Aaron John O'Connell (born April 8, 1986) is an American model and actor. O'Connell is best known for his portrayal of Wyatt Cryer in the prime time television drama The Haves and the Have Nots which airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
Aaron O'Connell | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 8, 1986 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
|
| Occupation(s) | Actor, model |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
editO'Connell is the only son of Mark O'Connell, a former player for the Cincinnati Bengals and Kathryn Deeble O'Connell. He has three sisters, Amy, Abby and Anna.[1][2] He graduated from Cathedral High School in 2004 where he played football, basketball and baseball. As a child, his maternal grandfather Wayne taught him how to play the piano.[1] In 2008, O'Connell graduated from Purdue University's College of Health and Human Sciences where he received a bachelor's degree in Health and Fitness.[3]
Personal life
editO'Connell became engaged to his girlfriend, model Natalie Pack on September 4, 2017.[4] The couple were married on July 21, 2018 at Lake Como in Italy.[5][6]
In 2013, he gained his private pilot’s license, and flies a Cirrus SR22.[7]
Career
editModeling
editIn 2006, O'Connell signed to Ford Models while still in college. He has been featured in major publications like GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Vogue Paris, Arena Homme +, VMAN. O'Connell has also represented brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Hanes, Lucky Jeans, Ralph Lauren, Champion and Jockey.[2][8]
Acting
editStarting his career at the Actors Studio in Chicago, O'Connell permanently relocated to Los Angeles so he could continue modeling, and start acting. O'Connell started acting classes. He eventually booked several commercials, including the Liquid-Plumr where he caught the eye of Tyler Perry.[8] O'Connell initially thought it was a joke when he was contacted by Perry's production company about auditioning for a role in a new television series. Perry contacted O'Connell himself and asked him to audition over Skype. Perry then traveled to Los Angeles to meet with O'Connell about the role of Wyatt on The Haves and the Have Nots.[2] O'Connell was actually the first of the ensemble to be cast.[8]
In 2015, he starred in the seasonal comedy for Hallmark Channel 12 Gifts of Christmas as Marc Rehnquist, a company executive who hires a personal shopper and discovers the true spirit of Christmas is not money,[9] and also played a leading part in A Prince for Christmas.
In 2017, he starred in Hallmark Channel’s With Love, Christmas, as 'Donovan Goodwin', with Emilie Ullerup as his co-star.[7]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | LAID: Life as It's Dealt | Jogger | Film |
| 2013-2021 | The Haves and the Have Nots | Wyatt Cryer | Main; 88 Episodes |
| 2014 | The Tyler Perry Show | Himself | Guest; 1 Episode |
| 2015 | 12 Gifts of Christmas | Marc Rehnquist | Television Film |
| 2015 | A Prince for Christmas | Todd | Television Film |
| 2015, 2017 | Home & Family | Himself | Guest; 2 Episodes |
| 2016 | The Real | Himself | Guest; 1 Episode |
| 2016 | My Christmas Love | Scott | Television Film |
| 2017 | With Love, Christmas | Donovan Goodwin | Television Film |
| 2018 | Lethal Weapon | Derek | Guest; 1 Episode |
| 2018 | Black Water | Ellis | Film |
| 2018 | This Is Our Christmas | Nathan Winslow | Film |
| 2018 | Runnin' from my Roots | Gavin Whitfield | Film |
| 2021 | Blending Christmas | Liam | Lifetime Film |
| 2022 | Love Accidentally | Jason | Television Film |
| 2023 | Made for Each Other | Clay | Television film |
| 2023 | Heels | Young Tom Spade | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Junebug | Alex | Television film |
References
edit- ^ a b "Aaron O'Connell on My Christmas Love". Hallmark Channel. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ a b c Kennedy, Karen (May 21, 2013). "Good things". Current in Carmel. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ "Life 360". College of Health and Human Sciences. Purdue University. p. 2. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ "How Tyler Perry helped a young couple get engaged". The Buzz. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. September 25, 2017. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ "Natalie Pack + Aaron O'Connell". THERESA STORY PHOTOGRAPHER. July 21, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ Perry, Tyler [@tylerperry] (21 July 2018). "Hello from Lake Como! Here because Aaron O'Connell who plays Wyatt on The Haves is getting married tomorrow. Congrats @AaronOConnell and @NataliePack. May God bless your future days with as much happiness as you can handle! And then some" (Tweet). Retrieved August 12, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "With Love, Christmas". hallmarkchannel.com. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
- ^ a b c Halterman, Jim (June 17, 2013). "Aaron O'Connell On Tyler Perry's Gay Storyline On "The Haves And The Have Nots"". TheBacklot.com. Evolve Media. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ "12 Gifts of Christmas, Hallmark Channel". Hallmark Channel. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
External links
edit- Aaron O'Connell on Facebook
- Aaron O'Connell at IMDb
- "Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots". Official Show Page.
- Aaron O'Connell, Ford Models