Brian's Info
Brian James O’Connell is a working actor, writer, director, filmmaker and teacher in Los Angeles.He currently teaches as part of the Core Faculty at The Pack Theater and at iOWest.
Brian is the Creator and Executive Producer of Big Yellow Taxi, the Executive Producer and Founder of Long Hard Tuesdays, the Executive Producer and Founder of The Lady Invitational and Executive Producer of Genre Night! at The Pack Theater.
Brian is a graduate of the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts (David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, Jody Hill ,Anthony Mackie, Peter Hedges, Mary-Louise Parker, Dane DeHaan, Terrence Mann, Chris Parnell, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Jeff Nichols) and moved to Los Angeles in 2000 to follow his dreams of a career in filmmaking.
BOC (as his friends call him) is part of the comedy collective Dr. God, who recently completed their first feature film project BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS, starring Fran Kranz, Pedro Pascal, Joey Kern, Joel Murray, and Emma Fitzpatrick, which O'Connell directed (his third feature as a director) as well as co-writing the script with Dr. God. The film was the Opening Night Premiere at Slamdance in 2015 and is available now on DVD and On-Demand after it's theatrical run.
A regular performer, coach and teacher in Los Angeles, Brian derives most of his approach to improv from The Deconstruction, the form created by iO’s legendary team, The Family (Miles Stroth, Neil Flynn, Ian Roberts, Matt Besser, Adam McKay, Ali Faranahkian.).
With his internationally touring improv duo Billyhawk and iOWest’s legendary improv group Dr. God, Brian has performed and taught in festivals in Denver, Phoenix, Toronto, Philadelphia, Austin, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chapel Hill, NC. Well-respected as one of Los Angeles’ premier improvisers, Brian is famous for his encyclopedic knowledge of minutiae and his insane recall ability and memory.
BOC also serves as the Director of Camp Outreach and is a board member for the non-profit Camp Improv Utopia, the premiere improv, acting and training retreat in the country.
Check out www.facebook.com/Improv1to1/ for Brian's signature 1-on-1 improv coaching.
Currently Teaching at: iO West, The Pack Theater
For more info: http://https://www.facebook.com/Improv1to1/
"My mind gets the best of me when I perform in a scene. Sometimes I can't turn that little voice off in my head. After I had an amazing one hour session with Brian O'Connell, I felt more confident to go out and jump in a scene without hesitation. Brian made the session about me and what I need to focus on as an improvisor. It was an amazing experience. Invest in You with Brian James O'Connell." - Mikey Felix Robledo
"I had so much fun in my 1to1 with BOC. I have been improvising for a while now, and he taught me some new strategies I can use when I am feeling stuck, or I have nothing to add to a scene. He makes it simple, safe, and fun. He built up my confidence as a player, and we had such a great time playing together!!" - Marianne Smith
"Brian’s skills as an improviser and coach are very well regarded in the LA improv community, so going into this I knew I would be in good hands. But even with an optimistic attitude, my expectations were blown away. Brian works with you as if he’s known you for years. He is kind, direct, and really helps you get out of your own head (while simultaneously teaching you more about improv in one hour than some curriculums teach in two to three months…this may sound like an exaggeration or oversimplification, but even though I’ve been doing improv for years, this experience was quite simply revelatory). I cannot recommend him highly enough. The fact that he does this at such an affordable rate is absurd in the most fantastic way possible. He is clearly doing this as a benefit to the improv community at large, not for the money. Work with him as soon as you can, you will thank yourself later." - Clarke Fitzsimmons
