Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Place''. It was an instant hit and boosted O'Neal's career. He later found success in films, most notably '' Love Story'' (1970), for which he received

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

and Golden Globe nominations as Best Actor,

Peter Bogdanovich Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022) was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. One of the " New Hollywood" directors, Bogdanovich started as a film journalist until he was hired to work on ...

's '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972) and '' Paper Moon'' (1973), Stanley Kubrick's '' Barry Lyndon'' (1975), Richard Attenborough's '' A Bridge Too Far'' (1977), and

Walter Hill Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...

's ''

The Driver ''The Driver'' is a 1978 American neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Walter Hill. It stars Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, and Isabelle Adjani. O'Neal is the getaway driver for robberies whose exceptional talent has prevented him be ...

'' (1978). From 2005 to 2017, he had a recurring role in the Fox television series ''

Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, a ...

'' as Max, the father of the show's protagonist.

Early life

Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal was born in Los Angeles, California, the eldest son of actress Patricia Ruth Olga (''née'' O'Callaghan; 1907–2003) and novelist and screenwriter Charles O'Neal.Profile
familysearch.org; accessed June 22, 2014. His father was of Irish and English descent, while his mother was of paternal Irish and maternal Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. His brother, Kevin, is an actor and screenwriter.Charles O'Neal profile
filmreference.com; accessed June 22, 2014. O'Neal attended University High School in Los Angeles, and trained there to become a

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...

boxer. During the late 1950s, his father had a job writing on a television series called ''Citizen Soldier'', and moved the family to

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

, where O'Neal attended Munich American High School.

Career

TV roles and early work

In Germany, O'Neal was struggling at school so his mother pulled some favors and got him a job as a stand-in on a show being shot in the area, '' Tales of the Vikings''. O'Neal worked on it as an extra and stuntman and became interested in acting. O'Neal returned to the US and tried to make it as an actor. He made his first TV appearance guest starring on ''

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis ''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' (also known as simply ''Dobie Gillis'' or ''Max Shulman's Dobie Gillis'' in later seasons and in syndication) is an American sitcom starring Dwayne Hickman that aired on CBS from September 29, 1959, to June 5 ...

'' episode "The Hunger Strike" in 1960. He followed this with guest slots on ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'', ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'', '' The DuPont Show with June Allyson'', '' Laramie'', ''

Two Faces West ''Two Faces West'' is an American syndicated TV series set in the Wild West running from October 1960 to July 1961 for a total of 39 half-hour episodes (one per week on a continuous run). It was produced by Donald Gold and Jonas Seinfeld and M ...

'', '' Westinghouse Playhouse'' (several episodes), '' Bachelor Father'', ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

'', '' Leave It To Beaver'' episode "Wally Goes Steady" in 1961 and '' The Virginian''. He was under contract to Universal but they let it lapse.

1962–1963: ''Empire''

From 1962 to 1963, O'Neal was a regular on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'', another modern-day western, where he played "Tal Garrett" in support of Richard Egan. It ran for 33 episodes. In 1963, the series was revived as '' Redigo'' but O'Neal turned down the chance to reprise his role. When the series ended, O'Neal went back to guest-starring on shows such as ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' and ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

''.

1964–1969: ''Peyton Place'' and ''The Big Bounce''

In 1964 he was cast as Rodney Harrington in the prime time serial drama '' Peyton Place''. O'Neal said he got the role because "the studio was looking for a young

Doug McClure Douglas Osborne McClure (May 11, 1935February 5, 1995) was an American actor whose career in film and television extended from the 1950s to the 1990s. He is best known for his role as the cowboy Trampas during the entire run from 1962 to 1971 o ...

". The series was a big success, making national names of its cast including O'Neal. Several were offered movie roles, including

Mia Farrow Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequent ...

