Long Island's Perennial Oscar Nominee

Long Island native Kevin O'Connell holds one of the simultaneously best and worst records in Hollywood: he has been nominated for 21 Oscars, but won none of them.

O'Connell, 59, who grew up in Bethpage, has been a sound mixer in Hollywood since the 1980s. It's his job to insert sound effects into movies to make them as realistic as possible. This year, he's nominated for his work on Mel Gibson's World War II drama "Hacksaw Ridge."

You've definitely seen his movies. O'Connell got his start in Hollywood working on "Star Wars: Episode V." He's worked on more than 200 films since then, include "Poltergeist," "Gremlins," "Top Gun," "Starship Troopers" and many, many more.

He's been nominated for Oscars for his work on movies like "Transformers," "Spider-Man," "The Patriot," "Top Gun" and more.

O'Connell's job is what helps brings movies to life. He told NPR that, during the filming of "Hacksaw Ridge" the explosions on location sounded like firecrackers and the guns the actors were using sounded like cap guns. O'Connell had to add every explosion and gunshot into the movie, making them come to life.

His sound work was so realistic that, during a screening for a group of veterans, one of them told him that the film triggered PTSD flashbacks to his time in the war.

This may be O'Connell's year to finally win. But he's up against stiff competition in the category from the critic's darling, "La La Land." Experts say that one of the reasons that films like that tend to wind in technical categories like sound is because, while fellow sound engineers nominated O'Connell, everyone in the Academy votes on every category. And people unfamiliar with the work that goes into the technical side tend to vote for movies they know are popular.

But even if O'Connell doesn't win this year, his record, at least, will remain.

Kevin O'Connell's Oscar Nominations

2017 -- Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, "Hacksaw Ridge"

2008 -- Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, "Transformers"

2007 -- Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, "Apocalypto"

2006 -- Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, "Memoirs of a Geisha"

2005 -- Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, "Spider-Man 2"

2003 -- Best Sound, "Spider-Man"

2002 -- Best Sound, "Pearl Harbor"

2001 -- Best Sound, "The Patriot"

1999 -- Best Sound, "Armageddon"

1999 -- Best Sound, "The Mask of Zorro"

1998 -- Best Sound, "Con Air"

1997 -- Best Sound, "The Rock"

1997 -- Best Sound, "Twister"

1996 -- Best Sound, "Crimson Tide"

1993 -- Best Sound, "A Few Good Men"

1991 -- Best Sound, "Days of Thunder"

1990 -- Best Sound, "Black Rain"

1987 -- Best Sound, "Top Gun"

1986 -- Best Sound, "Silverado"

1985 -- Best Sound, "Dune"

1984 -- Best Sound, "Terms of Endearment"