Meet Katy O'Brian, breakout star & heartthrob of 'Love Lies Bleeding'

We love Katy O’Brian!

Fred Hayes/Getty Images for SAGindie

Katy O’Brian is the huge breakout star of Love Lies Bleeding.

The 35-year-old actor has broken out in a major way thanks to her role as Jackie, a violent bodybuilder who meets and falls in love with Lou, a grimy butch gym manager played by Kristen Stewart in the bloody and brilliant thriller Love Lies Bleeding.

O’Brian is making a lot of girls realize they’re gay with her giant muscles in the movie, but also gives a performance that critics and fans can’t stop talking about. It’s one of the best, and sexiest movies of the year, and one of the best lesbian movies of all time.

Keep scrolling to learn more about Katy O’Brian — and make sure to watch Love Lies Bleeding in theaters.

Where's she from?

O’Brian is mixed-race, with both Black and white ancestry, and was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1989. She began studying martial arts at five years old, and later attended Indiana University, where she continued her martial arts training.

What did she do before acting?

After college, O’Brian was hired by the Carmel Police Department in Indiana, where she became a member of the Crisis Intervention Team, working with people suffering from psychological conditions. She worked in law enforcement for seven years.

It was during this time that O’Brian also began competing in bodybuilding.

Is she in a relationship?

O’Brian is married to Kylie Chi, an industry professional who has worked on shows like Dollface and Gordita Chronicles. The two got married in July 2020 and together have two cats and a dog, and frequently fosters other pets.

What else has she been in?

O’Brian has had small roles in TV shows and movies since around 2015, but got her first major roles in the shows Z Nation and Black Lightning. It was in 2023 that she started to break out, with a role as Quantum Realm warrior Jentorra in the MCU movie Ant-Man and the Wasp, and a role as Comms Officer Elia Kane, a former Imperial who still has ties to her old regime in The Mandalorian.

How did she get cast in 'Love Lies Bleeding?'

O’Brian was working as an actor in 2022 when she saw a tweet from Film Updates about a new movie starring Kristen Stewart that was looking to cast a lead role for a female bodybuilder. That’s when O’Brian took her shot, replying to the post with a pic and the caption “I’m free.” The rest is history.

What's she working on next?

O’Brian’s next two roles after Love Lies Bleeding are in huge franchise movies. First, she’ll play a part in Twisters, the Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos starring sequel to the 1996 film Twister.

After that, O’Brian has been cast alongside Nick Offerman, Holt McCallany, and Hannah Waddingham in the upcoming Mission: Impossible 8, starring Tom Cruise.

Who's her celebrity crush?

O’Brian reveals to us that her gay awakening came from P!nk and other girls with pixie cuts. If she had the opportunity to spar with another celeb now, she picks True Detective: Night Country star Kali Ries, saying that she “can kick my ass any day as long as we can hang out after” and adding with a laugh, “she’s so badass. But I want to make it clear that I’d have no expectation of winning.”

What's her favorite queer media?

O’Brian says her favorite queer movies include DEBS, Bottoms, and of course, Love Lies Bleeding. When it comes to TV, Xena is one of her all-time favorite queer characters, and when it comes to books, she loves a good Sarah Waters novel.