, '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968), and

Barbara Parkins Barbara Parkins (born May 22, 1942) is a Canadian-American former actress, singer, dancer and photographer. Early life Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.Valley of the Dolls'' (1967), and O'Neal was keen to do films. During the series' run O'Neal appeared in a pilot for a proposed series, ''European Eye'' (1968). He was also signed to ABC for a recording contract. O'Neal's first lead in a feature came with '' The Big Bounce'' (1969), based on an Elmore Leonard novel. In 1969, he appeared in a TV version of ''

Under the Yum Yum Tree ''Under the Yum Yum Tree'' is a 1963 American sex comedy film directed by David Swift and starring Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Dean Jones, and Edie Adams, with Imogene Coca, Paul Lynde, and Robert Lansing in supporting roles. The film received ...

'' (1963).

1970–1974: ''Love Story'', ''What's Up, Doc?'' and ''Paper Moon''

In 1970, he played an Olympic athlete in '' The Games''. The film had been co-written by Erich Segal, who recommended O'Neal for the lead in '' Love Story'' (1970), based on Segal's novel and script. A number of actors had turned down the role including Beau Bridges and

Jon Voight Jonathan Vincent Voight (; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. He came to prominence in the late 1960s with his Academy Award–nominated performance as Joe Buck, a would-be gigolo, in ''Midnight Cowboy'' (1969). During the 1970s, h ...

before it was offered to O'Neal. His fee was $25,000; he said he had an offer that paid five times as much to appear in a Jerry Lewis film but O'Neal knew that ''Love Story'' was the better prospect and selected that instead. Paramount studio head,

Robert Evans Robert Evans (born Robert J. Shapera; June 29, 1930October 26, 2019) was an American film producer, studio executive, and actor, best known for his work on '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968), ''Love Story'' (1970), ''The Godfather'' (1972), and ''Chi ...

, who was also married to the film's female lead,

Ali MacGraw Elizabeth Alice MacGraw (born April 1, 1939) is an American actress and activist. She gained attention with her role in the film ''Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She gained an ...

, said they tested 14 other actors but no one compared to O'Neal; he said the part was "a

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

role – a handsome leading man with lots of emotion." "I hope the young people like it", O'Neal said before the film came out. "I don't want to go back to TV. I don't want to go back to those NAB conventions." ''Love Story'' turned out to be a box office phenomenon. It made O'Neal a star and earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor, although O'Neal was bitter he was never given a percentage of the profits, unlike co-star Ali MacGraw. In between the film's production and release, O'Neal appeared in a TV movie written by Eric Ambler, '' Love Hate Love'' (1971), which received good ratings. He also made a Western, ''

Wild Rovers ''Wild Rovers'' is a 1971 American Western film directed by Blake Edwards and starring William Holden and Ryan O'Neal. Originally intended as a three-hour epic, it was heavily edited by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer without Edwards' knowledge, including ...

'' (1971) with

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

for director

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...

. ''Wild Rovers'', badly cut by

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

, was considerably less popular than ''Love Story''. O'Neal was going to make another film for MGM, '' Deadly Honeymoon'' (1974), from a novel by Larry Block. However, O'Neal pulled out.

later said MGM head Jim Aubrey was "cruel" to O'Neal. O'Neal was also wanted by director

Nic Roeg Nicolas Jack Roeg (; 15 August 1928 – 23 November 2018) was an English film director and cinematographer, best known for directing ''Performance'' (1970), ''Walkabout'' (1971), ''Don't Look Now'' (1973), '' The Man Who Fell to Earth'' (1976) ...

to appear opposite

Julie Christie Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, Christie is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She ...

in an adaptation of ''

Out of Africa ''Out of Africa'' is a memoir by the Danish author Karen Blixen. The book, first published in 1937, recounts events of the seventeen years when Blixen made her home in Kenya, then called British East Africa. The book is a lyrical meditation on ...

