Katy O'Brian

O'Brian was born on February 12, 1989 in Indianapolis, Indiana and has three older brothers. She fell in love with martial arts at 5 years old, and at age 9 earned her brown belt in Shorei Goju Ryu Karate.[3] Throughout her youth, she participated in numerous sports programs and also in music programs as a percussionist.[4]

She attended Indiana University Bloomington, majoring in psychology and Germanic studies.[5] She was one of the first members of the university's short-form improv troupe Hoosonfirst, and received law enforcement certification through the university's Cadet Officer Program. At university, she received her black belt in Hapkido through the US Hapkido Federation.[6]

After graduation, she was a police officer for seven years at the Carmel Police Department in Carmel, Indiana, including the department’s Crisis Intervention Team, which specialized in helping individuals with various conditions such as psychosis, depression, Alzheimer’s, and autism.[7] She obtained her personal trainer certification and began competing in bodybuilding figure competitions,[8] and began training at the Indy Actors Academy.[9]

In 2016, O'Brian moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. While waiting to land a role, she worked with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Martial Arts Program, helping with self-defense classes, instructing the Hapkido program. Through UCLA’s programs, and studying Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.[7]

O'Brian's first television role was as a Savior named Katy on AMC's The Walking Dead,[10] quickly followed by co-star roles on Halt & Catch Fire, Tosh.O and How to Get Away with Murder.

In 2018, O'Brian booked her first series regular role on the comedy action series Z Nation where she played George, a budding leader of the apocalypse. In 2019, she appeared in the CW series Black Lightning as an ASA antagonist, Major Sarah Grey. She appeared in season 3 of HBO's Westworld.

In 2020, O'Brian was cast as Elia Kane, a key recurring character in Seasons 2 and 3 of the Star Wars's spinoff series The Mandalorian.[11]

She had been featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: in 2020 as Kimball in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; and in 2023, in a leading role as Jentorra, leader of the Freedom Fighters in the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.[11] She is one of the few actors who has appeared in both the Star Wars and Marvel franchises.[12]

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles in 2016, O'Brian met her partner, Kylie Chi, on the set of a student film project. The couple live together in Los Angeles and married in July 2020.[13]

• Official website
• Katy O'Brian at IMDb