With an impressive body of work that encompasses film and television, Jerry O'Connell is quickly emerging as one of Hollywood's most versatile and sought after talents. O'Connell recently completed filming the Lifetime Original Movie "Nora Roberts' Midnight Bayou," based on the book by the best-selling author. He stars opposite Lauren Stamile and Faye Dunaway, as Harvard-educated lawyer, Declan Fitzpatrick. Declan impulsively gives up his settled life to buy Manet Hall, a newly restored plantation manor near New Orleans and finds himself distracted by an undeniable attraction to Cajun local Lena Simone (Stamile), who grew up on the bayou with her grandmother Odette (Dunaway). O'Connell will next be seen in the Screen Gems thriller Obsessed opposite Beyonce Knowles and Ali Larter, which is slated for a February 2009 release.
O'Connell recently completed filming the independent comedy Baby on Board opposite Heather Graham and Laura Flynn Boyle. His other recent film credits include the comedy Yours, Mine and Ours and independent films Man About Town, with Ben Affleck, and Room 6, with Christine Taylor. In 2004, O'Connell sold the screenplay for First Daughter to New Regency Films. He served as an Executive Producer for the film which starred Katie Holmes and was direct by Forrest Whitaker.
O'Connell recently starred on the ABC comedy "Carpoolers." He previously starred on NBC's hit drama "Crossing Jordan" for six seasons as Detective Woody Hoyt, a character that also crossed-over to NBC's "Las Vegas" where he recurred as a love interest of Sam Marquez (Vanessa Marcil). His other television credits include starring in "Sliders" for Fox and the Sci-Fi Channel, the television movie "What the Deaf Man Heard" and the miniseries "The '60s."
At the age of 11, O'Connell began his acting career when he co-starred as Vern Tessio in Stand By Me, from director Rob Reiner. He took a break from acting and didn't return to it full-time until after he completed his BFA at New York University. Upon graduating he returned to feature film work, receiving critical acclaim for his role as Quarterback Frank Cushman in Jerry Maguire, with Tom Cruise. He also starred in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced comedy Kangaroo Jack and in Tomcats for Joe Roth's Revolution Studios. Additional screen credits include Scream 2, Can't Hardly Wait and Mission to Mars.
O'Connell was born and raised in New York and currently resides in Los Angeles with wife, actress Rebecca Romijn.
