Michael Jeremiah Witkowski O'Connell (born February 17, 1974) is an American actor and TV show host. He is 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), Michael in Tomcats (2001), Charlie Carbone in Kangaroo Jack (2003), and Detective Woody Hoyt on the NBC 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). O'Connell voiced Commander Jack Ransom on the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks and hosted a version of Pictionary syndicated on Fox stations.
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Early life
O'Connell was born in New York City, the eldest son of Linda Witkowski, a Special Education teacher in New Jersey, and Michael O'Connell, an advertising agency art director originally from the United Kingdom. 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. His maternal grandfather was Charles S. Witkowski, the 34th mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. 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 1994, 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 Kellogg's 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 films as Jerry Maguire, Body Shots, Mission to Mars, Tomcats, Scream 2, and Kangaroo Jack. O'Connell also guest-hosted the late night talk show Later during the late 1990s. 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 the Justice League Unlimited episode "Clash", voicing Captain Marvel. He reprised the role 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 2007–2008 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.
Personal life
On July 14, 2007, O'Connell married actress and supermodel 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 regular guest on the Barstool Sports podcast Pardon My Take, where he discusses his passion for fantasy football and his fandom for the show. He maintains the official position of Fantasy Football Expert for the show and runs the fantasy football team for hosts Dan "Big Cat" Katz and PFT Commenter. As of January 2025, O'Connell's role as general manager of PMT's fantasy team was in jeopardy due to results of the 2024 season. However, he has retained this title for the 2025 season and produces a Fantasy Minute segment for the show on Fridays.
O'Connell was once roommates with actor and comedian T.J. Miller.
O'Connell is an active practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and he trains under Jean Jacques Machado.
Filmography
Music videos
"David Duchovny" – Bree Sharp (1999)
"Heartbreaker" – Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z (1999)
"12 Days of Christmas" – Katya Zamolodchikova
Podcast appearances
Pardon My Take – August 6, 2018; August 23, 2019; July 24, 2020; September 1, 2021; February 9, 2022; September 2, 2022; December 2, 2022; March 10, 2023; September 1, 2023; February 7, 2024; May 6, 2024; May 20, 2024; August 28, 2024; January 29, 2025; March 7, 2025; April 2, 2025 (as Big Dom); June 2, 2025 ; July 18, 2025; August 22, 2025; Fantasy minute after Memes starts the music.
Comments by Celebs – September 24, 2018
The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz feat. Baron Davis – August 5, 2020
The Kinda Funny Podcast – April 8, 2021
I've Had It - February 6, 2024
