Keiji O'Connor

Keiji O'Connor is an American actor, playwright, director, and screenwriter known for work across theatre, independent film, and television. His career spans stage productions in New York and Los Angeles, film festival premieres in Sundance and Venice, and writing collaborations with major companies and institutions. O'Connor's work frequently explores diasporic identities, cultural memory, and queer narratives through interdisciplinary forms.

Early life and education

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, O'Connor was raised in a multicultural household with ties to Japan, Ireland, and Hawaii (island). He attended Punahou School before relocating to the continental United States to study theatre at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and later completed a Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Drama. During his formative years he trained with acting coaches associated with the Actors Studio and studied voice with instructors from the Juilliard School. He also participated in workshops at The Public Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Royal Court Theatre.

Acting and performing career

O'Connor began performing in off-Broadway productions alongside artists linked to La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Lincoln Center, and Second Stage Theater. Early stage credits included roles in adaptations of plays by Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, and contemporary pieces by Suzan-Lori Parks and Tony Kushner. He transitioned to screen with appearances in independent films showcased at Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and SXSW, working with directors from the networks of A24, IFC Films, and Neon. On television he guest-starred in episodes produced by HBO, Netflix, Amazon Studios, and Hulu, collaborating with showrunners who also produced series at AMC, FX, and Apple TV+. Notable on-screen roles placed him opposite performers affiliated with Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sandra Oh, Mahershala Ali, and Viola Davis in projects backed by producers at Scott Rudin Productions, Plan B Entertainment, and Annapurna Pictures.

Writing and directing work

As a writer and director, O'Connor's plays have been developed at institutions including The Huntington Theatre Company, American Conservatory Theater, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. His play "The Blue Orchard" premiered in collaboration with New Dramatists and received staged readings at Roundabout Theatre Company and The Old Vic. He wrote screenplays that reached the quarterfinals or finals of competitions run by Sundance Institute, Nicholl Fellowships, and Austin Film Festival. His debut feature as writer-director, "Silent Harbor", premiered at Sundance Film Festival and screened subsequently at Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, with distribution negotiations involving Lionsgate and Searchlight Pictures. O'Connor has directed music videos for artists signed to Columbia Records, Interscope Records, and Sub Pop Records and has collaborated on adaptations with producers at BBC Films and NHK. He has taught workshops at Columbia University, University of California, Los Angeles, and California Institute of the Arts.

Personal life and identity

O'Connor identifies as multiracial with ancestral roots in Okinawa Prefecture, County Cork, and Native Hawaiian communities, and he has spoken publicly at events hosted by Asian American Writers' Workshop, GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and Human Rights Campaign. He lives between Los Angeles and Brooklyn and has participated in cultural exchanges sponsored by Japan Society and Asia Society, as well as artist residencies at MacDowell Colony and Yaddo. O'Connor is active in mentorship programs affiliated with The Lark Play Development Center, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and Film Independent.

Awards and recognition

O'Connor's writing and directing have earned recognition including fellowships from Sundance Institute, New York Foundation for the Arts, and Japan Foundation. He received awards and nominations from Obie Awards, Lucille Lortel Awards, and the Gotham Awards; film festival juries at Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival honored his short work, and critics from publications affiliated with The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Variety, The Guardian, and The Hollywood Reporter have reviewed his productions. He has been listed in year-end lists by TIME and The New Yorker's cultural coverage and awarded residency support from MacArthur Foundation-aligned programs.

Category:American actors Category:American dramatists and playwrights Category:Living people