Connor Paolo

Connor Paolo
Paolo at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Accidents Happen
Born	July 11, 1990 (1990-07-11) New York City, New York, USA
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2003 - present

Connor Paolo (born July 11, 1990) is an American actor best known of his role as Eric van der Woodsen in The CW young-adult series Gossip Girl since 2007-2011. He became part of two Oliver Stone films, World Trade Center and Alexander, where he bagged his biggest break in Hollywood.

He is currently playing Declan Porter in the ABC's original series Revenge.

Life and education

Paolo was born in New York; his mother is a musician, and his father is a writer. Paolo attended the Professional Performing Arts School alongside Andrea Bowen, Paul Iacono and Taylor Momsen. He took acting classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.^{[citation needed]}

For several summers, Paolo attended Appel Farm Arts and Music Center Summer Arts Camp located in Elmer, New Jersey.^{[citation needed]} He attended New York University for one semester in Fall 2008.^{[citation needed]}

He is of Italian and German descent.

Career

He played a preteen murderer-rapist in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He made his motion picture debut in Clint Eastwood's Oscar-nominated Mystic River, playing Young Sean. In 2004, Paolo was on One Life to Live as Travis O'Connell, a recurring character. Paolo also made a return appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing a disturbed teenager based on the real case of Justin Berry. Other films include World Trade Center for Oliver Stone in 2006; Snow Angels, directed by David Gordon Green; and Favorite Son, his first leading role.

Paolo has a background in theatre, and commercials. He has appeared on the Broadway stage in the hit musical The Full Monty and off-Broadway in the New York public theater production of Shakespeare's Richard III.^{[citation needed]} He played Bottom in an abridged production of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.

From 2007 to 2011, Paolo has had a supporting role as Eric van der Woodsen on The CW series Gossip Girl, where he played the brother of lead Blake Lively's character. His last appearance was in the fourth season.

In 2009, he starred in the vampire apocalypse film Stake Land directed by Jim Mickle.

In April 2011, Paolo was chosen by ABC to join the cast of the dramatic series Revenge starring Emily Vancamp. In August 2011, Paolo stated that he will be taking on the new series Revenge full time and his character Eric van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl will go off to college and stay there.

Filmography

• (2002): Law & Order Special Victims Unit as Zachary Connor (Ep. "Juvenile")
• (2003): Mystic River as Young Sean Devine
• (2004): One Life to Live as Travis O'Connell
• (2004): Alexander as Young Alexander
• (2006): Bully (video game) as Tom
• (2006): World Trade Center as Steven McLoughlin
• (2006): Favorite Son as Ross
• (2006): Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Teddy Winnock (Ep. "Web")
• (2007): Snow Angel as Warren Hardesky
• (2007—2011): Gossip Girl as Eric van der Woodsen
• (2009): The Winning Season as Damon
• (2010): Stake Land as Martin
• (2010): Camp Hell as Jack
• (2010): Mercy as Everett Cone (Ep. "I Did Kill You, Didn't I?")
• (2011): Ten Year as Ricky/Rick
• (2011—): Revenge as Declan Porter

Awards and nominations

Year	Result	Award	Category
2007	Nominated	Young Artist Award	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor for World Trade Center

External links

• Connor Paolo at the Internet Movie Database