Chris O’Donnell is an American actor best known for portraying NCIS: Los Angeles’s Grisha “G” Callen, a master undercover operative and senior agent assigned to the Office of Special Projects.
All About NCIS: Los Angeles’s Chris O’Donnell
From when and where he was born to the phobia from which he suffers, here are five fast facts about Chris O’Donnell.
Who Is, Chris O’Donnell?
He was born on June 26, 1970, in Winnetka, Illinois, to William Charles O’Donnell Sr. and Julie Ann Rohs von Brecht. He is the youngest of seven children (with four sisters and two brothers).
A Plethora of Firsts
O’Donnell began modeling when he was 13 years old and he eventually moved into commercial acting. He was “discovered” after his casting in a promo for McDonald’s which featured Michael Jordan. O’Donnell made his film and TV debut in Men Don’t Leave (1990) and Jack and Mike (1986) respectively.
Fisticuffs
Had he not looked the sort to emerge the victor from a scrape, O’Donnell never would have been cast in the role of Dick Grayson AKA Robin the Boy Wonder in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever.
At the end of an arduous screen testing process, the film’s producers had narrowed the field to two actors: O’Donnell and Leonardo DiCaprio. At a comic book convention, a group of 11-year-old boys (the film’s target demographic) were asked their opinion on which actor could win a fistfight. After the assemblage voted for O’Donnell, he was given the part.
The Might-have-beens
Though it’s long been rumored that O’Donnell had been 20th Century Fox’s preferred choice for Titanic’s Jack Dawson – a character that DiCaprio ultimately portrayed – no concrete evidence has ever emerged.
What is for certain is that O’Donnell missed out on the opportunity to portray Spider-Man (a role which ultimately went to Tobey Maguire) and he turned down the chance to portray Agent J in Men in Black (1997) – a role which earned Will Smith much acclaim.
Getting Personal With Chris O’Donnell
O’Donnell has been married to Caroline Fentress since April 1997. Together the couple has welcomed five children: three boys and two girls. O’Donnell is a practicing Roman Catholic and has confessed to suffering from acrophobia (an extreme or irrational fear, or phobia, of heights).
NCIS: Los Angeles will return to CBS’s Sunday night lineup on November 8. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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