Love Story, Paper Moon, And Barry Lyndon Star Ryan O'Neal Has Died At 82
Actor Ryan O'Neal, best known for a string of starring roles in the 1970s films "Love Story," "Paper Moon," "What's Up, Doc?" and "Barry Lyndon," has died at 82. His cause of death is not known, but he had been battling ill health for some time, including a diagnosis of chronic leukemia in 2001 and prostate cancer in 2012. His longtime partner, Farrah Fawcett, died of cancer in 2009. The news of O'Neal's passing was shared by his son, Patrick, who wrote on Instagram:
"My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us ... My father Ryan O'Neal has always been my hero. I looked up to him and he was always bigger than life ... He is a Hollywood legend. Full stop."
O'Neal was born in 1941, the son of screenwriter Charles "Blackie" O'Neal and actress Patricia Ruth Olga. His career began on television, where he landed his first major role in the Western series "Empire," and then climbed to even greater success as Rodney Harrington in the soap opera "Peyton Place." O'Neal soon found breakout success on the big screen as well, earning an Oscar nomination for his leading man role in the tragic romance "Love Story." Beyond the critical acclaim and award nominations, it was also the highest-grossing movie of 1970.
In his memoriam on Instagram, Patrick O'Neal notes that "the growth spurt of the first name Ryan can be traced back to my dad." Indeed, U.S. governments records show that Ryan leapt in popularity from the 140th most popular baby name in 1970 to the 51st most popular baby name the following year — a testament to the brightness of O'Neal's star in the public eye.
A troubled Hollywood family
Though "Love Story" was a pop culture sensation and the biggest box office hit of O'Neal's career, his most enduring screen performance was opposite his daughter, Tatum O'Neal, in the 1973 comedy-drama "Paper Moon." In the film, Tatum plays in orphan called Addie and Ryan O'Neal plays a con artist called Moses Pray, who is suspected of being Addie's biological father. Recalling the production in the 2011 reality series "Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals," Ryan connected the film with his own admitted shortcomings as a father to Tatum:
"The director [Peter Bogdanovich] insisted she wasn't my daughter. The director insisted that my character, Moses, never thought for a second that this was his daughter. So he wanted me to make sure that I didn't think of her as my daughter. And maybe it never wore off."
Both Tatum O'Neal and Griffin O'Neal have described their father as being physically and emotionally abusive to them in their childhoods. In 2007, a fight broke out that culminated in Griffin swinging a poker at his father and Ryan firing a gun at him in response. O'Neal was estranged from his three eldest children for many years. Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2009, he said he preferred it that way: "I was in touch with them for years, and I was a mess. I'm not in touch with them now, and I've never been happier."
Nonetheless, Tatum O'Neal told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year that she was planning a reunion with her father for the first time in three years. "I think he's gotten a little bit better in his life," she said. "I mean, he's an amazing man, my dad, and I miss him terribly ... I love my dad. I mean, I've had a hard life with my dad — but I still love him."