UD Profile
Scotland, Marriage and Puppies

There's nothing stronger than the bond between brothers. Except maybe whisky. Experts in both are the O'Connell Brothers: Jerry (whom you know from Stand by Me, Jerry Maguire and being married to Rebecca Romijn) and younger sibling Charlie (The Bachelor, Sliders). Longtime Angelenos, the two have tackled many dangerous terrains together—including, most recently, Scotland, where they competed in the Drambuie 100-mile adventure race. We ran into the pair near the finish line to discuss hangouts, steam rooms and sneakers.

UD: What the heck are you doing in Scotland?

JO: We didn't really grow up amongst nature. We are urban daddies. But we are of Irish and Scottish descent. So when Drambuie said they were looking for a couple of people to come over here and do this race, we jumped at it. I do have to say, we're not the type of guys who attack mountains.

UD: Where are your favorite places to hang out in LA?

CO: I'd say Sky Bar. I like Dolce. I like Les Deux, if I'm going to hit a club. I don't mind Red Rock. I like going to a Laker game, a Clipper game…I also like Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles. That's a fun place. Go bowling first or something like that. It's always packed—you always gotta wait a little while. But it's worth it and it's warm out. It's not hard to wait.

UD: Jerry?

JO: You know what, I'm married and I live in the suburbs.

UD: Where do you live? 

JO: I live in Calabasas. So at night we go a lot to the east side. We like to go to a restaurant called Cafe Stella on Sunset, all the way east in Los Feliz. Another restaurant called Edendale Grill. Blair's. They're sort of east side because my wife works in eastern LA, so we just zip over there.

UD: You're both native New Yorkers, so this one is required by law: New York versus LA?

CO: I go with apples and oranges. I love the weather in LA now. I miss being able to step outside and really walk to dinner like in New York.

JO: LA November to April, New York May to October.

UD: Jerry, what piece of clothing can you not live without?

JO: I'm going to say a pair of very current sneakers that are dark in color. The darkness is important because a lot of places won't let you in with sneakers, so they have to be passable as shoes. And they must be current. Because I like to have the newest sneakers. You know, coming from New York, you were judged based on how expensive your sneakers were. I specifically remember in 1987 raising enough money to buy Jordans, and my social life dramatically improving.

UD: Charlie, what did you learn about women from The Bachelor?

CO: I guess I learned that they're quite forgiving as long as you're honest. And also, if you go on a date with eight women, don't end up the drunkest.

UD: Jerry, how's married life?

JO: Good. I like it. A lot. Highly suggest it. I'm having a lot of fun. We don't have kids yet, so we're still doing a lot of traveling. We're a young couple, it's a really fun time. You know, a lot of times when I'm working long hours and such, it's really nice knowing that my wife is home, knowing somebody's there. It's a really good feeling.

CO: I'm moving into manhood. I just got a puppy. It's a start. I have someone at home that needs walking.