As a gamer who’s lived more lives than most characters I control, I find an uncanny resemblance between my virtual escapades and the real-life journey of Jerry O’Connell, the actor behind Quinn Mallory from the iconic series Sliders.
1995 saw a fictional physics enthusiast named Quinn Mallory (Jerry O’Connell) endeavoring to construct an antigravity machine in his family’s basement. Unfortunately, his efforts were far from successful – instead of achieving levitation, he tore open a rift through spacetime, creating a gateway into another dimension.
Employing a mix of overconfidence and eagerness typical among youth, Mallory leaped through the portal into an alternate universe. After a short while, he repeated this action with his companions, which is when things took a turn for the unexpected. The initial episode of the timeless SYFY series Sliders (now available on Peacock) follows Mallory and his team as they become lost in the multiverse, leaping haphazardly from one reality to another with no clear path or guidance. They never know what world they’ll inhabit next or for how long. What started out as a scientific endeavor soon transformed into a tumultuous sea of cosmic fancies.
It’s possible that at the time, O’Connell may not have realized it, but life often has a knack for resembling art. On a recent episode of the podcast “Still Here Hollywood” with Steve Kmetko, O’Connell expressed that he feels he has little control over his professional path. Instead, his career seems to echo, in certain aspects, the unpredictable journeys of some of his most memorable characters.
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I don’t want to bring everyone down with this, but I guess you could say I didn’t quite make it as an actor. I spent years pursuing acting, and I still do. However, my acting career has had its ups and downs,” O’Connell explained.
As a youngster, he started his career by appearing in commercials. Later, he landed the part of Vern Tessio in Rob Reiner’s 1986 movie “Stand by Me.” Afterward, he played Andrew Clements, a 14-year-old superhero on the Canadian series “My Secret Identity.” During his college years, O’Connell tried out for and was chosen to play the lead role of Quinn Mallory in “Sliders,” which made him well-known and recognizable among sci-fi enthusiasts of his generation.
Afterward, the ever-changing, unpredictable entrances to Hollywood led him into various roles such as Mars colonist Phil Ohlmyer in ‘Mission to Mars’, down-on-his-luck Charlie Carbone from ‘Kangaroo Jack’, a man troubled by chatty cockroaches in ‘Joe’s Apartment’, the voice of Superman and several other DC characters, Herman Munster on ‘Mockingbird Lane’, Commander Jack Ransom in ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’, Detective Woody Hoyt on ‘Crossing Jordan’, and a co-host for ‘The Talk’, among others.
In simpler terms, O’Connell stated that his peers suggested he should apply for a spot on the show “The Talk”. At first, he found it amusing because he’s an actor, not a talk show host. However, he was open-minded and agreed to fill in if needed for a short period.
The initial performance eventually transformed into a multi-year agreement after a few months. Despite appreciating the consistent income, it’s not the career trajectory he envisioned for himself. Originally, O’Connell thought he would be the one in charge of his career path, deciding when to act and when to stop acting. However, as he put it, “I came in here thinking I control everything, but reality hit me hard: I have no control over anything.”
Similar to Quinn Mallory, O’Connell appears to be on a journey to find his way “back home,” yet he remains receptive to unforeseen routes and possibilities. Reflecting on his past, O’Connell recollected, “I was part of a TV show that was abruptly terminated. This was just before the streaming era, when shows were being axed left, right, and center, and I was in three or four of them consecutively.” Feeling uncertain about his career trajectory, O’Connell consulted his manager for advice. His manager offered words that O’Connell has endeavored to abide by ever since: “My manager said to me, ‘Hey, man. Wherever you end up is where you’re meant to be.
If you can’t be part of the universe, life, or career that you adore, then perhaps the secret is to cherish the life you currently have until it’s time to move forward again. This might just be the wisdom shared in the show Sliders, and a valuable lesson for life itself – make plans, but don’t cling to them too tightly; be prepared and courageous enough to step through a new door when one appears, with anticipation and enthusiasm for what lies beyond.
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2024-09-23 23:16