Brian O'Connor (actor)

Career

O'Connor left University of Massachusetts in 1975 to pursue a career in acting. Arriving in Boston, he co-founded the comedy troupe "Slap Happy" along with fellow UMass alum Allan Jacobs. With this group, he and Jacobs (along with Jeff Ernstoff and Jan Kirschner) toured various cities and over 200 universities, receiving critical praise for performances in Boston, Cambridge and New York City. Between "Slap Happy" performances, he found time to participate in a 1980 Ford's Theatre production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

After making his onscreen debut with a 1984 guest appearance on Miami Vice, O'Connor performed in the recorded-live sketch comedy special National Lampoon's Class of '86 (1986). He followed this project with his feature film debut in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), portraying the sycophantic Biddle, assistant to Allen Garfield's Police Chief Lutz. O'Connor went on to appear in three independent films, three direct-to-video films, one television film and one pilot between 1987 and 1989. He also performed a live one-man show, "One Hour Out of Your Life", at the Judith Anderson Theatre in the spring of 1988; he earned high praise from The New York Times' Stephen Holden.

In 1989, O'Connor was cast as Horace Schemer on Shining Time Station (1989–1993); the character, known commonly as "Schemer", proved to be his signature role. The roguish and clumsy, but still caring, character quickly gained popularity with PBS audiences, parents and children alike. Since the show's cancellation, he has made numerous public appearances in character, attracting a multitude of fans.

Following his appearance in the indie comedy film Terrorists (2004), Mr. O'Connor performed in the 2005 Geva Theatre Center production of the solo play The Race of the Ark Tattoo. Shortly thereafter, he went back to school to become certified as a children's guidance counselor.

Personal life

O'Connor was born to a large Irish Catholic family, the third of five children. As an adult, he was married for seven years to actress Jane Brucker, best known for portraying Lisa Houseman in Dirty Dancing (1987); their daughter, Sally, was born in 1989. The two appeared in the same episode of Miami Vice: "Baby Blues" (1984).