Jerry O'Connell
Jeremiah O'Connell (born February 17, 1974) is an American actor, director, and television presenter 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 2010–2011 season of "The Defenders". He also had a starring role in the comedy horror film "Piranha  3D" (2010). Currently, he voices Commander Jack Ransom on the animated series "", is co-host of "The Talk", and hosts a version of "Pictionary" syndicated on Fox stations. 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 originally from England. He is of half Irish, one quarter Italian, and one quarter Polish ancestry. O'Connell's paternal grandfather was from County Cork, Ireland while his maternal grandmother was from Belfast, Northern Ireland. 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 to 1995, majoring in film. While there, he studied screen writing and competed on the fencing team, serving a stint as captain of the sabre 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 in a commercial for Frosted Flakes. He  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. During 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 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 cancelation in May 2007, and was engaged to actress Rebecca Romijn. He starred opposite her in the "Ugly Betty" episode "Derailed". He played Hoyt in several episodes of "Las Vegas". In 2004, he wore a diaper on "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 "" 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 2007–2008 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 cancelled 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 cancelled 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 2017, O'Connell was the main love interest in a Hallmark movie, co-starring his real life wife Rebecca Romijn as his former "true love" who walks back into his life in Paris. The movie "Love Locks" has O'Connell owning a hotel that Romijn stays in with her 18 year old daughter who has come to Paris to study for a semester in an art program. 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. In 2020, he began starring in commercials for Bob Evans grocery items alongside Alfonso Ribeiro. In July 2021, CBS announced that O'Connell would be joining "The Talk" as a permanent co-host, replacing Sharon Osbourne. That same month, he hosted a test-run of a new syndicated version of "Pictionary" on Fox stations, which was successful enough to launch with a full season in fall 2022. Personal  life. On July 14, 2007, O'Connell married actress and former model Rebecca Romijn. Their twin 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. O'Connell has dual American and British citizenship. O'Connell is a frequent guest of the Barstool Sports podcast, Pardon My Take and has been named to their "Mount Rushmore of Guests".