Christopher Connelly

A victim of his resemblance to fellow actor Ryan O'Neal, the lesser known Christopher Connelly got his break playing O'Neal's younger sibling in the TV soap "Peyton Place." Connelly stayed with the series five years, appearing in nearly 400 episodes between 1965 and 1969, when the program was cancelled. Unable to escape his lookalike's shadow, Connelly went on to play O'Neal's character Moses Pray in the short-lived TV adaptation of the critically acclaimed comedy "Paper Moon." Eventually, however, Connelly was able to achieve success in his own right. He scored a supporting role in the 1974 family classic "Benji," notable for being photographed mostly from the perspective of the eponymous pooch. Connelly spread his wings in the '80s, starring in countless low-budget Italian genre movies. In 1982, he played a curse-befallen archaeologist in horror maestro Lucio Fulci's "Manhattan Baby," and a gang member with the intimidating pseudonym of "Hot Dog" in the cheapo "Mad Max" clone, "1990: The Bronx Warriors." Connelly had a colorful TV career, guest-starring multiple times on the adventure series "Fantasy Island," among others. Connelly also reprised his role as Norman Harrington of "Peyton Place" in two TV movies following its cancellation. He died of lung cancer at only 47 years old.