'' that was never made. Instead, O'Neal starred in the screwball comedy '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972), for Bogdanovich, and opposite

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

. The film was the third-highest-grossing of 1972, and led to his receiving an offer to star in a movie for Stanley Kubrick, ''Barry Lyndon''. While that film was in pre-production, O'Neal played a jewel thief in '' The Thief Who Came to Dinner'' (1972) opposite

Jacqueline Bisset Winifred Jacqueline Fraser Bisset ( ; born 13 September 1944) is a British actress. She began her film career in 1965 and first came to prominence in 1968 with roles in '' The Detective'', ''Bullitt'', and ''The Sweet Ride'', for which she rec ...

and

Warren Oates Warren Mercer Oates (July 5, 1928 – April 3, 1982) was an American actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam Peckinpah, including ''The Wild Bunch'' (1969) and ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'' (1974). A ...

. Then he was reunited with Bogdanovich for '' Paper Moon'' (1973) in which he starred opposite his daughter Tatum O'Neal. Tatum won an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

for her performance in the popular movie and in 1973, Ryan O'Neal was voted by exhibitors as the second-most-popular star in the country, behind Clint Eastwood.

1975–1980: ''Barry Lyndon'', ''A Bridge Too Far'' and ''The Main Event''

O'Neal spent over a year making '' Barry Lyndon'' (1975) for Kubrick. The resulting film was considered a commercial disappointment and had a mixed critical reception; it won O'Neal a Harvard Lampoon Award for the Worst Actor of 1975. Reflecting in 1985, O'Neal said the film was "all right but he ubrickcompletely changed the picture during the year he spent editing it". The film's reputation has risen in recent years but O'Neal says his career never recovered from the film's reception. O'Neal had been originally meant to star in Bogdanovich's flop musical '' At Long Last Love'' but was replaced by Burt Reynolds. However he made the screwball comedy ''

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

'' (1976) with Reynolds, Bogdanovich and Tatum O'Neal, for a fee of $750,000. The film flopped at the box office. O'Neal followed this with a small role in the all-star war film '' A Bridge Too Far'' (1977), playing General James Gavin. O'Neal's performance as a hardened general was much criticised, although O'Neal was only a year older than Gavin at the time of the events in the film. "Can I help it if I photograph like I'm 16 and they gave me a helmet that was too big for my head?" he later said. "At least I did my own parachute jump." The film performed poorly at the US box office but did well in Europe. O'Neal initially turned down a reported $3 million to star in ''

Oliver's Story ''Oliver's Story'' is a 1978 American romance film, romantic drama film and a sequel to ''Love Story (1970 film), Love Story'' (1970) based on a novel by Erich Segal published a year earlier. It was directed by John Korty and again starred Ryan O ...

'' (1978), a sequel to ''Love Story''. Instead he appeared in the car-chase film ''

'' (1978), directed by

, who had written ''The Thief Who Came to Dinner''. This was a box office disappointment in the US but, like ''A Bridge Too Far'', did better overseas. Hill later said he "was so pleased with Ryan in the movie and I was very disappointed that people didn't particularly give him any credit for what he did. To me, he's the best he's ever been. I cannot imagine another actor." O'Neal was meant to follow this with '' The Champ'' (1979), directed by

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...

, but decided to pull out after Zeffirelli refused to cast O'Neal's son Griffin opposite him. Instead he agreed to make ''Oliver's Story'' after all once the script was rewritten. However the film was a flop at the box office. "What I have to do now, seriously, is win a few hearts as an actor", he said in 1978. "The way

did. I know I've got a lot of winning to do. But I'm young enough. I'll get there..." Around this time, O'Neal was meant to star in '' The Bodyguard'', from a Lawrence Kasdan script, opposite Diana Ross for director John Boorman. However the film fell over when Ross pulled out, and it would not be made until 1992, with

