Ryan O'Neal's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Bones Max Keenan Miss Match Jerry Fox Peyton Place Rodney Harr… Bull Robert Robe… Everybody's Talking! Ryan O'Neal Good Sports Bobby Tannen

Main Movie Roles

BIOGRAPHY:

Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941), in Los Angeles, California, the eldest son of actress Patricia and novelist/screenwriter Charles "Blackie" O'Neal. His brother Kevin is an actor and screenwriter. His maternal grandfather was Irish and his maternal grandmother was Russian. O'Neal attended University High School, and trained there to become a Golden Gloves boxer. During the late 1950s, Blackie O'Neal had a job writing on a television series called Citizen Soldier and moved the family to Munich, Germany, where O'Neal attended Munich American High School.

O'Neal's film career took off beginning with his role in Love Story (1970), earning a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor. In 1973, he was #2 in the Annual Top Ten Box Office Stars, behind Clint Eastwood. He starred in a series of films for director Peter Bogdanovich, beginning with the screwball comedy What's Up, Doc? (with Barbra Streisand, 1972); following were Paper Moon (with daughter Tatum O'Neal in an Oscar-winning role, 1973); and Nickelodeon (1976, again with Tatum). Other films of the 1970s included Barry Lyndon (directed by Stanley Kubrick, 1975); A Bridge Too Far (1977); Oliver's Story (1978, a sequel to Love Story); and the car-chase film The Driver (directed by Walter Hill, also 1978).


TRIVIA:

• Is of Irish descent on his father's side and Russian descent on his mother's side.
• He was a close friend of 'Lee Majors (I)' (qv) until a relationship blossomed between him and Majors' wife 'Farrah Fawcett' (qv).
• 5/07: Prosecutors decided not to file charges against him following a brawl with his son and allegations of assault on 2/3/07.
• In remission in his battle with leukemia.
• Former brother-in-law of 'Dey Young' (qv).
• (February 2007) Was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of a firearm after a fight with his son 'Griffin O'Neal' (qv). Griffin apparently tied his intoxicated younger brother 'Redmond O'Neal' (qv) to a staircase in order to keep him from leaving the house to use more drugs. When Ryan returned home and saw his son tied to the staircase he became so enraged that he fired a warning shot in order to scare Griffin.
• He was considered for the role of Michael Corleone in _The Godfather (1972)_ (qv)
• Father of 'Tatum O'Neal' (qv) and 'Griffin O'Neal' (qv).