# Emily O'Brien
**Emily O'Brien** (also credited as Emily Roya-O'Brien or Emily Roya) is an English actress known for her Daytime Emmy-nominated soap opera roles as Jana Hawkes on *The Young and the Restless* and Gwen Rizczech and Theresa Donovan on *Days of Our Lives*, and for an extensive voice-acting and motion-capture career in video games and animation, including Amelie in *Death Stranding* and [Wonder Woman](https://www.edgepedia.org/wonder-woman) in *DC Heroes United*.[1](https://www.mobygames.com/person/655864/emily-obrien/credits/) • [2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Soap breakthrough | Jana Hawkes on *The Young and the Restless*, 2006 to 2011, beginning at age 20[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/) |
| DAYS roles | Gwen Rizczech (2020 to 2023), Theresa Donovan (from late 2023), and a return as Gwen beginning July 8, 2025[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/1201024/emily-obrien-days-of-our-lives-return-gwen-rizczech-interview/) |
| Emmy nominations | Five-time Daytime Emmy nominee: three nominations as Outstanding Younger Actress for Jana, Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2024 as Gwen, and a 2025 supporting nomination as Theresa Donovan[4](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/days-of-our-livess-emily-obrien-on-emmy-nomination-i-really-dont-think-its-my-year-excl/) • [5](https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/52nd-Annual-Daytime-Emmy-Awards-Nominees-2025-07-10.pdf) |
| Signature game role | Amelie in *Death Stranding* (2019) and *Death Stranding: Director's Cut* (2022)[1](https://www.mobygames.com/person/655864/emily-obrien/credits/) |
| Game credits total | 71 credits on 46 games cataloged by MobyGames, including *Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor*, *Sea of Thieves*, and *Saints Row*[1](https://www.mobygames.com/person/655864/emily-obrien/credits/) |
| Animation | Motion capture and voice for Spider Rose in David Fincher's *Love, Death & Robots*; her episode "The Witness" won an Emmy[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1386659/) • [2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/) |
| Training | Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where she studied Shakespeare[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1386659/bio/) |
## Soap opera career
O'Brien joined *The Young and the Restless* in 2006 as Jana Hawkes, a role she played for five years, from age 20 to 25.[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/) The performance brought her a trio of Daytime Emmy nominations as Outstanding Younger Actress.[4](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/days-of-our-livess-emily-obrien-on-emmy-nomination-i-really-dont-think-its-my-year-excl/)
**Return to daytime.** After leaving the show in 2011 she did not expect to return to the genre, but in 2020 she joined *Days of Our Lives* as Gwen Rizczech. The character was created for her after she had screen-tested unsuccessfully for Sarah Horton in 2018; casting director Marnie Saitta and co-executive producer Albert Alarr told her a new role would be molded around her, and O'Brien described Gwen as British, volatile, and fearless.[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/) She played Gwen from 2020 to 2023, then moved to the role of Theresa Donovan, a stint that ended when the character went to prison in August 2024. She reprised Gwen beginning July 8, 2025.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/1201024/emily-obrien-days-of-our-lives-return-gwen-rizczech-interview/) Her supporting-actress nominations followed: in 2024 for Gwen Rizczech and in 2025 for Theresa Donovan.[4](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/days-of-our-livess-emily-obrien-on-emmy-nomination-i-really-dont-think-its-my-year-excl/) • [5](https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/52nd-Annual-Daytime-Emmy-Awards-Nominees-2025-07-10.pdf)
## Training and early work
After exiting *The Young and the Restless*, O'Brien returned to her native England and enrolled at the [Guildhall School of Music and Drama](https://www.edgepedia.org/guildhall-school-of-music-and-drama) in London to study Shakespeare.[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1386659/bio/) She wrote, produced, and directed her first project, the short film *Beatrice* (2011), which won Best Film at BIFF; a Soap Opera Digest interview dates the win as Best Short Film in 2012 at the Big Island Film Festival.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1386659/bio/) • [8](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/catching-emily-obrien/) Her on-screen work in this period included the Thailand-shot supernatural horror film *Pernicious* and *The Cloud*, shot in New York during [Hurricane Sandy](https://www.edgepedia.org/hurricane-sandy).[8](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/catching-emily-obrien/)
