Kevin O'Connor (actor, born 1935)

Not to be confused with Kevin J. O'Connor (actor).
Kevin O'Connor
O'Connor in Bogart (1980)
Born(1935-05-07)May 7, 1935
Honolulu, Hawaii Territory, U.S.
DiedJune 22, 1991(1991-06-22) (aged 56)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma materSan Francisco State University
Occupations
  • Actor
  • drama teacher
Years active1967–1991

John Kevin O'Connor (May 7, 1935 – June 22, 1991)[1] was an American film, stage, and television actor. He is best known for his roles in Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971), Bogie (1980), and The Brink's Job (1978). He also acted extensively on stage, winning two Drama Desk Awards and an Obie Award.[1][2]

Early life

O'Connor was born John Kevin O'Connor on May 7, 1935, in Honolulu, Hawaii.[3][4] He was of English and Irish descent.[3] O'Connor was raised in Honolulu, graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1953.[5]

He attended the College of San Mateo in California before graduating with a degree in drama from San Francisco State University.[1][6]

Career

O'Connor moved to New York City to pursue an acting career, where he began working as a stage actor and joined the experimental theater group, La MaMa.[6] He portrayed the titular character in a New York production of Tom Paine in 1965, which later toured in Europe in 1966 at Edinburgh's Church Hill Theatre, and in London at the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End.[6]

His film roles includeLet's Scare Jessica to Death (1971) and The Brink's Job (1978). O'Connor also appeared on television in Hawaii Five-O, in October 1969 as security guard Jim Crawford in The Doctors and Tales from the Darkside as well as several television movies. He won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for his performance in The Contractor in 1973.[7]

O'Connor portrayed Humphrey Bogart in the 1980 biographical television film Bogie about Humphrey Bogart. In 1982, he appeared in a stage production of Inserts, based on the film of the same title.[8] He subsequently appeared in two films directed by Larry Cohen: Special Effects (1984) and It's Alive 3: Island of the Alive (1987).

In his later life, O'Connor taught drama at Hunter College, New York University, and St. Francis College.[6] In 1991, O'Connor was working on a book about the plays of Sam Shepard.[6]

Death

O'Connor died of cancer New York University Medical Center 56 on June 22, 1991.[1] He was a resident of the Hotel Chelsea at the time of his death.[1]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1969 Coming Apart Armand
1969 Let's Scare Jessica to Death Woody [9]
1971 Welcome to the Club Harrison W. Morve
1974 The Contractor Glendenning Television film
1975 The Blazer Girls Kayo
1976 The Passover Plot Irijah
1978 The Brink's Job Stanley Gusciora
1980 Bogie Humphrey Bogart Television film [10]
1984 Perfect Strangers Cop
1984 Special Effects Dt. Lt. Philip DelRoy
1988 It's Alive III: Island of the Alive Cab Driver
1988 Sam Found Out: A Triply Play Detective Television film

Selected stage credits

Year Title Role Location(s) Ref.
1965–1966 Tom Paine Thomas Paine Church Hill Theatre; Vaudeville Theatre [6]
1970 Gloria and Esperanza Julius Esperanza ANTA Playhouse [11]
1970 Dear Janet Rosenberg, Dear Mr. Kooning Alec Kooning Gramercy Theatre [12]
Jakey Fat Boy Jakey
1974 The Contractor Glendenning Chelsea Annex [13]
1979 Devour the Snow Fallon John Golden Theatre [11]
1982 Inserts Boy Wonder Actors and Directors Theatre [8]

Accolades

Associationn Year Award Nominated work Result Ref.
Drama Desk Awards 1966 Vernon Rice Award Six from LaMaMa Won [7]
1974 Outstanding Actor in a Play The Contractor Won [7]
Obie Awards 1982 Best Performance Chucky's Hunch; Birdbath; Crossing the Crab Nebula Won [2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Cook, Joan (June 25, 1991). "Kevin O'Connor, An Actor, Director And Teacher, 56". The New York Times. p. 25 (Section D). Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Obie Award Winners - 1982". Obie Awards. Archived from the original on November 11, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Clopton, Gene Carlton, ed. (1984). The Ancestors and Descendants of William Clopton of York County, Virginia. Phoenix Print. p. 210. Retrieved September 9, 2023 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Hines, Benjamin McFarland, ed. (1981). Hines and Allied Families. Dorrance. pp. 79–80. ISBN 978-0-805-92748-1.
  5. ^ Bowman, Pierre (August 28, 1979). "A local boy's big Bogie break". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Calder, Joe (June 27, 1991). "Kevin O'Connor". The Independent. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c "Kevin O'Connor (performer)". Playbill. Archived from the original on November 11, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Colford, Paul D. (September 10, 1982). "'Inserts', recycled comedy". Newsday. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Let's Scare Jessica to Death". IFC Center. Archived from the original on November 10, 2025.
  10. ^ "Bogie (1980)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on November 10, 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Kevin O'Connor". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on November 11, 2025.
  12. ^ Silver, Lee (April 7, 1970). "Evening's Two Plays Are Talkative Affairs". New York Daily News. p. 57 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Watt, Douglas (October 18, 1973). "'Contractor' Opens New Theatre". New York Daily News. p. 97 – via Newspapers.com.
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