Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College in 1976. He was a member of The Harvard Lampoon, where he held the position of Ibis. In 1974, he helped produce a popular Sports Illustrated Lampoon parody (with Patricia Marx, Ian Frazier and his twin brother Steve O'Donnell, among others). In addition to writing for the parody, he and his twin brother Steve portrayed the Dromio twins, Siamese twins adept at football.Mayers, John A. (March 1, 1976). "Letter from the Publisher". Sports Illustrated. New York: Time Inc. He was the writer and librettist for three Hasty Pudding musicals for the Hasty Pudding Theatricals group.
