Jeremiah O'Connell
(born February 17, 1974) is an American
actor, director and talk show host, known for his roles as Quinn Mallory in the television series Sliders, Andrew Clements
in My Secret Identity, Vern Tessio in
the film Stand by Me (1986), Joe in Joe's Apartment (1996), Frank
Cushman in Jerry Maguire (1996), Derek in Scream 2 (1997), Charlie
Carbone in Kangaroo Jack (2003),
and Detective Woody Hoyt on the drama
Crossing Jordan. He starred as Pete Kaczmarek in the single 2010–11
season of The Defenders. He also had
a starring role in the comedy horror film Piranha
3D (2010).
Early life
O'Connell was born in Manhattan,
the eldest son of Linda, an art
teacher, and Michael O'Connell, an
advertising agency art director. His
maternal grandfather, Charles S.
Witkowski was mayor of Jersey City,
New Jersey. He is of half Irish, one-quarter Italian, and one-quarter Polish
ancestry. O'Connell was raised in Manhattan with his younger brother,
actor Charlie O'Connell. As a
teenager, he attended Manhattan's
Professional Children's School. He attended New York University from 1991–95, majoring in film. While there, he
studied screenwriting and competed on the fencing team, serving a stint as
captain of the saber squad. He graduated in 1995.
Career
O'Connell began his acting career at a young age. As a
child, he did commercial work for Duncan
Hines cookies. Shortly after turning
eleven, he landed his first feature film role as the character Vern Tessio in Rob Reiner's Stand by Me. In 1987, O'Connell
appeared on a commercial for Frosted
Flakes. O'Connell starred in the
Canadian science-fiction sitcom My
Secret Identity from 1988 to 1991 as the teen hero who develops superhuman
traits. During a summer break from NYU,
Jerry starred in the feature film Calendar
Girl alongside Jason Priestley
and Gabriel Olds. He also appeared
in the short-lived ABC sitcom Camp Wilder, with Jay Mohr and Hilary Swank,
in 1992. In his junior year, O'Connell auditioned for the television pilot Sliders (also filmed in Canada). He was offered the role of Quinn Mallory in the series, which ran
for three seasons on Fox and two
seasons on the Syfy Channel. He
served as a producer during his fourth season and is credited with writing and
directing several episodes.
O'Connell has since gone on to star in such movies as Jerry Maguire, Body Shots, Mission to Mars,
Tomcats, Scream 2, and Kangaroo Jack.
O'Connell has also tried his hand at screenwriting and sold his first
screenplay, for First Daughter, to New Regency in 1999. The film was
released in 2004 by 20th Century Fox-based
Davis Entertainment. O'Connell served
as executive producer and received a "story
by" credit on the film, which starred Katie Holmes and Michael
Keaton.
O'Connell starred as Detective
Woody Hoyt on the NBC crime drama
Crossing Jordan (2001) until its
cancellation in May 2007, and was engaged to actress Rebecca Romijn. He starred opposite her in the Ugly Betty episode "Derailed".
O'Connell played Hoyt in several
episodes of Las Vegas. In 2004, he
wore a diaper on the Last Call with Carson
Daly, during a mock commercial skit for the GoodNites bedwetting product. The National Enquirer caught him filming the skit and printed a photo
of him in his diaper.
In 2005, O'Connell guest-starred in one episode of the
animated series Justice League Unlimited.
In the episode, titled "Clash",
he played Captain Marvel. He reprised
the role of Captain Marvel in the DC
Universe Animated Original Movies short film Superman/Shazam!: The Return
of Black Adam alongside George
Newbern, who reprised the role of Superman,
having done the voice for the animated series. Jerry's younger brother, Charlie
has appeared in several productions in which his brother starred, such as in Sliders and Crossing Jordan. In 2007–08 O'Connell starred in ABC's Carpoolers, which ran from October
2, 2007 to March 4, 2008. In early 2008, O'Connell participated in a widely
circulated Internet video parody of the leaked Tom Cruise video on Scientology.
Cruise was O'Connell's co-star in Jerry
Maguire.
O'Connell co-wrote and appeared in a video parody called "Young Hillary Clinton",
satirizing Hillary Clinton's 2008 primary campaign. On February 2, 2008, O'Connell hosted VH1's Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash, which
aired the night before Super Bowl XLII
and featured musical guests Maroon 5
and Mary J. Blige. On April 28, 2008, he appeared as a guest star
on ABC's Samantha Who?. In late 2008
O'Connell starred in Fox's Do Not Disturb,
co-starring Niecy Nash, but Fox canceled the show after only three
episodes.
