Jack O'Connell was born in Alvaston, Derby, England, to Alison J. (Gutteridge) and John Patrick O'Connell. His mother is English, and worked at British Midland, and his father was Irish (from County Kerry), and worked on the railways for Bombardier. Jack went to Saint Benedict Catholic School, and began acting professionally playing Connor Yates in a 2005 episode of the television series
Doctors (2000). His subsequent TV roles included 4 episodes of
The Bill (1984), 6 of
The Runaway (2010), and 18 of the popular teen drama
Skins (2007).
He made his film debut playing Pukey Nicholls in 2006's
This Is England (2006), later co-starring in
Eden Lake (2008),
Harry Brown (2009),
Private Peaceful (2012) and
The Somnambulists (2011), before receiving critical acclaim for his lead roles as a jailed teenager in
Starred Up (2013) and a British soldier in Belfast in
'71 (2014).
O'Connell made his Hollywood debut as Greek soldier Calisto in the graphic novel-based action-war film
300: Rise of an Empire (2014), and then played Olympic distance runner and World War II POW
Louis Zamperini in the
Angelina Jolie-directed war drama
Unbroken (2014). His upcoming roles include
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018) and
Money Monster (2016), the latter with
George Clooney and
Julia Roberts.
Paul Weller: Nothing(2024)
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova(2027)
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple(2026)as Sir Jimmy Crystal
28 Years Later(2025)as Sir Jimmy Crystal
Sinners(2025)as Remmick
Rogue Heroes(2022)
Videotape(2017)
The Oscars(2026)as Self - Audience Member
Punkt 6(1997)as Self
32nd Annual Actor Awards(2026)as Self - Winner
The Reel Rejects(2012)as Self
The Ryan Hollinger Show(2010)as Self
ABC News Breakfast(2008)as Self - Actor, 28 Years Later
Hollywood Insider(2018)as Self - Guest
Invitation au voyage(2016)as Self
Lennon or McCartney(2014)as Self
This Is England '88(2011)as Pukey Nicholls
