Kevin O’Connor is the new speaker of the ‘House’
Folks nail television careers in different ways.
Kevin O’Connor, the newly named host of “This Old House on PBS,” did it with a hammer – literally.
Not so long ago, O’Connor, 35, worked full time as a vice president for Fleet Bank in Boston, lending money to big-league sports franchises.
At home, he and his wife, Kathleen, were in the midst of a major renovation of their 1894 Queen Anne Victorian, just north of Boston.
When they were stumped with a problem – they needed to remove five layers of wallpaper – they wrote a letter to “Ask This Old House,” a spinoff of the TV show in which the crew, led by contractor Tom Silva, answer and help fix minor renovation problems.
“They came out, my wife and I had a great time,” said O’Connor, a longtime fan of the granddaddy of the fix-em-up shows.
“Aside from the fact that they helped us solve the problem, the three of us had a great day together.”
For O’Connor, who grew up in Maplewood, N.J., having Silva in the house was a blast. When the taping was over, he took Silva around his home, asking for all sorts of tips, figuring he’d never have that shot again.
Then it was over. Sort of.
In an unusual twist more suitable for a soap opera, an associate producer for the show called a few weeks later, asking if O’Connor, who had no TV aspirations, would help out on the program.
Fast forward.
After a couple of more informal “screen tests,” O’Connor was in the basement of a home talking with show producer Russell Morash, who said he was considering O’Connor for the role of host on “This Old House” and “Ask This Old House.”
He would replace Steve Thomas, who wanted to move on.
Thomas had told Morash during the last season that he wanted to leave. He had been host since 1989, when he took over for Bob Vila, who was with the program since it started in 1979. Vila has since gone on to be a national pitchman for Sears and has launched his own show.
Morash saw a couple of dozen host candidates before focusing on O’Connor, but had not offered the banker the job. Morash said he’d call in 10 days.
“You go on with your life,” O’Connor said of the wait. “But then we’d stop, and we would say there’s a chance that sometime within the next week, I’m going to be the host of “This Old House.’ It was surreal. It was something completely new and unbelievable.” The call came, and he took the job.
“He had a fresh face. He has an appeal because he is a homeowner in a house so sad that my heart goes out to him,” Morash said. “He’ll be painting, and scraping, and building cabinets for the rest of his life. It occurred to us he would be the ideal host since he is part of our viewership and their needs in a very real way.”
O’Connor now splits time between his bank job and the “Old House” spot.
His banking colleagues have reacted to the news with a mix of shock and envy, he said. He’s already at work doing preliminary segments for the coming season of “This Old House.” Producers are still arranging to get permits for the next house project, a cottage outside of Boston.
O’Connor will first turn up as host in October. He says he wants to be a regular guy, asking the same questions that people watching at home would want to ask.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m kind of the quintessential viewer,” O’Connor said. “I’ve always thought of “This Old House’ as the expert in renovation and remodeling. I’ve got my own renovation. I’ve got my own problems. I’m incredibly curious.”
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AP-NY-06-09-03 0933EDT
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