# John McConnell (actor)

John "Spud" McConnell (born November 13, 1958) is an American actor and television/radio personality based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is married to actor/producer Maureen Brennan.
McConnell is a character actor who has appeared in more than 40 films, ranging from obscure independent films (mostly filmed locally in New Orleans, or elsewhere set in the Gulf Coast region) to major cinematic release movies such as O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Django Unchained, 12 Years a Slave, and Interview with the Vampire. McConnell has also appeared in numerous plays, including an off-Broadway run in the one-man show The Kingfish, wherein he portrays colorful Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long. He is perhaps best known for having portrayed Ignatius J. Reilly from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces, and in that role was the model for a life-sized bronze statue of the fictitious character on historic Canal Street in downtown New Orleans.
On television, McConnell has had recurring roles in several series, among them Underground and Hap & Leonard. He also made several appearances over three seasons of Roseanne, with good friend and colleague John Goodman. McConnell was also featured in a recurring role on the FX series The Riches, and on the HBO series Treme as a (fictional) disc jockey at (real life) radio station WWOZ.
For 11 years McConnell was the #1 afternoon radio personality in the Gulf South, hosting a daily call-in talk show, "The Spud Show", on WWL 870 AM and 105.3 FM.
In early 2019, McConnell began hosting the morning drive show on KKND (FM). Like his earlier show on WWL, it was also called "The Spud Show" but featured music, in the station's classic hits format, and less politics and talk. On September 8, 2020, KKND switched to hot adult contemporary and dropped McConnell's morning show.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1990 | Miller's Crossing | Officer Bryan | |
| 1991 | Firehead | Computer Man | |
| 1991 | Convicts | Guard #1 | |
| 1992 | Delta Heat | LaSalle | |
| 1992 | The Lady in Waiting | Extra | Short film |
| 1993 | King of the Hill | Patrolman Burns | |
| 1994 | Mutant Species | Redneck | |
| 1994 | Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles | Gambler | |
| 1995 | Body Count | Truck Driver | |
| 1995 | Born Wild | Sheriff | |
| 1997 | Baby Ghost | The Mayor | |
| 2000 | Tony Bravo in Scenes from a Forgotten Cinema | Tony "Two Horns" | |
| 2000 | O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Woolworths Manager | |
| 2001 | Malpractice | Walter | |
| 2001 | Above & Beyond | "Whitey" | |
| 2001 | Monster's Ball | Harvey Shoonmaker | |
| 2002 | Love Liza | High School Principal #1 | |
| 2002 | Hometown Legend | Rock Hill Coach | |
| 2002 | The Scoundrel's Wife | Dance Hall Owner | |
| 2002 | Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat | Detective Loomis | |
| 2002 | The Badge | Ornell | |
| 2004 | The Ladykillers | Deputy Sheriff | |
| 2004 | Mr. 3000 | Hall of Fame President | |
| 2005 | Because of Winn-Dixie | Store Manager | |
| 2006 | Glory Road | Exhibition Game Tournament Director | |
| 2006 | The Novice | Luther | |
| 2006 | The Last Time | Barney | |
| 2006 | Déjà Vu | Sheriff Reed | |
| 2007 | Flakes | Ashton Hale | |
| 2007 | The Reaping | Mayor Brooks | |
| 2008 | Leatherheads | Bullhorn Fireman | |
| 2009 | Beyond a Reasonable Doubt | Vernon Green | |
| 2009 | Alabama Moon | Mr. Mitchell | |
| 2010 | Jonah Hex | Stunk Crick Sheriff | |
| 2011 | The Mechanic | Vaughn | |
| 2011 | Love, Wedding, Marriage | Grateful Husband | |
| 2011 | Colombiana | Smith | |
| 2011 | Seeking Justice | Liquor Store Clerk | |
| 2012 | Killing Them Softly | Bartender #2 | |
| 2012 | Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter | Scroll Official | |
| 2012 | The Baytown Outlaws | Representative Hawkins | |
| 2012 | The Alternatives | Detective Starch | Short film |
| 2012 | Stolen | Drunk Businessman | |
| 2012 | Django Unchained | Unknown Role | |
| 2013 | 2 Guns | Officer Dave | |
| 2013 | 12 Years a Slave | Jonus Ray | |
| 2013 | Humidity | Captain Morgan | |
| 2014 | Elsa & Fred | Main In Window | |
| 2014 | 13 Sins | Detective | |
| 2014 | Cat Run 2 | Guy Mancini | |
| 2014 | Black or White | Vertell | |
| 2014 | Left Behind | Big Man | |
| 2015 | Socialwerk | The Bishop | Short film |
| 2015 | Return to Sender | Choking Man | Direct-to-video |
| 2016 | Abattoir | McDermott | |
| 2016 | The Duel | Saul | |
| 2016 | Nigel and Oscar Vs. The Sasquatch | Chuck | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1989 | False Witness | Police Officer | Television movie |
| 1991 | This Gun for Hire | Lieutenant Leoville | Television movie |
| 1991 | Doublecrossed | Mr. Lambert | Television movie |
| 1992 | Unsolved Mysteries | Huey Long | Episode: 5.3 |
| 1995 | Jake Lassiter: Justice on the Bayou | Remmy | Television movie |
| 1995 | Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long | Television movie |
| 1996 | The Big Easy | "Skank" | Episode: "Stodermeyer" |
| 1994-1996 | Roseanne | Bob | 11 episodes |
| 1997 | Orleans | 1st FBI Agent | Episode: "Baby-Sitting" |
| 2001 | Going to California | Homicidal Elvis | Episode: "Taking Care of Biscuits" |
| 2004 | Miracle Run | Unknown Role | Television movie |
| 2004 | Pop Rocks | Cop | Television movie |
| 2004 | Torn Apart | Detective | Television movie |
| 2004 | Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers | Foreman | Television movie |
| 2004 | The Brooke Ellison Story | Mr. Jacobs | Television movie |
| 2004 | The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel | The Bartender | Television movie |
| 2005 | Elvis | Disc Jockey | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Pizza My Heart | Customer #2 | Television movie |
| 2006 | The Year Without a Santa Claus | Dog Catcher | Television movie |
| 2007 | The Riches | Mick O'Malley | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Ruffian | Tony Pappas | Television movie |
| 2009 | Midnight Bayou | Oscar | Television movie |
| 2010 | Memphis Beat | Karl King | 1 episode |
| 2010-2011 | Treme | DJ Jeffy Jeff | 7 episodes |
| 2015 | Scream Queens | Bailiff | 1 episodes |
| 2016 | Underground | Schafer | 2 episodes |
| 2016-2017 | Hap and Leonard | Judge Beau Otis | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Filthy Rich | Virgil Love | Recurring |

### Stage

| Opening Date | Production | Role | Theatre | Notes |
| March 15, 1991 | The Kingfish | Huey P. Long | John Houseman Theatre, New York, NY | Also credited as: Designer |
| January 12, 1993 | Henry V | Pistol | Theater at St. Clement's Church, New York, NY | |
| June 24, 1997 | Always...Patsy Cline | | Variety Arts Theatre, New York, NY | Production Stage Manager |