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

in O'Neal's old role. There was some talk he would appear in a film from Michelangelo Antonioni, ''Suffer or Die'', but this did not eventuate. O'Neal instead played a boxer in a comedy, '' The Main Event'', reuniting him with Streisand. He received a fee of $1 million plus a percentage of the profits. ''The Main Event'' was a sizeable hit at the box office. Also in 1979, he produced a documentary about a boxer he managed, ''The Contender''. A 1980 profile of O'Neal described him:

1981–1987: Decline as star

O'Neal was looking to follow it as the lead in the film version of '' The Thorn Birds'' to be directed by Arthur Hiller, but the book ended up being adapted as a miniseries. Instead O'Neal made a British-financed thriller, '' Green Ice'' (1981), for the most money he had ever received up front. The movie had a troublesome production (the original director quit during filming) and flopped at the box office. He had a cameo in '' Circle of Two'', a film his daughter made with

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

. O'Neal says Burton told him during filming he was "five years away from winning acceptance as a serious actor. On the other hand, my agent, Sue Mengers says I'm right on the threshold. Split the difference, that's two and a half years. One good picture, that's all I need..." However, in the early 1980s he focused on comedies. He received $2 million for the lead in ''So Fine''. This was followed by '' Partners'' (1982), a farce written by Francis Veber in which O'Neal played a straight cop who goes undercover as one half of a gay couple. He then played a film director loosely based on Peter Bogdanovich in ''

Irreconcilable Differences ''Irreconcilable Differences'' is a 1984 American comedy-drama film starring Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, and Drew Barrymore. The film was a minor box-office success, making over $12 million. For their performances, both Long and Barrymore were no ...

'' (1984); he received no upfront fee but got a percentage of the profits. It was a minor box office success. A 1984 profile called him "the

Billy Martin Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...

of Hollywood, whether it's his love affair with Farrah Fawcett... his precocious actor daughter Tatum or fisticuffs with his son Griffin. He just can't seem to stay out of the news." O'Neal said he felt more like

Rocky Marciano Rocco Francis Marchegiano (September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969; ), better known as Rocky Marciano (, ), was an American professional boxer who competed from 1947 to 1955, and held the world heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956. He is the onl ...

, "wondering why guys are always picking fights with me. If I'm in a good picture, they'll like me. If I'm not they'll hate me. Hey I'm mad too when I don't make good pictures." O'Neal said too many of the roles he had played were "off the beaten path for me". In particular he regretted doing ''The Thief Who Came to Dinner'', ''A Bridge Too Far'', ''The Driver'', ''So Fine'', ''Partners'' and ''Green Ice''. He blamed this in part on having to pay alimony and child support. He also said agent Sue Mengers encouraged him to constantly work. "If I could get a good director to choose me for a picture, I was okay", he said. "But they stopped calling me in the mid-70s... I made a whole bunch of pictures that didn't make any money and people lost interest in me... Directors take me reluctantly. I feel I'm lucky to be here in the first place and they know it too. I'm a glamour boy, a Hollywood product. I have a TV background and they can point to the silly movies I've made." In 1985, O'Neal tried something different, playing a L.A. Herald Examiner sportswriter and sports columnist who also gambles far too much in ''

Fever Pitch ''Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life'' is a 1992 autobiographical essay by British author Nick Hornby. The book is the basis for two films: '' Fever Pitch'' (1997, UK) and '' Fever Pitch'' (2005, U.S.). The first edition was subtitled "A Fan's Life", bu ...

'' (1985), the final movie for director Richard Brooks. Even less conventional was '' Tough Guys Don't Dance'' (1987) for director Norman Mailer. Both movies flopped at the box office, and received poor reviews.

1988–2009: Supporting actor and TV star

O'Neal had a support part in a Liza Minnelli TV special '' Sam Found Out: A Triple Play'' (1988), and also supported in the romantic comedy '' Chances Are'' (1989). He returned to TV opposite his then-partner Farrah Fawcett in ''

Small Sacrifices ''Small Sacrifices'' is a 1989 American made-for-television crime drama film written by Joyce Eliason and based on the best-selling true crime book by Ann Rule of the same name. The film is about Diane Downs and the murder and attempted murder o ...

