Gregory Edward Connor was born and raised in Washington, D.C. to Gloria D. Glenn and Edward T. Connor.  He was the youngest of their two children.  His brother is Anthony.  He attended Blow Elementary where he was the Editor of the school paper. This was his first foray into journalism.  In the ninth grade, under the tutlelage of Ulysses J. Houston, he became the Editor-in-Chief of Browne Junior High's The Black Voice which received many accolades from the scholastic news arena.  He also participated in the drama club.

In 1981, after his freshman year at Coolidge High School, he moved to Richmond, Virginia and attended John Marshall High where he became the Editor of the School newspaper and a member of drama club.  He portrayed Ralph DeVine/Mr. Upton in the school's splashy musical, “Mame.”  He also continued his love for photography and the piano.

He graduated in 1982 and immediately enrolled into the Radio, Television and Video program at University of Maryland, College Park.  But his heart no longer belonged to Journalism.  He was more interested in narrative writing than new stories.  He was accepted into New York University's Tisch School of the Arts' Dramatic Writing Program and received his B.F.A. in 1990.  At Tisch, he wrote several screenplays and directed a short called “Boy Crazee,” detailing the search for love of a young gay man in NYC.  This was a high point in his education at NYU because he wrote, directed and edited the entire 35 minute piece.