Kevin Connolly
Encyclopedia
Kevin Connolly is an American
actor
and director
. He is best known for his role on the HBO series Entourage
as Eric Murphy
and his role as the eldest son Ryan Malloy in the 1990s television sitcom Unhappily Ever After
.
. Two years later, Connolly was cast as Shaun Kelly in the film adaptation of Myron Levoy's novel Alan & Naomi, and co-starred with Tobey Maguire
in the short-lived Fox
sitcom Great Scott!. His appearance in the show later earned him a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Television Series. He portrayed Dabney Coleman's
son in the 1993 film The Beverly Hillbillies
. Connolly continued guest starring in television shows including Wings, Getting By
and the medical drama ER
.
From 1995–96, Connolly starred in Don's Plum
alongside friends and future collaborators Tobey Maguire
and Leonardo DiCaprio
. Later that year, he landed the role of Ryan Malloy on the sitcom Unhappily Ever After
. The show also marked Connolly's directorial debut when he directed six episodes in its fourth season. In 2007, Connolly made his full length movie directorial debut with the film Gardener of Eden
, which premiered in April 2007 at the Tribeca Film Festival
.
Above all else, Connoly's most well known role is the character, Eric Murphy, better known as "E", on HBO's hit show, Entourage. E is the manager and best friend of Vincent Chase, who is played by Adrian Grenier
. The show's 8 season run came to a close in September of 2011.
In addition to television work, Connolly has appeared in several major motion pictures including Antwone Fisher
, John Q
, and The Notebook
. In August 2007, he signed on to play a supporting character in He's Just Not That Into You
, which was released in 2009. Connolly has reportedly been cast as jazz
musician Benny Goodman
in an upcoming movie. The film, set in the 1930s, will focus on one of the first interracial
bands of the era; Nick Cannon
, Brandon Routh
, and rapper Ludacris
will co-star.
In October 2008, Connolly was hired to direct his first music video for multi-platinum rap artist The Game
, featuring R&B artist Ne-Yo
. The video is for the song "Camera Phone" off The Game's album LAX.
Connolly attended the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
in Los Angeles and announced the final pick of the first round for the New York Islanders
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
. He is best known for his role on the HBO series Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
as Eric Murphy
Eric Murphy
Eric "E." Murphy is a fictional character on the comedy-drama television series Entourage. He is played by Kevin Connolly.-Fictional character biography:...
and his role as the eldest son Ryan Malloy in the 1990s television sitcom Unhappily Ever After
Unhappily Ever After
Unhappily Ever After is an American sitcom that aired for 100 episodes on The WB network from January 11, 1995, to May 23, 1999, for a total of four and a half seasons...
.
Early life
Connolly was born on Long Island, New York, the son of Eileen J. (née McMahon) and John Connolly. He is of Irish descent.Career
Connolly began his career at age six, appearing in television commercials including the popular "Betcha bite a chip" campaign for Chips Ahoy. In 1990, he landed his first film role, as Chickie, in Rocky VRocky V
Rocky V is an American film released as the fifth film in the Rocky series in 1990. It stars Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Stallone's real life son Sage, and real life boxer Tommy Morrison as boxer Tommy Gunn, a talented yet raw boxer...
. Two years later, Connolly was cast as Shaun Kelly in the film adaptation of Myron Levoy's novel Alan & Naomi, and co-starred with Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire
Tobias Vincent "Tobey" Maguire is an American actor and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, and has achieved his greatest fame for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films.-Early life:...
in the short-lived Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
sitcom Great Scott!. His appearance in the show later earned him a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Television Series. He portrayed Dabney Coleman's
Dabney Coleman
Dabney Wharton Coleman is an American actor, best known for his roles in 9 to 5, WarGames, You've Got Mail, Sworn to Silence, The Beverly Hillbillies and as the voice of Principal Peter Prickly in Recess and Recess: School's Out.-Early life:Coleman was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Mary...
son in the 1993 film The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies (1993 film)
The Beverly Hillbillies is a 1993 20th Century Fox comedy motion picture starring Jim Varney, Diedrich Bader, Erika Eleniak, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin, Dabney Coleman, Lea Thompson, Rob Schneider and Penny Fuller...