'' (1989). He and Fawcett made a short-lived

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

series ''

Good Sports ''Good Sports'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on the CBS network from January 10 to July 13, 1991, starring Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal. It was Fawcett's only scripted TV series after ''Charlie's Angels''. Synopsis The ...

'' (1991) which lasted 15 episodes. O'Neal co starred with Katharine Hepburn in the TV movie '' The Man Upstairs'' (1992) and had a cameo in Fawcett's '' Man of the House'' (1995). He had a good role in '' Faithful'' (1996) with Cher. It was directed by

Paul Mazursky Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky (April 25, 1930 – June 30, 2014) was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his dramatic comedies that often dealt with modern social issues, he was nominated for five Academy Awards: three t ...

who later said of O'Neal:

He's sweet as sugar, and he's volatile. He's got some of that Irish stuff in him, and he can blow up a bit. One day he was doing a scene, and I said, 'Bring it down a little bit,' and Ryan said, 'I quit! You can't say "Bring it down" to me that loud!' I said, 'If you quit, I'm going to break your nose.' He started to cry. He's sort of a big baby at times, but he's a good guy, and he's very talented. He's had a strange career, but he was a monster star.

O'Neal had a support part in '' Hacks'' (1997) and the lead in '' An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn'' (1998). He had the third lead in ''

Zero Effect ''Zero Effect'' is a 1998 American mystery comedy film written and directed by Jake Kasdan in his feature directional debut. Starring Bill Pullman as "the world's most private detective", Daryl Zero, and Ben Stiller as his assistant Steve Arlo, ...

'' (1999) and was top billed in '' The List'' (2000). O'Neal had a semi-recurring role in ''

Bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...

'' (2001), and support parts in ''

Epoch In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured. The moment of epoch is usually decided by ...

'' (2001), '' People I Know'' (2002) with Al Pacino, '' Gentleman B.'' (2002), and ''

Malibu's Most Wanted ''Malibu's Most Wanted'' is a 2003 American comedy film written by and starring Jamie Kennedy and co-starring Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, Blair Underwood, Regina Hall, Damien Dante Wayans, Ryan O'Neal, and Snoop Dogg. The film is written by t ...

'' (2003). O'Neal had a regular part on the TV series ''

Miss Match ''Miss Match'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Jeff Rake and Darren Star and produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Darren Star Productions, and Imagine Television. It aired in the United States on NBC from Septemb ...

'' (2003) with Alicia Silverstone which ran for 18 episodes. He guest starred on shows such as '' Desperate Housewives'' and '' 90210''. He was a recurring character on Fox's ''

''.

2010–present: Later career

In 2011, Ryan and Tatum attempted to restore their broken father/daughter relationship after 25 years. Their reunion and reconciliation process was captured in the Oprah Winfrey Network series '' Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals'', which O'Neal produced. It only ran nine episodes. O'Neal could be seen in ''Slumber Party Slaughter'' (2015) and '' Knight of Cups'' (2015) in a small role. In 2016, O'Neal reunited with '' Love Story'' co-star

in a staging of

A.R. Gurney Albert Ramsdell Gurney Jr. (November 1, 1930 – June 13, 2017) (sometimes credited as Pete Gurney) was an American playwright, novelist and academic. He is known for works including ''The Dining Room'' (1982), ''Sweet Sue (play), Sweet Sue'' (1 ...

's play ''

Love Letters A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings. History One of the oldest references to a l ...

''. In February 2021, O'Neal and MacGraw were honored with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, nearly 50 years after the release of ''Love Story''.

Other ventures

O'Neal said that in 2009 he "made a tremendous amount of money on real estate, more than edeserve .

