Connor Paolo

Connor Paolo (born July 11, 1990) is an American actor.

Early Life
Paolo was born in New York City, New York; his mother is a musician and his father is a writer. Paolo attended the Professional Performing Arts School alongside Andrea Bowen, Paul Iacono and Taylor Momsen. He took acting classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

For several summers, Paolo attended Appel Farm Arts and Music Center summer arts camp located in Elmer, New Jersey. He attended New York University for one semester in Fall 2008.

He is of Italian and German descent.

Career
He played a preteen murderer, rapist in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He made his motion picture debut in Clint Eastwood's Oscar nominated Mystic River, playing Young Sean. In 2004, Paolo was on One Life to Live as Travis O'Connell, a recurring character. Paolo also made a return appearance on Law & Order, playing a disturbed teenager based on the real case of Justin Berry. Other films include World Trade Center for Oliver Stone in 2006; Snow Angels, directed by David Gordon Green; and Favourite Son, his first leading role.

Paolo has a background in theatre, and commercials. He has appeared on the Broadway stage in the hit musical The Full Monty and off Broadway in the New York public theatre production of Shakespeare's Richard |||. He played Bottom in an abridged production of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. From 2007 to 2011, Paolo has had a supporting role as Eric van der Woodsen on The CW series Gossip Girl, where he played the brother of lead Blake Lively's character. His last appearance was in the fourth season.

In 2009, he starred in the vampire apocalypse film Stake Land directed by Jim Mickle.

In April 2011, Paolo was chosen by ABC to join the cast of the dramatic series Revenge starring Emily Vancamp. In August 2011, Paolo stated that he will be taking on the new series Revenge full time and his character Eric van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl will go off to college and stay there.