Jerry O'Connell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jerry O'Connell
O'Connell in 2019
Born	Jeremiah O'Connell (1974-02-17) February 17, 1974 (age 51) New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American British
Alma mater	New York University
Occupation	Actor TV show host
Years active	1983–present
Height	6 ft, 2 in
Spouse(s)	Rebecca Romijn ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	2
Relatives	Charles Witkowski (grandfather) Charlie O'Connell (brother)

Jeremiah O'Connell (born February 17, 1974) is a well-known American actor and TV host. He started acting when he was very young and has been in many movies and TV shows. You might know him from movies like Stand by Me and Kangaroo Jack. He also played Quinn Mallory in the TV series Sliders. Today, he is a co-host on the TV show The Talk and hosts the game show Pictionary. He also voices Commander Jack Ransom in the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Jerry O'Connell's Early Life and Education

Jerry O'Connell was born in Manhattan, New York City, on February 17, 1974. He is the oldest son of Linda, an art teacher, and Michael O'Connell, who worked as an art director for an advertising company. His dad was originally from the United Kingdom. Jerry has a mix of Irish, Italian, and Polish family background. His grandfathers were from Ireland and his maternal grandmother was from Northern Ireland. His maternal grandfather, Charles S. Witkowski, was even the mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey!

Jerry grew up in Manhattan with his younger brother, Charlie O'Connell, who is also an actor. As a teenager, Jerry went to the Professional Children's School in Manhattan, which is a special school for young performers.

After high school, he went to New York University from 1991 to 1994. He studied film there and even learned about screenwriting. He was also part of the university's fencing team and was the captain of the sabre squad for a while. He finished his studies and graduated in 1995.

Jerry O'Connell's Acting Career Journey

Jerry O'Connell began his acting career at a very young age. When he was a child, he appeared in commercials for cookies. Just after his eleventh birthday, he got his first big movie role. He played the character Vern Tessio in Rob Reiner's movie Stand by Me (1986).

In 1987, Jerry was in a commercial for Frosted Flakes. From 1988 to 1991, he starred in a Canadian science-fiction TV show called My Secret Identity. In this show, he played a teenage hero who gained superhuman abilities.

During a summer break from New York University, Jerry starred in the movie Calendar Girl (1993). He also appeared in a short-lived TV show called Camp Wilder in 1992.

Becoming a TV Star in Sliders

While in his junior year at university, Jerry auditioned for a TV show pilot called Sliders. He got the main role of Quinn Mallory in the series. Sliders aired for three seasons on Fox and then for two more seasons on the Syfy Channel. Jerry even became a producer for the show in its fourth season. He also wrote and directed several episodes of Sliders.

Movies and Other TV Roles

After Sliders, Jerry O'Connell continued to star in many films. Some of his notable movies include Jerry Maguire (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Mission to Mars (2000), Tomcats (2001), and Kangaroo Jack (2003). He also tried his hand at screenwriting and sold his first screenplay, which became the movie First Daughter (2004). He was an executive producer for this film.

Jerry also had a main role as Detective Woody Hoyt in the NBC crime drama Crossing Jordan from 2001 to 2007. He even played the same character in a few episodes of the TV series Las Vegas.

In 2005, he voiced the character Captain Marvel in an episode of Justice League Unlimited. He voiced this superhero again in a short animated film. Jerry's younger brother, Charlie, has also appeared in some of the shows Jerry starred in, like Sliders and Crossing Jordan.

From 2007 to 2008, Jerry starred in the ABC show Carpoolers. He also appeared in the 2009 thriller film Obsessed. In 2010, he starred in the comedy horror film Piranha 3D.

Broadway and Recent Work

Jerry O'Connell has also performed on Broadway. In 2011, he was in the play Seminar. In 2015, he returned to Broadway in the comedy Living on Love.

He starred in a Canadian police comedy-drama series called Carter for two seasons. In 2020, he was part of the Broadway revival of A Soldier's Play.

In July 2021, CBS announced that Jerry O'Connell would become a permanent co-host on the talk show The Talk. In the same month, he hosted a trial run of a new game show version of Pictionary, which was very successful. This led to a full season starting in the fall of 2022. In 2022, he and his wife, Rebecca Romijn, also hosted The Real Love Boat on CBS.

Jerry O'Connell's Personal Life

On July 14, 2007, Jerry O'Connell married actress and former model Rebecca Romijn. They have twin daughters, who were born in 2008.

In August 2009, Jerry started studying at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. However, he decided to leave law school to go back to acting full-time.

Jerry O'Connell has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both America and Britain. He is also a big fan of fantasy football and often talks about it on the Pardon My Take podcast, where he is known as the "Fantasy Football Expert."

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  O'Connell in June 2013

See also

In Spanish: Jerry O'Connell para niños