. Connolly continued guest starring in television shows including Wings, Getting By
Getting By
Getting By is an American sitcom produced by Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett, with the format created by William Bickley and Michael Warren. The show debuted on ABC's TGIF block, running its first twelve-episode season from March 5, 1993 through May 21, 1993. Shortly after the spring season...
and the medical drama ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
.
From 1995–96, Connolly starred in Don's Plum
Don's Plum
Don's Plum is a 2001 low-budget black and white drama film directed by R.D. Robb. Robb co-wrote it with Bethany Ashton, Tawd Hackman, David Stutman, and Dale Wheatley. The film features Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Connolly and Tobey Maguire, who make crude jokes while hanging out in a Los Angeles diner...
alongside friends and future collaborators Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire
Tobias Vincent "Tobey" Maguire is an American actor and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, and has achieved his greatest fame for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films.-Early life:...
and Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
. Later that year, he landed the role of Ryan Malloy on the sitcom Unhappily Ever After
Unhappily Ever After
Unhappily Ever After is an American sitcom that aired for 100 episodes on The WB network from January 11, 1995, to May 23, 1999, for a total of four and a half seasons...
. The show also marked Connolly's directorial debut when he directed six episodes in its fourth season. In 2007, Connolly made his full length movie directorial debut with the film Gardener of Eden
Gardener of Eden
Gardener of Eden is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Kevin Connolly. It stars Lukas Haas, Erika Christensen and Giovanni Ribisi.- Plot :...
, which premiered in April 2007 at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
.
Above all else, Connoly's most well known role is the character, Eric Murphy, better known as "E", on HBO's hit show, Entourage. E is the manager and best friend of Vincent Chase, who is played by Adrian Grenier
Adrian Grenier
Adrian Grenier is an American actor, musician and director. He is best known for his lead role on the HBO original series, Entourage, as Vincent Chase.-Early life:...
. The show's 8 season run came to a close in September of 2011.
In addition to television work, Connolly has appeared in several major motion pictures including Antwone Fisher
Antwone Fisher (film)
Antwone Fisher is a 2002 American drama film directed by Denzel Washington, marking his directorial debut. He also stars in the film as the psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, alongside Hollywood newcomer Derek Luke, who plays the title role , and ex-model Joy Bryant, as Fisher's girlfriend.The film is...
, John Q
John Q
John Q is a 2002 film directed by Nick Cassavetes starring Denzel Washington as John Quincy Archibald, a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it...
, and The Notebook
The Notebook
The Notebook is a 1996 romantic novel by American novelist Nicholas Sparks, based on a true story. The novel was later adapted into a popular romance film by the same name in 2004.-Background:...
. In August 2007, he signed on to play a supporting character in He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That into You (film)
He's Just Not That Into You is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis, based on the self-help book of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, which in turn was inspired by a line of dialogue in Sex and the City...
, which was released in 2009. Connolly has reportedly been cast as jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
in an upcoming movie. The film, set in the 1930s, will focus on one of the first interracial
Miscegenation
Miscegenation is the mixing of different racial groups through marriage, cohabitation, sexual relations, and procreation....
bands of the era; Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
, Brandon Routh
Brandon Routh
Brandon James Routh is an American actor and former fashion model. He grew up in Iowa before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, and subsequently appeared on multiple television series throughout the early 2000s. In 2006, he gained greater recognition for his role as the titular hero...
, and rapper Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
will co-star.
In October 2008, Connolly was hired to direct his first music video for multi-platinum rap artist The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
, featuring R&B artist Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
. The video is for the song "Camera Phone" off The Game's album LAX.
Connolly attended the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...