## Voice acting and motion capture
**The Emily Project.** O'Brien traces her voice-over career to 2007, when, while still on *The Young and the Restless*, she took part in a process called The Emily Project for the company Image Metrics, which created a digital character approximating a human. She said she was the first actor the company used the technology on, equipment later used for video games and films such as *Avatar* and *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*. Continuing work with Image Metrics opened what she described as an enormous trajectory of video game and voice-over work that became her main source of employment.[8](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/catching-emily-obrien/)
Her game credits include Amelie in *Death Stranding*, working alongside [Norman Reedus](https://www.edgepedia.org/norman-reedus), Mads Mikkelsen, and [Léa Seydoux](https://www.edgepedia.org/lea-seydoux) on the light stage for months at a time; a role in *Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor*; [Lucasfilm](https://www.edgepedia.org/lucasfilm) voice talent for *Sea of Thieves*; Player Voice 6 in *Saints Row* (2022); and Wonder Woman, including a Dark Wonder Woman variant, in *DC Heroes United* (2024), where she was credited as Emily Roya-O'Brien on Android.[1](https://www.mobygames.com/person/655864/emily-obrien/credits/) • [2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/) Under a contract with Marvel she is the voice of Gamora from *Guardians of the Galaxy*, and she voiced a character in Telltale's Batman game.[8](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/catching-emily-obrien/)
**Animation.** For Netflix's *[Love, Death & Robots](https://www.edgepedia.org/love-death-and-robots)* she provided motion capture and voice for Spider Rose in [David Fincher](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-fincher)'s series, appeared in the episode "The Witness", which won an Emmy, and voiced in the episode "Pop Squad".[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1386659/) • [2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/) She has also recorded Disney audiobooks, including the Aladdin series of books.[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/)
## Background
O'Brien is half-Persian and speaks Farsi, and has cited her mother's Iranian cooking, including the stew khoreshte-alou, as her comfort food.[8](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/catching-emily-obrien/) • [9](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/take-five-with-emily-obrien-theresa-days-of-our-lives/) She has said that switching between cultures and languages helps her move between dialects as an actor.[10](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview-1693968/) She also holds a chef's license and has said that if she started a new career she would want to be a head chef at a restaurant.[9](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/take-five-with-emily-obrien-theresa-days-of-our-lives/)
## References
1. [Emily O'Brien – Video Game Credits, MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/person/655864/emily-obrien/credits/)
2. [ICYMI Emily O'Brien (Gwen, DAYS) Interview, Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview/)
3. [Emily O'Brien Teases Her 'Days of Our Lives' Return as a More 'Refined' Gwen Rizczech, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1201024/emily-obrien-days-of-our-lives-return-gwen-rizczech-interview/)
4. [DAYS's Emily O'Brien On Emmy Nomination: 'I Really Don't Think It's My Year', Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/days-of-our-livess-emily-obrien-on-emmy-nomination-i-really-dont-think-its-my-year-excl/)
5. [52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominees, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences](https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/52nd-Annual-Daytime-Emmy-Awards-Nominees-2025-07-10.pdf)
6. [Emily O'Brien, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1386659/)
7. [Emily O'Brien – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1386659/bio/)
8. [Catching Up With Emily O'Brien, Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/catching-emily-obrien/)
9. [Take Five With Emily O'Brien (Theresa, Days of Our Lives), Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/take-five-with-emily-obrien-theresa-days-of-our-lives/)
10. [ICYMI Emily O'Brien (Gwen, DAYS) Interview, Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/icymi-emily-obrien-gwen-days-interview-1693968/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Game industry › Creators and industry people › Voice and performance actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license