Millie O’Connell

Emilia Rose O’Connell, known professionally as Millie O’Connell, was born on January 18, 1997, in Shanklin, Isle of Wight, England. Her career in performing arts began at a young age, with O’Connell taking classes at the Gillian Cartwright School of Dance from the age of three. After completing her GCSEs at 16, she received a scholarship to attend Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, where she graduated in 2015. O’Connell’s heritage includes Maltese, Irish, and Italian roots.

O’Connell made her professional stage debut in 2016 in the international revival of “42nd Street” at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, where she was part of the ensemble and understudied Peggy Sawyer. She continued with “42nd Street” in the UK at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and later joined the UK tour of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in 2018. A significant career milestone was her role as Anne Boleyn in the original UK tour and West End production of “SIX: The Musical” starting in 2018. Her performance in “SIX” garnered critical acclaim, leading to an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2019 and a WhatsOnStage Award nomination in 2022. She was part of the original West End cast and performed in the show until October 2019, having completed the most performances among the original cast members.

Following her success in “SIX,” O’Connell took on various notable roles, including Velcro in “Soho Cinders” (2019) at Charing Cross Theatre, Chloe Valentine in “Be More Chill” (2020 and 2021), and Jeanie in “Hair” at the Turbine Theatre and London Palladium. She also portrayed Maureen Johnson in the revival of “Rent” (2020, 2021) at Hope Mill Theatre. In 2022, she embarked on a year-long UK tour as Babe (Cher) in “The Cher Show.” O’Connell also forms part of the pop girl group SVN, alongside other former “SIX” cast members, releasing singles and performing concerts. Her screen credits include “Wonka” (2023) as Tram Lady 2 and a voice role as Sally Sunshine in “Doctor Who” (2025).