Jerry O?Connell began his acting career at the age of 11 when he co-starred in ?Stand By Me,? directed by Rob Reiner. He took a break from performing and didn?t return to it full time until after he completed his education at New York University?s Tisch School of the Arts.

Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in cinema studies, he resumed his film work, and received critical acclaim for his role as ?Cush? the pro football star in the hit ?Jerry Maguire,? which starred Tom Cruise. He also appeared in ?Scream 2,? ?Can't Hardly Wait,? ?Mission to Mars,? and Jerry Bruckheimer?s comedy, ?Kangaroo Jack.? ?First Daughter,? starring Katie Holmes, is his first produced feature script. His other television credits include starring in ?Sliders,? the television movie ?What the Deaf Man Heard,? and the miniseries ?The ?60s.?

In 2005 Jerry became the new model for Perry Ellis clothing. O?Connell was born and raised in New York and has also lived in Los Angeles.

--NBC