To play a lawyer and have one year of law school under your belt, you sort of know what you're talking about! I'm able to memorize the legal courtroom stuff a lot faster than I would have been able to otherwise.

He also had a starring role in the comedy horror film Piranha 3D. On April 28 2008 O'Connell appeared as a guest star on ABC's Samantha Who?. He served as producer during his fourth and final season and is credited with writing and directing several episodes.

He starred as Pete Kaczmarek in the CBS TV series The Defenders until its cancellation in 2011. He also had a starring role in the comedy horror film Piranha 3D.