Known as a good guy both on screen and off, this charming actor started out in commercials before making his name in a succession of features in the early '90s. Although he appeared in prestigious projects with seasoned actors, two of whom won Oscars for their work (Al Pacino for
Scent of a Woman and Jessica Lange for
Blue Sky), O'Donnell was still viewed as a lightweight with good looks but little depth. He tried unsuccessfully to counter that impression by taking on diverse roles, including a conflicted attorney in
The Chamber, a young Ernest Hemingway in the flop
In Love and War and Robin in two critically reviled Batman movies. Perhaps realizing that superstardom was not nigh, O'Donnell focused on his personal life, married his longtime sweetheart and had children. But his luck changed when he turned his attention to the small screen. His chilling recurring role as a murderer on
The Practice and his sexy turn on one of TV's most popular series,
Grey's Anatomy, did revive his career, and finally confirmed that he was more than just a pretty face.
Chris O'Donnell Fast Facts:
- As a youngster, he served Michael Jordan breakfast in a McDonald's commercial.
- While in college, Barbra Streisand called him to apologize for giving the role of her son in Prince of Tides — a role originally promised to him — to her own son, Jason Gould.
- In 1992, he received the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor for Scent of a Woman and School Ties.
- In 2001, he made his Broadway debut in Arthur Miller's The Man Who Had All the Luck; his only stage appearance before that was in an eighth grade play.
- In 2001, he appeared in a revival of Arthur Miller's The Man Who Had All the Luck at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, which moved to Broadway the next year. His only previous stage experience was in an eighth grade play.
- Chris O'Donnell Relationships:
- Caroline Fentress - Wife
- Charles McHugh O'Donnell - Son
- Christopher Eugene O'Donnell Jr. - Son
- Julie O'Donnell - Mother
- Lily Anne O'Donnell - Daughter
- Maeve Frances O'Donnell - Daughter
- William O'Donnell - Father
- Chris O'Donnell Awards:
- 1993 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- College:
- Boston College, Boston, MA (BA in Marketing, 1994); attended University of California, Los Angeles, CA
