Ryan O'Connell is an American writer, actor, director, comedian,
LGBTQ
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
activist, and
disability
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be Cognitive disability, cognitive, Developmental disability, d ...
advocate.
He is known for his 2015 memoir, ''I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves'',
about his life as a
gay man
Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual and homoromantic men may dually identify as ''gay'' and a number of gay men also identify as ''queer''. Historic terminology for gay men has included '' inverts'' and '' uranians''.
Gay men conti ...
with
cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...
, which he adapted into television series ''
Special
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
* Special police forces
...
'' for
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
.
Early life and education
O'Connell grew up in
Ventura County, California
Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, Ca ...
with what he described as his "liberal" family.
He has a mild form of
cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...
(CP) since birth, which affects the right side of his body with a noticeable limp.
Because of his
CP, he had ten or eleven surgeries as a child, spending time in the hospital, and received much
physical therapy
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...
.
Growing up, O'Connell requested TV scripts for Christmas, and watched shows with the
closed captioning
Closed captioning (CC) is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen, or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information, where the viewer is given the choice of whether the text is displayed. Closed cap ...
on to learn more about writing.
He would watch shows and attempt to figure out the
A-Plot versus the
B-plot
In fiction, a subplot or side story is a strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance. Subplots often involve supporti ...
, and the structure of the script.
He loved performing as well, acting in all the middle-school and high-school plays.
Later on he suppressed this desire, seeing himself not represented in popular culture.
He attended
Foothill Technology High School
Foothill Technology High School (FTHS, commonly known as Foothill Tech or simply Foothill) is a magnet high school in Ventura, California. The school is part of the Ventura Unified School District.
History
Foothill Technology High School open ...
.
On discovering his sexuality, O'Connell said,
He remained
closeted
''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for LGBTQ people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior. This metaphor is associated and sometime ...
until he was 17 and felt he needed to
come out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
, to pursue another boy who was already out.
His family was supportive when he did; his sister, uncle, and grandfather had already identified as
LGBTQ
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
.
When O'Connell was 20, he was hit by a car and required four hand surgeries.
The accident resulted in
compartment syndrome
Compartment syndrome is a serious medical condition in which increased pressure within a Fascial compartment, body compartment compromises blood flow and tissue function, potentially leading to permanent damage if not promptly treated. There are ...
, and affected mainly his left hand.
Nine months later, he moved to New York City to attend
The New School
The New School is a Private university, private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for p ...
. There, peers assumed his limp was from the car accident, and he chose not to correct them.
He described feeling in limbo about his
CP, not really fitting in with disabled or non-disabled people. Additionally, disabled representation in popular culture was nearly non-existent.
[
]
Career
Early career
O'Connell worked as a blogger for three years, first serving as editor of ''Thought Catalog
''Thought Catalog'' is a website founded in 2010 by American entrepreneur and media strategist Chris Lavergne.Newton, MattheThought Catalog And The New Age Of Confessional Media''Forbes.'' June 7, 2015 Owned by The Thought & Expression Compan ...
'' in 2011. He contributed to ''Vice'', ''BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet mass media, media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John Seward Johnson III, John S. Johnson III to ...
'', and other publications including ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' and ''Medium''. Some of his writing went viral
The word ''Viral'' means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents).
It may also refer to:
Viral behavior, or virality
Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example:
* Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spre ...
and when he was 25, he was offered a book deal from Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
. At the time, he kept his disability private. In 2015, he wrote a column for ''Thought Catalog'' called "Coming Out of the Disabled Closet" about hiding his disability with the car accident. He later expanded the article into his book, which he publicly revealed his disability. While writing the book, he moved to Los Angeles and at 27, started his television writing career with MTV's ''Awkward''.
Just as his second season with ''Awkward'' wrapped in 2015, his memoir ''I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves'' was published. In April 2015, Jim Parsons
James Joseph Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American actor. From 2007 to 2019, Parsons played Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory''. He has received various awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstandin ...
