O'Connell was born in New York City, New York, the son of Linda (née Witkowski), an art teacher, and Michael O'Connell, an advertising agency art director. His maternal grandfather, Charles S. Witkowski, was the mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. O'Connell is of half Irish, one quarter Italian, and one quarter Polish ancestry. O'Connell appeared in small roles in such films as Dude, Where's My Car? and The New Guy, the latter of which also paired him with his brother Jerry. He obtained greater notoriety when he appeared with his brother in Sliders and then on the seventh season of the reality television series The Bachelor between March 2005 and May 2005. In two episodes of Crossing Jordan, entitled "Sunset Division" (season 2) and "Skin and Bone" (season 4), he played the onscreen brother of his brother's character, Detective Woody Hoyt.

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