Dan O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Daniel O'Connor is an Australian television actor and singer.
He was one of the top 12 finalists in the 2004 series of Network Ten
's reality talent contest programme Australian Idol
, aired on Network Ten
nationwide in Australia, finishing eleventh. He then launched an acting career, appearing as Ned Parker
on the soap opera Neighbours
.
. He was a Graphic design
er and a youth worker at Mount Annan Church, where he honed his musical skills by singing in the worship team and was a featured vocalist in a number of live worship recordings. He stands at 6 ft 3 inches. O'Connor is a committed Christian.He currently works for the Gymbox company as a sales representative
During O'Connor's Top 30 performance, he performed "Amazing" by Josh Kelley
. The judges were impressed by a fine performance and so were the voting public as he was voted into the Final 12. Also put through to the Final 12 from his group of ten, were Casey Donovan
and Ricki-Lee Coulter
.
During his Australian Idol journey, O'Connor showed an ability to work the crowd and to dress for the occasion. However, he was told on numerous occasions by Dicko that he did not have a superstar voice. O'Connor was eliminated from Australian Idol on 13 September 2004, placing him in 11th position.
, Random Place where he played the character of Bo Edwards. The series was viewed via mobile phones and provided a fly-on-the-wall view of the lives of five twenty-somethings sharing a house near Bondi Beach. This was Australia's first mobile soap opera, a format which originated in the Netherlands
.
in the soap opera Neighbours
. In his three years in the show, his character had several relationships, was mistakenly believed to be homosexual, discovered he had a son, and survived a fire and a car crash. In one particular scene, he was pictured half-naked with a towel around his waist. "I actually thought I had to be completely naked," he explained when he was told he had to drop the towel. "Ever since that scene, I've had a lot of people who want me to take my shirt off!"'.
's Can't Touch It
music video in 2007, as a bartender and her love interest. He has also appeared on Ready Steady Cook, Thank God You're Here
and Australia's Brainiest
quiz show among other things. Having left Neighbours, he appeared in CelebAir
, but was evicted in the 7th week.
In Autumn 2011 he appeared in BBC One's Death in Paradise Episode 2
He was one of the top 12 finalists in the 2004 series of Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
's reality talent contest programme Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
, aired on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
nationwide in Australia, finishing eleventh. He then launched an acting career, appearing as Ned Parker
Ned Parker
Ned Parker is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Daniel O'Connor. He made his first appearance on-screen on 9 August 2005, arriving to see his brother, Stuart...
on the soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
.
Biography
O'Connor is from Mount Annan, New South Wales. He attended Hurlstone Agricultural High SchoolHurlstone Agricultural High School
Hurlstone Agricultural High School is an agricultural and selective, co-educational, public high school, located in Glenfield, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. He was a Graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
er and a youth worker at Mount Annan Church, where he honed his musical skills by singing in the worship team and was a featured vocalist in a number of live worship recordings. He stands at 6 ft 3 inches. O'Connor is a committed Christian.He currently works for the Gymbox company as a sales representative
Australian Idol
O'Connor auditioned for Australian Idol in Sydney. He auditioned with the church classic, "I Surrender All" written by Judson W. Van DeVenter. All 3 judges were thrilled by an impressive performance. Despite Dicko's dislike of religious songs, he gave O'Connor a 'yes' along with Mark and Marcia sending him into the top 100. Later, Dicko advised O'Connor to change to songs that would influence the "world" to vote for him.During O'Connor's Top 30 performance, he performed "Amazing" by Josh Kelley
Josh Kelley
Joshua Bishop "Josh" Kelley is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Kelley has recorded for Hollywood Records, Threshold Records and DNK Records as a pop rock artist, and has had four hit singles on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart...
. The judges were impressed by a fine performance and so were the voting public as he was voted into the Final 12. Also put through to the Final 12 from his group of ten, were Casey Donovan
Casey Donovan (singer)
-Australian Idol :Donovan transferred to the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney's Surry Hills in 2004 and it was in this year that her stepfather encouraged her to audition for the second season of Australian Idol...
and Ricki-Lee Coulter
Ricki-Lee Coulter
Ricki-Lee Coulter is an Australian recording artist and television and radio presenter. In 2004, Coulter was placed seventh place on the second season of Australian Idol...
.
During his Australian Idol journey, O'Connor showed an ability to work the crowd and to dress for the occasion. However, he was told on numerous occasions by Dicko that he did not have a superstar voice. O'Connor was eliminated from Australian Idol on 13 September 2004, placing him in 11th position.
Random Place
O'Connor has appeared in the mobile soap operaMobile soap opera
A mobile soap opera is a soap opera developed for the mobile phone platform. The series can be viewed by mobile phones, the internet or MSN Messenger. Subscribers register online and receive two episodes a day, each episode consisting of about 6 or 7 pictures and accompanying text.Mobile soap...
, Random Place where he played the character of Bo Edwards. The series was viewed via mobile phones and provided a fly-on-the-wall view of the lives of five twenty-somethings sharing a house near Bondi Beach. This was Australia's first mobile soap opera, a format which originated in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Neighbours
O'Connor then took on a regular role as Ned ParkerNed Parker
Ned Parker is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Daniel O'Connor. He made his first appearance on-screen on 9 August 2005, arriving to see his brother, Stuart...
in the soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
. In his three years in the show, his character had several relationships, was mistakenly believed to be homosexual, discovered he had a son, and survived a fire and a car crash. In one particular scene, he was pictured half-naked with a towel around his waist. "I actually thought I had to be completely naked," he explained when he was told he had to drop the towel. "Ever since that scene, I've had a lot of people who want me to take my shirt off!"'.
Other TV work
He did a cameo in Ricki-Lee CoulterRicki-Lee Coulter
Ricki-Lee Coulter is an Australian recording artist and television and radio presenter. In 2004, Coulter was placed seventh place on the second season of Australian Idol...
's Can't Touch It
Can't Touch It
"Can't Touch It" is a song performed by Australian singer-songwriter, Ricki-Lee Coulter. It was released on 4 August 2007 and serves as the lead single from her second album, Brand New Day....
music video in 2007, as a bartender and her love interest. He has also appeared on Ready Steady Cook, Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
and Australia's Brainiest
Australia's Brainiest
Australia's Brainiest is a television game show series produced in Australia by Crackerjack Productions, a FremantleMedia company; and currently airing on Network Ten. The format was taken from the British series entitled Britain's Brainiest Kid...
quiz show among other things. Having left Neighbours, he appeared in CelebAir
CelebAir
CelebAir is a reality TV series in which 11 celebrities performed the duties of cabin crew and check-in attendants. The series is presented by Angellica Bell and aired on ITV2 from 2 September 2008 until 23 October 2008, when Lisa Maffia was declared the winner.For the show, Monarch Airlines...
, but was evicted in the 7th week.
In Autumn 2011 he appeared in BBC One's Death in Paradise Episode 2