, who had read O'Connell's ''Thought Catalog'' article, optioned
In the film industry, an option agreement is a contract that "rents" the rights to a source material to a potential film producer.
It grants the film producer the exclusive option to purchase rights to the source material if they live up to the te ...
the book through his company That's Wonderful Productions which he runs with husband Todd Spiewak. O'Connell was assured with Parsons and Spiewak; he felt he could not trust a network with the gay content, fearing that they would let the project die after buying the option. In late 2015, O'Connell was named to the Out100
''Out'' is an American LGBTQ news, fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle (sociology), lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any LGBTQ monthly publication in the United States. ''Out'' was owned by Robert Hardman of Boston, its orig ...
honoring LGBTQ icons.
2016 and ''Special''
In 2016, O'Connell received a go-ahead from Stage 13 to develop a script for ''Special'', based on his memoir, with eight 15-minute episodes for Netflix. The short-form format was taxing for the veteran script writer as there was no room for a C-plot alongside the A-Plot and B-plot
In fiction, a subplot or side story is a strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance. Subplots often involve supporti ...
, the writing also left no room, "every line needs to count for something and you can't do anything somewhere else." ''Special'' was all written on weekends, as he was writing full-time. In December 2016, he completed the writing but still had obstacles getting it produced because of the disability angle. He started doing media work for ''Special'' while writing full-time on ''BH90210
''BH90210'' is an American comedy drama series that aired on Fox from August 7 to September 11, 2019. As the sixth series in the franchise, original series stars Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, ...
,'' a Fox
Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush").
Twelve species ...
comedy-drama reboot of ''Beverly Hills, 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...
'' which debuted in August 2019. He noted it was hard to launch a show with a gay lead character, let alone one who was also disabled; a first for television. He stated, "I think Hollywood is largely not interested in disabled people because they don't view us as 'sexy' or 'cool'." He lamented, "1 in 4 people identify as disabled and there are only two shows (me and ''This Close
''This Close'' is a dramedy television series written by and starring deaf creators Shoshannah Stern and Josh Feldman that premiered on Sundance Now on February 14, 2018.
Background
''This Close'' began as ''Fridays'', Stern and Feldman's Kicks ...
'') on the air from disabled people."
In ''Special'', the lead character Ryan misleads his coworkers that his limp was the result of a car accident instead of his cerebral palsy. The show is largely based on O'Connell's life. He uses the show to "explore his own internalized ableism
Internalized ableism is a phenomenon where disabled individuals absorb and enact negative beliefs and prejudiced values about disability that are prevalent in society. Internalized ableism is a form of discrimination against oneself and others wit ...
and insecurities of being in the gay community". A 2016 Ruderman Family Foundation study found that "about 95% of characters with disabilities on television are played by able-bodied actors". Including actors with disabilities is still rare in entertainment industries; in 2018 Ali Stroker
Alyson Mackenzie Stroker (born June 16, 1987) is an American actress, author and singer. She is the first actor who uses a wheelchair to appear on a Broadway stage, and also the first to be nominated for and win a Tony Award. Stroker was a finali ...
was "the first person in a wheelchair to win a Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
"; in July 2019, Marvel
Marvel may refer to:
Business
* Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company
** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment
** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe
** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...
made history announcing a deaf
Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
superhero, a first; and AMC's '' The Walking Dead'' and HBO's '' Years and Years'' are among the few opening their casting.
Although he looked for an actor, ultimately he took the role himself due to budget constraints. The eight-episode season was shot over 19 days. Producers filmed with Austin, Texas
Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
doubling for Los Angeles, also due to budget constraints. He found in particular the sex scenes were emotionally taxing but also rewarding as disabled people having sex is rarely seen, and among LGBTQ people even rarer. O'Connell also "set out to depict onscreen sex in an authentic way, something rarely shown with LGBTQ people". He said, "I also want to live in a world where it's not groundbreaking to show an accurate sex scene between two men." ''Special'' also shows the lead character Ryan losing his virginity to a male sex worker in what O'Connell characterized as "a beautifully honest and sweet sex scene". ''Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
'' noted "it's probably the first-ever TV show to tackle gay, disabled sex with authenticity, while destigmatising sex work
Sex work is "the exchange of sexual services, performances, or products for material compensation. It includes activities of direct physical contact between buyers and sellers as well as indirect sexual stimulation". Sex work only refers to volun ...
