O'Connor did not stumble into the performing arts by accident. Born in New Rochelle, New York, in November 1955, she grew up immersed in the rhythms of the dramatic arts. Her mother was Lenka Peterson, an accomplished Broadway and film actress who earned a Tony nomination, while her father, Daniel O'Connor, worked as a respected television producer and newsman. That lineage exposed her early on to the unvarnished realities of the craft, instilling an understated discipline that guided her throughout her working life.
Her breakthrough arrived at age seventeen with the 1973 romantic drama Jeremy. Starring alongside fellow newcomer Robby Benson, O'Connor portrayed Susan Rollins, a serious cellist navigating the emotional complexities of young romance in Manhattan. Directed by Arthur Barron, the picture won the Best First Work award at the Cannes Film Festival. Critics praised O'Connor for avoiding melodramatic posturing, noting an emotional economy rare in young performers of that decade. The performance immediately positioned her as a fresh, relatable face for a shifting cinematic era.
