the role out for the future could be and it made me excited.”
Follow Us
