▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁O ' Con nell ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Vent ura ▁County , ▁California ▁with ▁what ▁he ▁described ▁as ▁his ▁" li ber al " ▁family . ▁He ▁has ▁a ▁m ild ▁form ▁of ▁c ere br al ▁p als y ▁( CP ) ▁since ▁birth , ▁which ▁affect s ▁the ▁right ▁side ▁of ▁his ▁body ▁with ▁a ▁notice able ▁lim p . ▁Because ▁of ▁his ▁CP , ▁he ▁had ▁ten ▁or ▁eleven ▁sur ger ies ▁as ▁a ▁child , ▁sp ending ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁hospital , ▁and ▁went ▁through ▁lots ▁of ▁physical ▁ther apy . ▁ ▁G row ing ▁up , ▁O ' Con nell ▁requested ▁TV ▁scripts ▁for ▁Christmas , ▁and ▁watched ▁shows ▁with ▁the ▁closed ▁ca ption ing ▁on ▁to ▁learn ▁more ▁about ▁writing . ▁He ▁would ▁watch ▁shows ▁and ▁attempt ▁to ▁figure ▁out ▁the ▁A - Plot ▁versus ▁the ▁B ▁plot , ▁and ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁script . ▁He ▁loved ▁performing ▁as ▁well , ▁acting ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁middle - school ▁and ▁high - school ▁plays . ▁Later ▁on ▁he ▁suppress ed ▁this ▁desire ▁not ▁seeing ▁himself ▁represented ▁in ▁popular ▁culture . ▁▁ ▁On ▁discover ing ▁his ▁sexual ity , ▁O ' Con nell ▁said , ▁ ▁He ▁remained ▁clos et ed ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁sevent een ▁and ▁felt ▁he ▁needed ▁to ▁come ▁out ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁boy ▁who ▁was ▁already ▁out . ▁His ▁family ▁was ▁support ive ▁when ▁he ▁did ; ▁his ▁sister , ▁uncle , ▁and ▁grand father ▁had ▁previously ▁identified ▁as ▁L