Personal life

Relationships

O'Neal married his first wife, actress Joanna Moore, in 1963. They had two children before separating in 1966. Moore eventually lost custody of their children to O'Neal as a result of her alcoholism and drug abuse. His second marriage was to actress

Leigh Taylor-Young Leigh Taylor-Young (born January 25, 1945) is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, podcast, radio and television. The most famous films in which she had important roles include ''I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'' (1968), '' The Hors ...

, with whom he had a son. They remained friends after divorcing in 1973. "I could speak to parts of Ryan like temper and volatility and reactivity, but I deeply know his goodness", Taylor-Young said. O'Neal was in a relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett from 1979 to 1997. The relationship was tumultuous due to his infidelity and volatile behavior. Fawcett ended the relationship after she discovered O'Neal in bed with actress Leslie Stefanson. O'Neal and Fawcett reunited in 2001 and were together until her death in 2009. "I got married at 21, and I was not a real mature 21", said O'Neal. "My first child was born when I was 22. I was a man's man; I didn't discover women until I was married, and then it was too late." He had romances with Ursula Andress,

Bianca Jagger Bianca Jagger (born Blanca Pérez-Mora Macías; 2 May 1945)

, Anouk Aimée,

, Diana Ross, and Anjelica Huston. According to his daughter Tatum O'Neal, he also had an affair with Melanie Griffith. In her 2014 memoir, Anjelica Huston claimed that O'Neal physically abused her.

Children

O'Neal has four children: Tatum O'Neal and Griffin O'Neal with Moore, Patrick O'Neal with Taylor-Young, and Redmond James Fawcett O'Neal with Fawcett. For several years, O'Neal was estranged from his elder three children. "I'm a hopeless father. I don't know why. I don't think I was supposed to be a father. Just look around at my work—they're either in jail or they should be", he told ''Vanity Fair''. In her autobiography, ''A Paper Life'', Tatum wrote that she had suffered physical and emotional abuse as a result of her father's drug abuse. Griffin O'Neal also suggested their family's problems stemmed from Ryan. "My father gave me cocaine when I was 11 and insisted I take it", he said. Griffin added, "He was a very abusive, narcissistic psychopath. He gets so mad he can't control anything he's doing." In 2007, O'Neal was arrested for shooting at Griffin, which he claimed was in self-defense; charges were dropped. O'Neal refused to allow Griffin to attend Fawcett's funeral in 2009. He infamously hit on Tatum at Fawcett's funeral, not recognizing her as his daughter. But in 2011, Tatum reconciled with her father with a book and a TV show, '' Ryan and Tatum: the O'Neals''. In August of that year, O'Neal, Tatum, and Patrick attended Redmond's court appearance on firearms and drug charges. Redmond has struggled with drug addiction for most of his adult life. In 2008, O'Neal and Redmond were arrested for drug possession in their Malibu home. In 2015, Redmond's probation was revoked and he was sentenced to three years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. In 2018, Redmond was arrested and charged with attempted murder, robbery, assault and drug possession after he allegedly tried to rob a convenience store in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to i ...

. In an interview from jail he blamed his struggles on his parents.

Health

In 2001, O'Neal was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). After struggling with leukemia, O'Neal was frequently seen at Fawcett's side when she was battling cancer. He told ''People'' magazine, "It's a love story. I just don't know how to play this one. I won't know this world without her. Cancer is an insidious enemy." In April 2012, O'Neal stated he had been diagnosed with

stage 4 Stage 4 may refer to: * Key Stage 4 * ''Stage 4'' of ''Everywhere at the End of Time'' * Cambrian Stage 4 * Stage 4 cancer * Stage 4 CKD * Dual-Stage 4-Grid * Stage 4 of Braak staging * Decomposition stage 4 * Whale fall stage 4 * 2019–20 Bi ...

prostate cancer. He later stated it was stage 2.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Amateur boxing record

Based on various sources.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oneal, Ryan 1941 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American people of English descent American people of Irish descent American people of Jewish descent David di Donatello winners Male actors from Los Angeles