O'Connell appeared in the 2009 thriller film Obsessed as "Ben", the best friend and co-worker of the film's
protagonist Derek Charles (Idris Elba). He appeared in Eastwick on ABC, on which his wife, Rebecca
Romijn starred in the series. He
portrayed Derrick Jones in Alexandre Aja's Piranha 3D, which also
stars Adam Scott and Elisabeth Shue.
O'Connell co-starred with David Tennant in the pilot for legal drama Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, which was not picked up for production. In 2010, O'Connell starred with Jim Belushi in the CBS comedy-drama The
Defenders, which was canceled on May 15, 2011, after one season.
O'Connell appeared on
Broadway at the Golden Theatre
in Seminar, written by Theresa Rebeck. The play, directed by Sam Gold, opened on November 20, 2011,
starring Alan Rickman, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, and Hettienne
Park. On June 4, 2012, it was announced that O'Connell would play Herman Munster in a reboot of The Munsters, titled Mockingbird Lane; the remake series was
never picked up for production, however, the pilot would air as a Halloween special on October 26. On May
15, 2013, it was announced that O'Connell would play Stuart Strickland on We Are
Men, alongside Tony Shalhoub.
In April 2015, O'Connell returned to Broadway as a ghostwriter in the comedy Living on Love, with Renee
Fleming, Anna Chlumsky and Douglas Sills. It closed after 37
performances.
In January 2020, O'Connell appeared in the Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre's
Broadway revival of A Soldier's Play
as Captain Taylor in an ensemble cast
headed by David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood.
Personal life
On July 14, 2007, O'Connell married actress and former model
Rebecca Romijn.
After weeks of officially stating that the couple was "trying" to get pregnant, a
publicist for the pair confirmed that Romijn was pregnant with twin girls. When
talking about having children, O'Connell said "I am excited I am having
girls. I know guys are supposed to say, 'I want a boy. I want to play
baseball,' but I think I'm going to be good at raising girls...I can't wait.
They're going to be tough chicks. They're only having sex when I'm dead. If
they don't date boys at all and just want them to be infatuated with their
father, that's what I'm really going for." The girls were born in
2008.
O'Connell enrolled in Southwestern
Law School in Los Angeles in
August 2009 but dropped out to return to acting full-time.
Filmography
Film
1986 Stand by Me Vernon
"Vern" Tessio
1988 Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Kid at beach Uncredited
1993 Calendar Girl Scott Foreman
1995 Blue River Lawrence
Sellars
1995 Ranger, the Cook and the Hole in the Sky
1996 Joe's Apartment Joe
Jerry Maguire Frank "Cush" Cushman
1997 Scream 2 Derek
Feldman
1998 Can't Hardly Wait Trip McNeely Uncredited
1999 The Beast of Today Fabian
Body Shots Michael Penorisi
2000 Clayton
Mission to Mars Phil Ohlmyer
2001 Tomcats Michael
Delaney
2002 The New Guy Highland
Party Twin
Buying the Cow David Collins
2003 Kangaroo Jack Charlie Carbone
2004 Fat Slags Sean
Cooley
First Daughter N/A Producer;
screenplay writer
2005 Yours, Mine and Ours Max Algrant
2006 The Alibi Businessman
Man About Town David Lilly
Room 6 Lucas Dylan
2008 The Parody Video Tom Cruise Wants You to See
Tom Cruise Short film
2009 Baby on Board Curtis
Obsessed Ben
2010 Piranha 3-D Derrick
Jones
Superman/Shazam!: The
Return of Black Adam Captain
Marvel (voice) Short film
2013 Scary Movie 5 Christian Grey
2014 Veronica Mars Sheriff Dan Lamb
Space Station 76 Steve
The Lookalike Joe Mulligan
2015 Justice League: Throne of Atlantis Clark Kent / Superman (voice)
2016 Justice League vs. Teen Titans Clark Kent / Superman (voice)
2017 Justice League Dark Clark Kent / Superman (voice)
Wish Upon Alex Uncredited
2018 The Death of Superman Clark Kent / Superman (voice)
Deep Murder Doug
2019 Reign of the Supermen Superman / Clark Kent / Cyborg Superman (voice)
Satanic Panic Samuel Ross
