AGE: 29
HOMETOWN: New York City, though he now spends most of his time in L.A.
BEST KNOWN AS: The younger brother of Crossing Jordan's Jerry O'Connell, 31
LATEST GIG: Wooing women on the latest installment of the ABC reality series, premiering March 28
•Taking the Plunge: "My brother's friend is one of the producers, and Jerry said, 'What do you think of becoming the next Bachelor," recalls Charlie. "I chuckled. And the next day, I figured, why not? Some of my guy friends thought I was crazy, but it's a great opportunity to meet a girl."
•The Marrying Kind: Though he and Jerry—who's now dating Rebecca Romijn—have a bit of a rep as party boys, "I'm also a loyal boy who likes to have a girlfriend," says Charlie. "I always promised my mom I wouldn't get married'til I was at least 30." Since that birthday happens to be April 21, "it's knocking on the door. I'm ready to settle down."
•The Twist: Breaking Bachelor tradition, O'Connell will now date both finalists until making his choice live on the May finale. "There's a lot of pressure," he admits. "But I think it can work."
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