New Feature! Seminar's Jerry O'Connell Shares His Obsession with Maria Sharapova, Shazaam, Once & More

Broadway stars know what’s hot in entertainment, fashion and pop culture, so Broadway.com decided it was high time to tap in to the after-hours obsessions of our favorite stage actors. First up in this new regular feature is Jerry O’Connell, who has extended his run as an ambitious aspiring novelist in Theresa Rebeck’s hit comedy Seminar.

TV SHOW: Mad Men
“While I love big shows like The Walking Dead, Lost and Battlestar Galactica, Mad Men is just a bunch of people in a room talking, but you’re riveted the entire time.”

MOVIE: 21 Jump Street 
“This movie really made me laugh. My buddy Dave Franco had a good role in it, and I just thought it was fresh comedy, so young and fun.”

STAGE SHOW (OTHER THAN MY OWN): Once
“My last name is O’Connell, so that should be a giveaway! Our cast shares the same back alley with Once, and it feels like we’ve been a part of their Broadway ride. It’s a different kind of musical, and they’re succeeding at it—any time that happens, it’s a game-changer.”

BOOK: Collected Plays of Theresa Rebeck
“Now that I’ve worked with her, it’s fun to go back and read Spike Heels and Mauritius and see how her older plays led up to Seminar. She’s got a very specific voice, especially her female leads, that puts a smile on my face.”

ATHLETE: Maria Sharapova
“I’ve got to concentrate on getting my girls [three-year-old twins Dolly and Charlie] into college, so I’m all about the female student athlete now! My professional balling days are long gone. I’m pretty sure Maria Sharapova is at the top of the boards right now.”

VACATION SPOT: Montauk, New York
“My family has been going out there for as long as I can remember, and the original cast of Seminar recently had a retreat there on our 'weekend,' Sunday and Monday. It’s such a special place; it never changes.”

APP: Shazaam
“There’s a lot of down time when you're doing a Broadway show, and I have to keep busy so I don’t get nervous. Listening to music is a big part of that. If I hear a song somewhere that I like, I just hit Shazaam and it tells me exactly what it is so I can buy it and add it to a playlist.”

FASHION DESIGNER: Cynthia Rowley
“My wife loves her stuff, and so do I—I have all these cool jackets that I wear when I want to look casual rolling in to [theater bar] Bar Centrale!”

BEAUTY PRODUCT: Nivea for Men
“I’d be toast without this moisturizer. I’m playing someone younger than me who’s sort of a fastidious guy, so I have to shave twice a day, which is brutal. If I didn’t have Nivea for Men, I’d be all chopped up.”

RANDOM OBSESSION: Twitter
“Twitter is a fun way to keep up with friends, and because it’s only 140 characters, people can’t leave rambling posts. I follow my co-star Hettienne Park and a bunch of my improv friends: Rob Huebel, Rob Delaney, Jenny Johnson. There are so many people on there who crack me up.”

CELEBRITY: Rebecca Romijn [a.k.a. Mrs. Jerry O’Connell]
“Do you think I would say anyone else? Are you nuts?”