Ryan O’Neal, who ascended from a TV soap opera to an Oscar nomination for his role in “Love Story” and delivered a charming performance in “Paper Moon,” passed away on Friday. His son announced the news on Instagram, stating that his father passed away peacefully. The cause of death was not disclosed. Ryan O’Neal, diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012, succumbed at the age of 82, a decade after his initial diagnosis of chronic leukemia.
In the 1970s, Ryan O’Neal stood among the world’s foremost movie stars, collaborating across genres with acclaimed directors such as Peter Bogdanovich on “Paper Moon” and “What’s Up, Doc?” and Stanley Kubrick on “Barry Lyndon.” He often utilized his youthful, blond appearance to portray characters with enigmatic or perilous pasts concealed beneath their polished exteriors.
Even into his 70s in the 2010s, O’Neal maintained a consistent television acting career with roles in “Bones” and “Desperate Housewives.” However, his enduring connection with Farrah Fawcett and the complexities of his family life continued to draw public attention.
Having been twice divorced, O’Neal shared a 30-year romantic involvement with Fawcett, resulting in the birth of their son, Redmond, in 1985. Although they divorced in 1997, they later remarried. O’Neal supported Fawcett through her battle with cancer, which sadly claimed her life in 2009 at the age of 62.
From his first marriage to Joanna Moore, O’Neal fathered actors Griffin O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal, the latter earning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 1973 film “Paper Moon,” where she co-starred with her father. His second marriage, to Leigh Taylor-Young, resulted in the birth of a son named Patrick.
Ryan O’Neil’s Rocky Ties
Ryan O’Neal earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role in the 1970 tearjerker drama “Love Story,” alongside Ali MacGraw. The film tells the story of a young couple who fall in love, marry, and face the devastating revelation that she is dying of cancer. Despite its enduring status, the film’s frequently parodied line remains: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
Ryan O’Neal’s relationship with his three children, including estrangement from his daughter and conflicts with his sons. One notable incident involved a drug-related arrest linked to his son Redmond’s probation check. Despite attempts at reconciliation, especially with Tatum O’Neal, these personal struggles often overshadowed his later career.
Before his role on the prime-time soap opera “Peyton Place” (1964-69), O’Neal began with bit parts and stunt work. His feature film debut in 1969, “The Big Bounce,” co-starring his then-wife Taylor-Young, preceded his breakthrough in “Love Story,” propelling him to stardom.
The romantic melodrama became one of Paramount Pictures’ major successes, securing seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and winning for Best Music. After this triumph, Hollywood considered O’Neal for numerous leading roles, including the role of Michael Corleone in “The Godfather.” However, director Francis Ford Coppola insisted on casting Al Pacino for the role.
Continuing his success, O’Neal starred in Peter Bogdanovich’s 1972 screwball comedy “What’s Up, Doc?” opposite Barbra Streisand. The following year, Bogdanovich cast him in the 1930s con artist comedy “Paper Moon.”
Tatum, his real-life daughter
Ryan O’Neal took on the role of an unscrupulous Bible salesman in “Paper Moon,” preying on widows he discovered through obituary notices. His real-life daughter, Tatum, portrayed a trash-talking, cigarette-smoking orphan who sought his help and eventually played a key role in rehabilitating him.
While both actors received praise from reviewers, Tatum’s standout performance eclipsed her father’s, earning her the distinction of becoming the youngest individual in history to win a competitive Academy Award at the age of ten in 1974.
Following this success, Ryan O’Neal’s next significant role was in Stanley Kubrick’s 18th-century epic “Barry Lyndon,” where he portrayed an impoverished Irish rogue posing as aristocracy while traversing Europe. However, the filming of the three-hour epic was challenging, and Kubrick’s famed perfectionism created a lasting rift between the director and the actor.
Afterwards, O’Neal reunited with Tatum in Peter Bogdanovich’s early Hollywood comedy “Nickelodeon” (1976). Despite their collaboration, the film proved to be a disappointment, and they did not work together again. In an attempt to capitalize on his “Love Story” character, Oliver Barrett, O’Neal starred in the sequel “Oliver’s Story” (1978).
As Tatum grew older, the father-daughter relationship strained. Ryan O’Neal learned of his daughter’s marriage to tennis great John McEnroe through a belated telegram, a revelation that profoundly affected him. He wrote about his connection with Farrah Fawcett, among other aspects of his life, in a 2012 book titled “Both of Us,” expressing the enduring impact of this pivotal moment: “A door inside me locked the morning the telegram came, and I am still blindly searching for the key to open it.”
O’Neil’s Son Convicted and Jailed
In the 1980s, Ryan O’Neal experienced a further downturn in his career with the emerald heist drama “Green Ice” (1981) and the 1984 comedy “Irreconcilable Differences.” In the latter, he portrayed a busy father in an unhappy marriage, with his 9-year-old daughter, played by Drew Barrymore, attempting to divorce her parents.
Simultaneously, Ryan O’Neal’s personal life reached a low point during the decade. His son, Griffin Coppola, encountered legal troubles, including a 1986 boating accident in Maryland that resulted in the death of Gian-Carlo Coppola, 23, the son of film director Francis Ford Coppola. Griffin O’Neal was convicted of operating a boat carelessly and recklessly, receiving a community service sentence, and later serving a brief jail term.
As his Hollywood prominence waned, Ryan O’Neal turned to TV movies and eventually returned to series television with the 1991 sitcom “Good Sports,” co-starring his then-lover, Farrah Fawcett. However, the show only lasted one season, and both admitted that the work strained their relationship.
“We get into fights,” O’Neal mentioned in 1991. “She’s a tough cookie.
Anticipating good treatment, she might forget that on a set when fighting the clock and striving to create a moment.
Redmond O’Neal’s arrest
In 1989, Ryan O’Neal transitioned into more supporting roles with the film “Chances Are.” His roles varied, from playing a husband hiring a hitman to kill his wife in “Faithful” (1996) to portraying a mystery businessman in “Zero Effect” (1998).
During this period, his relationship with Farrah Fawcett had ended, but they remained friends and later rekindled their romance in the 2000s. However, the challenging dynamics within the O’Neal family persisted and continued to strain their relationship.
In 2007, Ryan O’Neal was detained for alleged assault and weapon discharge during a confrontation with his son, Griffin, but the charges were eventually dropped. Their son, Redmond, faced a series of arrests, incarcerations, and court-ordered treatment.
In September 2008, a probation check at Ryan O’Neal’s Malibu house led to Redmond O’Neal’s arrest for methamphetamine possession. Ryan O’Neal pleaded guilty, entered a drug diversion program, and publicly denied ownership of the drugs, asserting that he took them from his son to protect him.
Born on April 20, 1941, Charles Patrick Ryan O’Neal was the son of playwright Charles O’Neal and actress Patricia Callaghan O’Neal. Before entering the world of entertainment, Ryan O’Neal worked as a lifeguard and an amateur boxer.