Celeste O'Connor was born with it. No, we don't mean some beauty slogan here – although in this case it's not untrue. Rather, it is the natural star power that an actor possesses. O'Connor, who uses they/them pronouns, has had a passion for entertaining for as long as he can remember. What started innocently as fashion shows and dances for their family at home became a little more serious when, as teenagers, they studied singing and violin at Baltimore's leading performing arts school, Peabody Preparatory. And that wasn't the end. After begging their parents to let them attend a local talent show, O'Connor caught the attention of casting directors and later agents, with whom he still works today. Her original dream was to become a singer, but the rising star's on-screen power was undeniable.
Watching O'Connor perform gives you the feeling of being in the presence of greatness. From his breakout role in a critically acclaimed independent film Selah and Piki to their recent role as Lucky in the new one Ghostbusters film franchise, there's something magnetic about the 25-year-old.
(Image credit: Ojionuka Patience)
When I ask if their parents were on board with the whole “acting as a career” idea, O'Connor says it was half and half. Dad, a baby boomer, was more resistant, and mom, an immigrant from Kenya, was all for it. “I was 14 years old. I really needed someone to believe in this, in this dream, with me,” O'Connor tells me over Zoom from a local coffee shop. Living a 9-to-5 corporate life, O'Connor's mother envisioned a brighter future for her child. “She answered me: 'I worked in cubicles. I worked in offices. I've done things like this and it's not fun, so I think you should just follow your dreams and do what you want because I think you can do it well,” they explain.
But Dad's influence wasn't entirely lost on O'Connor either. Hollywood may have been their goal, but school was still their priority. After high school, O'Connor attended Johns Hopkins University as a pre-med major. If acting didn't work out, their “very aggressive” backup plan was a career in neuroscience fueled by an interest in psychology and brain and health sciences. “WITH [my dad’s] In hindsight, he really wanted me to pursue a highly specialized career so that I could be more confident in my ability to be successful in quoting and unquoting,” they say. “I just really enjoy learning and I'm a curious person, so I think those two things went hand in hand.”
A backup plan is not necessary. During the summer between their freshman and sophomore years of college, O'Connor shot what would become their breakthrough role in an independent film Selah and Piki, which premiered the following January to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival. The coming-of-age story written and directed by Tayarish Poe, about the five factions that rule the underworld of a prestigious East Coast boarding school, was an incredibly transformative experience for O'Connor, who played Paloma Davis, Spades' protégé who became a threat, a stage for their career acting.
“It was really the first time I was in community with other black artists. It changed everything for me,” O'Connor says. “I grew up in an all-white neighborhood. I went to white schools, so I had a lot of internalized racism that I didn't know was there and that I didn't know how to navigate. Selah and Piki and being in community with Black women who were pursuing their creativity [and] who were confident in who they were, showed me my own way forward. …Working with Tayarisha Poe, whom I still love and am friends with to this day, [and] Seeing her in the director's chair made me realize that the dream I had for myself wasn't as crazy and wild as I thought, that other people who look like me also had similar dreams. And I dated them! It wasn't an abstract, imaginary thing. … It made my dream feel closer to reality and just gave me so much more confidence in myself and my ability to connect with people through my creativity and my blackness.”
(Image credit: Ojionuka Patience)
From the desire to create a community around creativity, the production company O'Connor Pedestal was born. Founded in collaboration with friend and fellow Johns Hopkins student Mecca McDonald, Pedestal's ethos is a dedication to telling happy stories about people of color. “What I see with Pedestal is that we're really making films in our vibrant, colorful, young and fun style,” says O'Connor. Last year, O'Connor and McDonald released their first major project under the Pedestal banner, a short film Liminality about a young couple, one a painter, the other a programmer, who don't know how to communicate with each other until one of them is drawn into a video game and must confront hidden parts of their identity.
“This is where I get to play as a producer and creative leader, which is really good and exciting for me,” O'Connor says of Pedestal.
While O'Connor and McDonald hope to turn things around Liminality original script in a feature film, Pedestal's next goal is to produce fashion campaigns. “We always dreamed of taking our vision on a small scale – when we were shooting on iPhones or around our neighborhood with friends – and scaling it to what we [would] look like if we were taking photos for Robert Wun or a designer we so admire and admire,” they say.
One thing is for sure. O'Connor knows how to create a noteworthy fashion moment. When it comes to carpets or press days for the project, they and stylist Jason Rembert have thought carefully about the story they want to tell through the clothes. In the case of this duo, the devil is in the details. Take, for example, O'Connor's recent publication Mrs.Web amazing and premiere styles. They started with a bright red, fluffy Selezza coat and skirt, a nod to the bold and rebellious energy of their heroine, Mattie Franklin. On day two, they opted for a sheer, powder blue look from Act #1, echoing the different color of Maddie's super jumpsuit. For the final, premiere look, they chose a sensual beaded number by Gert-Johan Coetzee, which returned to red from the beginning.
“We wanted the film to have a sense of Celeste in the press, and leading up to the release there was a sense of superhero or empowerment that the character goes through throughout the story,” O'Connor says. “I wanted to do a really dramatic red carpet element because for me the process… The carpet is the highlight of the film for me. This is my final film where I get to wear a super suit.” O'Connor loves to play a role or play with a theme on the carpet and lives by the motto “go big or go home.” “I make a living by pretending, so why stop when I don't have a plan?” they ask with laughter.
When I ask if we can expect a similar approach to them Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire looks the press, O'Connor replies enthusiastically, “We'll definitely do something inspired by Lucky.” They go on to tell me that they and Rembert have some frosty moments in store.
(Image credit: Ojionuka Patience)
Returning to the character of Lucky in the latest film z Ghostbusters the franchise was a true joy for O'Connor. It was an opportunity to reconnect with the comrades from the first film (“I was excited to see Finn [Wolfhard] again, honestly. He's the sweetest friend.”) They teamed up with director Gil Kenan and really capitalized on the character this time. O'Connor first worked with Kenan and they became fast friends.
As for what to expect from the next chapter, O'Connor points to cool new ghosts, themes around the chosen family and community, and some great fun elements from new additions Kumail Nanjiani and comedian James Acaster. “I'm also excited about the horror elements because we worked on it together, [Kenan] he made it clear that he wanted this movie to be truly scary,” adds O'Connor.
Between Ghostbusters AND Mrs.Web, O'Connor has spent a lot of time in magical, fantasy worlds. They're not complaining, but they're definitely looking forward to the changes. Ideally, they want to make another independent film, something ambitious and grounded. “I'm fascinated by stories about people finding freedom and self-esteem because I think that's what a lot of women in our lives experience or want to experience,” they say.
But first, holidays. O'Connor is an adventurer at heart and tries to travel at least twice a year, with Italy and Japan next on their list. After nearly three months in the press, O'Connor certainly deserves some much-needed examination and R&R.
Catch O'Connor Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire in cinemas from March 22.