Batman: Hush Clark Kent / Superman (voice)
2020 The Secret: Dare to Dream Tucker Post-production
Ballbuster Rich Post-production
Television
1987 The Room Upstairs Carl TV
movie
1988 The Equalizer Bobby Episode: "The
Child Broker"
Ollie Hopnoodle's
Haven of Bliss Ralph Parker
TV movie
1988–1991 My Secret Identity Andrew Clements Main
role
1989 Charles in Charge David Landon Episode:
"The Organization Man"
1990 TGIF Brody
Unknown episodes
1992 Camp Wilder Brody
Wilder Cast member
1995 The Ranger, the Cook and a Hole in the Sky Mac TV movie
Blue River Lawrence Sellars
Sliders Quinn Mallory Producer (1998–1999)
Director:
"Stoker", "Slidecage", "Lipschitz Live,"
"Data World", "Roads Taken"
Writer: "Way out
West"
1999 The '60s Brian
Herlihy TV movie
2001 Night Visions Andy Episode: "Rest
Stop"
2002 Going to California Pete Rossock Episode:
"Searching For Eddie Van Halen"
Rome Fire Ryan Wheeler TV movie
Crossing Jordan Detective Woody Hoyt Main role
2003, 2008 MADtv Ted
Levin, John Edwards Episode:
8.12, 14.01
2004 Without a Trace Joe Gibson Episode:
"Hawks and Handsaws"
The Screaming Cocktail
Hour Singer
Las Vegas Detective Woody Hoyt 5 episodes
2005 Justice League Unlimited Captain Marvel Episode: "Clash"
2007 On the Lot Jerry
'The Move' Episode "6
Cut to 5 & 5 Directors Compete"
Ugly Betty Joel Episode:
"Derailed"
The Batman Nightwing 2
episodes: "The Metal Face of Comedy", "Artifacts"
Carpoolers Laird
2008 Samantha Who? Craig Episode:
"The Gallery Show"
Do Not Disturb Neal 6
episodes
2009 Midnight Bayou Declan Fitzpatrick TV
movie
2009 Eastwick Colin
Friesen Episode: "Magic Snow
and Creepy Gene"
2010 The Defenders Pete Kaczmarek
2011 G.I. Joe: Renegades Barbecue Episode:
"Fire Fight"
Fish Hooks Sterling Hamsterton (voice) Episode: "Pamela Hamster
Returns"
NTSF:SD:SUV:: Mental Man Episode:
"Up Periscope, Down With San Diego"
2012 Mockingbird Lane Herman Munster Failed
Pilot
2013 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Pip the Pirate Genie 7 episodes
Burning Love Henry Season
2 cast member
King & Maxwell Jerry Walkeiwicz Episode: "Stealing
Secrets"
Satisfaction David Episode:
"Penis Face Cat Funeral"
We Are Men Stuart Strickland Main cast
2014 Drunk History Thomas Jefferson / Grigori Rasputin 2 episodes
The League Father Muldoon Episode: "The Heavenly Fouler"
2015 The Librarians Young Lancelot Episode:
"And the Loom of Fate"
Workaholics Teddy Episode:
"Gayborhood"
Marry Me Daniel Episode: "Friend Me"
Significant Mother Bob Babcock Episode: "Home Is Where the Lamp Is"
Fresh Beat Band of
Spies Arizona Jones Episode: "Mummy Mayhem"
2016 The Mysteries of Laura Jon Dunham 2
episodes
Billions Steven Birch 3 episodes
Young & Hungry Nick Diamond Episode: "Young & Parents"
Mistresses Robert 4 episodes
Scream Queens Dr. Mike 2 episodes
2017 Love Locks Jack
Burrow Hallmark movie
Justice League Action The Atom (voice) 3 episodes
Andi Mack Director Season 1 episode 1: "Dad Influence"
Curb Your Enthusiasm TV Detective #2 Episode: "The Shucker"
2018, 2019 The Big Bang Theory George Cooper Jr. 3
episodes
The Wendy Williams
Show Host 7 episodes
2018 Carter Harley
Carter Main role
2019–present Jerry O' Host
2020 Star Trek: Lower Decks Commander Jack Ransom Voice
Video game
2015 Infinite Crisis Shazam
Music videos
"David
Duchovny" – Bree Sharp
"Heartbreaker" – Mariah Carey (1999)
"12 Days of Christmas" from
Christmas Queens – Katya Zamolodchikova"
Podcast Appearances
Pardon My Take –
August 6, 2018; August 23, 2019
Comments by Celebs
– September 24, 2018
Awards and nominations
1987 Young Artist Awards (shared with River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Corey
Feldman) Won Stand by Me
1989 Best Young Actor in a Family Syndicated Show
Nominated My Secret Identity
1990 Best Young Actor in an Off-Primetime Family
Nominated
2004 Kid's Choice Awards Favorite Fart in a Movie Won Kangaroo Jack
2018 Award-Winning Listener Listening Won Pardon My
Take
2019 Award-Winning Listener Listening Won Pardon My
Take
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