Ryan O'Connell
Actor, Writer, LGBTQ Activist And Disability Advocate
Ryan O’Connell is a two-time Emmy® award winner most known for creating SPECIAL, a four-time Emmy®-nominated and Writers Guild Award-winning short-form series on Netflix, which he wrote and executive produced for two seasons. O’Connell also received a Special Recognition Award from GLAAD Award and a Visibility Award from the HRC. SPECIAL, which is also executive produced by Jim Parsons, is loosely based on O’Connell’s own upbringing and experience as a gay man navigating the world with cerebral palsy. Most recently, O’Connell was a Co-Executive Producer and star of the QUEER AS FOLK reboot, which premiered on Peacock. He previously worked on the writing staff on NBC’s revival of WILL & GRACE, MTV’s AWKWARD, and Netflix’s THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB.
O’Connell is also an accomplished, sought-after writer and his voice is both refreshing and unique. He is the author of I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, part-memoir, part-manifesto which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2015 to widespread praise. O’Connell’s debut novel Just By Looking At Him was just published by Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. He is set to write, direct, produce and star in the film adaptation with FilmNation and Berlanti.
O’Connell is also an accomplished, sought-after writer and his voice is both refreshing and unique. He is the author of I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, part-memoir, part-manifesto which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2015 to widespread praise. O’Connell’s debut novel Just By Looking At Him was just published by Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. He is set to write, direct, produce and star in the film adaptation with FilmNation and Berlanti.