Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1990-08-01
- Born Place: Derby, Derbyshire, England, UK
Also Known As:
جک اوکانل, Джек О’Коннелл
Jack O'Connell
Jack O'Connell is an award-winning English actor, born on August 1, 1990, in Alvaston, Derbyshire. Rising from a working-class background, O'Connell initially gained prominence for his gritty and intense portrayal of troubled youths. His breakthrough came on the small screen as James Cook in the hit British teen drama series Skins (2009–2010, 2013). This success led to significant critical acclaim for his lead roles in independent films, including the powerful prison drama Starred Up (2013) and the intense action-thriller '71 (2014). His remarkable string of performances led to international recognition when he was cast as World War II hero Louis Zamperini in Angelina Jolie's biographical war film Unbroken (2014). He received the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2015 for his body of work. O'Connell's career is marked by versatility and intensity, taking on diverse roles such as an investment banker hostage in Jodie Foster's thriller Money Monster (2016), the legendary footballer Bobby Charlton in the TV drama United (2011), and the main character in the Netflix Western miniseries Godless (2017). His recent work includes starring as SAS officer Paddy Mayne in the hit BBC series SAS: Rogue Heroes (2022–2025) and playing Blake Fielder-Civil in the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black (2024). He takes on a key villainous role in the new 28 Days Later trilogy as Sir Jimmy Crystal. Introduced in the coda of 28 Years Later (2025), he becomes a central figure in the sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026), where he leads a ruthless, acrobatic cult of survivors known as "the Jimmys." His character is described as an authoritarian cult leader whose "twisted gaiety" represents the new face of human evil and oppression in the post-Rage Virus world.