at the same time." ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' called the episode a landmark for disability representation and noted "O'Connell hope(s) to destigmatize sex work with the graphic scene, but also normalize gay sex
Sexual activities involving men who have sex with men (MSM), regardless of their sexual orientation, can include anal sex, non-penetrative sex, and oral sex. Evidence shows that sex between men is significantly underreported in surveys.
Beha ...
for mainstream audiences who aren't used to seeing it in Hollywood movies or popular TV shows". O'Connell and the show were commended for his "standout performance and quippy prose".
2017 to present
O'Connell wrote for a season of ''Daytime Divas
''Daytime Divas'' is an American satirical comedy-drama television series developed by Amy and Wendy Engelberg for VH1. It is based on the 2011 book ''Satan's Sisters'' by former co-host of '' The View'' Star Jones. The show stars Vanessa Willi ...
'' in 2017. He then worked as executive story editor on the 2017 reboot of ''Will & Grace
''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a Gay men, gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra ...
'', which taught him to keep stories grounded in the characters even if the action gets "wacky". Additionally, he was co-host of the seminal podcast Babe? with the iconic Lara Marie Schoenhals.
In May 2019, O'Connell was honored with the HRC Visibility Award by the Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
at the 2019 HRC Atlanta Gala Dinner. In June 2019, O'Connell was the celebrity grand marshal for the LA Pride Parade. That month, ''Queerty
''Queerty'' is an online magazine and newspaper covering gay- and LGBTQ-oriented entertainment and news, founded in 2005 by David Hauslaib. As of June 2015, the site had more than five million monthly unique visitors.
History
''Queerty'' was ...
'' named him one of the Pride 50 "trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards equality
Equality generally refers to the fact of being equal, of having the same value.
In specific contexts, equality may refer to:
Society
* Egalitarianism, a trend of thought that favors equality for all people
** Political egalitarianism, in which ...
, acceptance and dignity for all queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
people."
In July 2019, ''Special'' was nominated for four 71st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2018, until May 31, 2019, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was held on September 22, 2019, at the Mi ...
taking place in September: Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series; both Punam Patel and Jessica Hecht
Jessica Hecht (born June 28, 1965) is an American actress known for her roles as Gretchen Schwartz on ''Breaking Bad'', Susan Bunch on ''Friends'', Carol Mannheim on '' The Boys'', and Karen on ''Special''. She is also known for her expansive ...
for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series; and O'Connell for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series. This is the most nominations for a short form piece this year.
In August 2019, it was announced that O'Connell and Anna Dokoza, an Australian director and producer who worked on ''Special'', as well as ''Flight of the Conchords'', and ''Lady Dynamite'', will be mentoring prospective producers in Australia. The effort, sponsored by SBS and Screen Australia
Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...
, will launch Digital Originals, to make short-form projects for SBS On Demand.
In June 2022, O'Connell had his fiction debut with the book ''Just by looking at him'', also published by Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
in New York.
Personal life
O'Connell has been dating Jonathan Parks-Ramage since 2015. They met at Grimes
Claire Elise Boucher (; born March 17, 1988), known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her lyrics often touch on science fiction and feminist themes. The visuals in her videos are elabora ...
birthday party in Los Angeles.
Filmography
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnell, Ryan
1986 births
21st-century American actors
21st-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American memoirists
21st-century American screenwriters
Actors from Ventura County, California
American gay actors
American gay writers
American LGBTQ screenwriters
American actors with disabilities
American male television actors
American male television writers
American people of Irish descent
American television writers
Children's and Family Emmy Award winners
Comedians from California
Gay memoirists
LGBTQ people from California
LGBTQ writers with disabilities
Living people
The New School alumni
People with cerebral palsy
Writers Guild of America Award winners