in Los Angeles and announced the final pick of the first round for the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Rocky V Rocky V Rocky V is an American film released as the fifth film in the Rocky series in 1990. It stars Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Stallone's real life son Sage, and real life boxer Tommy Morrison as boxer Tommy Gunn, a talented yet raw boxer... |
Chickie | |
| 1992 | Alan & Naomi Alan & Naomi Alan & Naomi is a 1992 film about the friendship between two children in 1944 Brooklyn. Lukas Haas and Vanessa Zaoui star as the titular characters, and the screenplay is based on a novel by Myron Levoy... |
||
| 1993 | Morgan Drysdale | ||
| 1995 | Angus | Andy | |
| 1997 | Sub Down | Petty Officer Holliday | Alternative title: Sub Down: Take the Dive |
| 1999 | Tyrone | Sam Adams | Alternative title: Bad Trip |
| 2001 | Drum Solo | ||
| 2001 | Don's Plum Don's Plum Don's Plum is a 2001 low-budget black and white drama film directed by R.D. Robb. Robb co-wrote it with Bethany Ashton, Tawd Hackman, David Stutman, and Dale Wheatley. The film features Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Connolly and Tobey Maguire, who make crude jokes while hanging out in a Los Angeles diner... |
Jeremy | |
| 2002 | Devious Beings | Casey | |
| 2002 | John Q John Q John Q is a 2002 film directed by Nick Cassavetes starring Denzel Washington as John Quincy Archibald, a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it... |
Steve Maguire | |
| 2002 | Antwone Fisher Antwone Fisher (film) Antwone Fisher is a 2002 American drama film directed by Denzel Washington, marking his directorial debut. He also stars in the film as the psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, alongside Hollywood newcomer Derek Luke, who plays the title role , and ex-model Joy Bryant, as Fisher's girlfriend.The film is... |
Slim | |
| 2003 | Whatever We Do | — | Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
| 2004 | Fin | ||
| 2005 | Mike | ||
| 2007 | Gardener of Eden Gardener of Eden Gardener of Eden is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Kevin Connolly. It stars Lukas Haas, Erika Christensen and Giovanni Ribisi.- Plot :... |
— | Director |
| 2009 | He's Just Not That into You He's Just Not That into You (film) He's Just Not That Into You is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis, based on the self-help book of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, which in turn was inspired by a line of dialogue in Sex and the City... |
Conor Barry | |
| 2009 | Jim | ||
| 2010 | Secretariat Secretariat (film) Secretariat is a 2010 biographical film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures, and directed by Randall Wallace. The film chronicles the life of thoroughbred race horse Secretariat, winner of the Triple Crown in 1973... |
Bill Nack |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Great Scott! | Larry O'Donnell | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Wings | Scotty Nelson | 1 episode |
| 1994 | Locals | Television film | |
| 1994 | Getting By Getting By Getting By is an American sitcom produced by Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett, with the format created by William Bickley and Michael Warren. The show debuted on ABC's TGIF block, running its first twelve-episode season from March 5, 1993 through May 21, 1993. Shortly after the spring season... |
1 episode | |
| 1994 | ER ER (TV series) ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television... |
1 episode, uncredited | |
| 1995 | CBS Schoolbreak Special After school special The American Broadcasting Company coined the term after school special in 1972 with a series of made for television movies, usually dealing with controversial or socially relevant issues, that were generally broadcast in the late afternoon and meant to be viewed by school age children, particularly... |
Robert Sanderson | 1 episode |
| Unhappily Ever After Unhappily Ever After Unhappily Ever After is an American sitcom that aired for 100 episodes on The WB network from January 11, 1995, to May 23, 1999, for a total of four and a half seasons... |
Ryan Malloy | 75 episodes; directed 6 episodes | |
| 1996 | ABC Afterschool Special ABC Afterschool Special The ABC Afterschool Special is an American television anthology series that aired on ABC from 1972 to 1996, usually in the late afternoon on week days. Most of the episodes were dramatic presentations of situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers. Several episodes were... |
Kevin | 1 episode |
| 2000 | Up, Up, and Away Up, Up, and Away (2000 film) -Plot:The movie tells the story of Scott Marshall , the son of two great superheroes, Bronze Eagle and Warrior Woman. All of his family members are gifted with superpowers. His father, Bronze Eagle , has the gift of flight. His mother, Warrior Woman , has the power of superhuman strength and... |
Malcolm | Television film |
| 2001 | First Years | Joe | 5 episodes |
| 2001 | Sam's Circus | Cpl John "Little Sarge" Rather | Television film |
| 2004–2011 | Entourage Entourage (TV series) Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons... |
Eric 'E' Murphy | Main cast member |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Nominated | Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Television Series | Great Scott! |
| 2005 | Satellite Awards Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama... |
Nominated | Outstanding Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Entourage |
| 2006 | Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
Nominated | TV – Choice Chemistry | Entourage (Shared with cast) |
| 2007 | Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"... |
Nominated | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Entourage (Shared with cast) |
| 2008 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Nominated | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Entourage (Shared with cast) |
| 2009 | Golden Globe Awards | Nominated | Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Entourage |
External links
- Profile on HBO.com
- Kevin Connolly in the Hot Seat. Interview by Alison Rosen of Time Out New York