Kevin Connolly was born on March 5, 1974, in New York City, New York. He had his first role in 1990 in Rocky V. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, and Sage Stallone, the film was not exactly a favorite with the critics. Nominated for several Razzie Award for worst actor, worst picture, worst actress, and worst screenplay, among others, it wasn’t exactly the type of film which launches aspiring actors to superstardom.
Despite this, Connolly continued to secure roles in films and on television series. For the remainder of the decade, Kevin found steady work, appearing in film such as Alan & Naomi, starring Lukas Haas, Michael Gross, and Amy Aquino; The Beverly Hillbillies, featuring Jim Varney, Diedrich Bader, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Rob Schneider; and the 1997 flick Sub Down, with Stephen Baldwin and Gabrielle Anwar.
Kevin’s more recent appearances before getting his big break included those in John Q, with Denzel Washington, Kimberly Elise, and Gabriela Oltean; Antwone Fisher, with Derek Luke, Malcolm David Kelley, and Cory Hodges; and the heartbreaking romantic film The Notebook, with Tim Ivey, Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Ryan Gosling, and Rachel McAdams.
In 2004, the first episodes of Entourage began airing on HBO, and viewers quickly became hooked. The exploits of the young men experiencing a new found life of privilege proved to be a recipe for success. Connolly’s character is not only Vincent Chase’s manager, but also his dearest childhood friend. Also starring Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, and Jeremy Piven, the show is now in its fourth season, and has already won a slew of awards and nominations.
Connolly’s real life entourage includes his pals Tobey Maguire and Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio. In the past he dated actress Nikki Cox, and he also called socialite and hotel heiress Nicky Hilton (younger sister of Paris Hilton) his girlfriend from January of 2005 to October of 2006. This semi long-term love affair also resulted in a scuffle between Connolly and pro skateboarder Chad Muska. Apparently, Kevin became upset when comments were made about his girlfriend, punching Muska in the face before the fight was broken up. There’s no word on whether Connolly has found a replacement for Nicky since their breakup, but as his star power continues to rise, it shouldn’t be a problem for the actor who has come a long way since he appeared in what critics considered one of the worst films of all time.
YUDDY
