Aaron O'Connell

Aaron O'Connell (born April 8, 1986) is an American model and actor. O'Connell is best known for his portrayal of Wyatt Cryer in the prime time television drama The Haves and the Have Nots which airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Personal life

O'Connell was born in 1986 in Dayton, Ohio as the only son of Mark and Kathy O'Connell. He has three sisters, Amy, Abby and Anna.

O'Connell attended Cathedral High School. In 2008, O'Connell graduated from Purdue University's College of Health and Human Sciences where he received a bachelor's degree in Health and Fitness.

Career

Modeling

In 2006, O'Connell signed to Ford Models while still in college. He has been featured in major publications like GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Vogue Paris, Arena Homme +, VMAN. O'Connell has also represented brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Hanes, Lucky Jeans, Ralph Lauren, Champion and Jockey.

Acting

Starting his career at the Actors Studio in Chicago, O'Connell permanently relocated to Los Angeles so he could continue modeling, and start acting. O'Connell started acting classes. He eventually booked several commercials, including the Liquid-Plumr where he caught the eye of Tyler Perry. O'Connell initially thought it was joke when he was contacted by Perry's production company about auditioning for a role in a new television series. Perry contacted O'Connell himself and asked him to audition over Skype. Perry then traveled to Los Angeles to meet with O'Connell about the role of Wyatt on The Haves and the Have Nots. O'Connell was actually the first of the ensemble to be cast.

In 2015, he starred in the seasonal comedy "12 Gifts of Christmas" as Marc Rehnquist, a company executive who hires a personal shopper and discovers the true spirit of Christmas isn't money.