Born in Los Angeles, CA. Prolific sound re-recording mixer who entered American film in 1982. Among his 160 credits are HAMMETT, DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID and POLTERGEIST (all 1982), THE BIG CHILL and BREATHLESS (both 1983), FIRESTARTER, GREMLINS and STARMAN (all 1984), A CHORUS LINE (1985), RUTHLESS PEOPLE and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (both 1986), WHO'S THAT GIRL? and BROADCAST NEWS (both 1987), THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST (1988), "Lonesome Dove" (TV mini-series) and FIELD OF DREAMS (both 1989), MISERY (1990), CITY SLICKERS and GRAND CANYON (both 1991), LOVE FIELD and HOFFA (both 1992), IN THE LINE OF FIRE and TOMBSTONE (both 1993), WYATT EARP (1994), CONGO and THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (both 1995), THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES and GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI (both 1996), LOLITA and STARSHIP TROOPERS (both 1997), GODZILLA (1998), WILD WILD WEST (1999), RULES OF ENGAGEMENT and THE PATRIOT (both 2000), SPY GAME (2001), MEN IN BLACK II (2002), TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG and BIG FISH (all 2003), THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, SPANGLISH and NATIONAL TREASURE (all 2004), BEWITCHED and THE ISLAND (both 2005), THE DA VINCI CODE, TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (all 2006), and SPIDER-MAN 3, TRANSFORMERS, IN BLOOM and NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS (all 2007). O'Connell serves on the Academy Board of Governors. He currently enjoys the dubious distinction of being the person with the most nominations without ever having received an Award (19 after the Ceremonies in 2007).

Nominated for Sound 1983: TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (w. Donald O. Mitchell, Rick Kline & Jim Alexander)  Nominated for Sound 1984: DUNE (w. Bill Varney, Steve Maslow & Nelson Stoll)  Nominated for Sound 1985: (w. Donald O. Mitchell, Rick Kline & David Ronne)  Nominated for Sound 1986: TOP GUN (w. Donald O. Mitchell, Rick Kline & William B. Kaplan)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1989: BLACK RAIN (w. Donald O. Mitchell, Greg P. Russell & Keith A. Wester)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1990: DAYS OF THUNDER (w. Donald O. Mitchell, Rick Kline & Charles Wilborn)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1992: A FEW GOOD MEN (w. Rick Kline & Bob Eber)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1995: CRIMSON TIDE (w. Rick Kline, Gregory H. Watkins & William B. Kaplan)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1996: THE ROCK (w. Greg P. Russell & Keith A. Wester)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1996: TWISTER (w. Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker & Geoffrey Patterson)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1997: CON AIR (w. Greg P. Russell & Arthur Rochester)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1998: ARMAGEDDON (w. Greg P. Russell & Keith A. Wester)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1998: THE MASK OF ZORRO (w. Greg P. Russell & Pud Cusack)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 2000: THE PATRIOT (w. Greg P. Russell & Lee Orloff)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 2001: PEARL HARBOR (w. Greg P. Russell & Peter J. Devlin)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 2002: SPIDER-MAN (w. Greg P. Russell & Ed Novick)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Mixing 2004: SPIDER-MAN 2 (w. Greg P. Russell, Jeffrey J. Haboush & Joseph Geisinger)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Mixing 2005: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA (w. Greg P. Russell, Rick Klein & John Pritchett)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Mixing 2006: APOCALYPTO (w. Greg P. Russell & Fernando Camara)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Mixing 2007: TRANSFORMERS (w. Greg P. Russell & Peter J. Devlin) 20 nominations