Jack O'Connell

With the ability to carry a level of intensity that was beyond his years, English actor Jack O'Connell rose to stardom playing conflicted characters such as Pukey Nicholls in "This Is England" (2006) and James Cook on "Skins" (E4, 2007-2013). O'Connell was raised in the suburbs of Derby, England by his parents Alison J. and John Patrick O'Connell. When he was a young aspiring actor, O'Connell made his professional acting debut as a teenager on the popular British medical soap opera "Doctors" (BBC One, 2000-), in 2005. In the following year, he made his film debut in the period piece drama "This Is England" playing a teenage boy named Pukey Nicholls who became immersed in the 1980s skinheads scene. After the release of "This Is England," the roles of troubled teenaged boys gravitated towards O'Connell, such as Brett, the villainous gang leader in "Eden Lake" (2008). In 2009, he joined the cast of E4's critically acclaimed teen drama "Skins" as the promiscuous but self-conflicted James Cook. His performance in "Skins" was lauded by critics and helped jump start his film career. His role as Eric Love in the crime drama "Starred Up" (2013) drew praises from the international film festival circuit, especially at the Dublin International Film Festival where he was awarded Best Actor. O'Connell then appeared in "300: Rise of an Empire" (2014), the sequel to the 2007 film adaptation Frank Miller graphic novel "300." In 2014, O'Connell starred as Olympic track star and World War II hero Louis Zamperini in the biopic of his remarkable life directed by Angelina Jolie, "Unbroken."