5 things you didn't know about Chesapeake Shores lead actress Meghan Ory

Chesapeake Shores is a popular Hallmark romantic drama starring Meghan Ory and Jesse Metcalfe in lead roles. Chesapeake Shores premiered in 2016 to positive reviews and has since aired five full seasons, with the sixth season currently airing on Hallmark.

Abby O'Brien-Winters (played by Meghan Ory) is a career-driven, divorced mother-of-two who is summoned by her sister to her hometown of Chesapeake Shores. Abby arrives in her father's town with a plan to save her business, but she is unprepared for the surprises that await her.

She is confronted by Trace Riley, a former lover whom she abandoned without explanation 16 years ago when she moved away. Jesse Metcalfe's Trace proves to be an ally and her second chance at love.

Let's take a look at the lead actress, Meghan Ory, and discover some lesser-known facts about her in the following sections.

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Her favorite role, other ventures and more - Know your favorite Chesapeake Shores star Meghan Ory better

1) Meghan Ory is also an author

Meghan Ory for Intelligence promoshoot (Image via CBS)

Meghan Ory is well-known for her acting career over the last decade or so, having appeared in a plethora of popular titles. However, most people are unaware that Ory is also a published author.

Under the pen name Meghan Reardon, Ory has written a series of young adult novels titled Chronicles of Girl Wars. The plot is based on her experiences in high school, which included teenage bullying and backstabbing friends. She has stated that the series is somewhere between Mean Girls and Ugly Betty.

The Goodreads description for Chronicles of Girl Wars reads:

In high school, girl bullying is not the straightforward stuff of punching and name-calling. “Girl Wars” are manipulative, sneaky and emotional, and most girls struggle to stay afloat. Chronicles of the Girl Wars explores these battles in a fun way, through the eyes of Audrey and her four best friends as they struggle to survive high school and each other. It is a funny and exciting, character driven story of friendship, betrayal and self-discovery.

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2) Ory had to postpone her acting career

A still from John Tucker Must Die, 2006 (Image via 20th Centuries Studio)

Meghan Ory knew what she wanted to be when she grew up from a young age. She had a strong interest in acting and began working in a theatre as a child actor when she was eight. She was eager to learn more about the industry and take on more acting roles across multiple platforms.

Her mother, a drama teacher herself, made it clear that she was not to pursue it further until she was old enough and had a solid educational foundation. Ory received her secondary education at Royal Oak Middle School and Claremont Secondary School. She won the Royal Oaks Fine Arts Award for Acting in 1996, but didn't start auditioning until she could afford her own headshots.

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3) She's still remembered for playing Red Riding Hood

Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood in Once Upon a Time (Image via ABC)

Ory has been in the acting business for more than two decades. She began her career in the Fox Family Channel television movie The Darklings and quickly landed her first regular role in the series Higher Ground in 2000.

Higher Grounds (Image via Fox Family)

She has since played a variety of other roles in TV movies and series before making her feature film debut in the 2004 science fiction horror film Decoys. Her most notable character till date was in the 2011 series by ABC, Once Upon a Time, as Red Riding Hood and Ruby.

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4) She has walked the ramp as a model

Meghan Ory at the 2013 From Scotland with Love in New York (Image via @RubyRed0427/ Twitter)

Meghan Ory, as we all know, is a multi-talented woman. In the year 2013, Ory walked the runway for Vivienne Westwood at 'From Scotland with Love fashion show', alongside her husband, John Reardon.

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5) She met her husband on the sets of Merlin's Apprentice

Ory is one of the few actors in the industry who isn't surrounded by rumours. One reason for this is that she has been in a happy marriage for over a decade. Ory met her husband, John Reardon, on the set of Merlin's Apprentice in 2006, and the couple began dating almost immediately. They married in 2008 and have been in a happy marriage ever since.

The couple welcomed their first child, a boy, in 2018, and announced their second child, a daughter, in 2019. If certain reports are to believed, the couple is soon to become third time parents.

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Ory's portrayal of the endearing Abby O'Brien concludes with the final season of Chesapeake Shores, which airs on Hallmark Channel every Sunday.