Ryan O'Neal Dead: 'Love Story' Actor

Ryan O'Neal, who has died at age 82, was one of the biggest movie stars of the 70s.

O'Neal was born in Los Angeles in 1941 to a family in the film world. His father, Charles “Blackie” O'Neal, was a novelist and screenwriter, while his mother, Patricia O'Callaghan, was an actress.

After starting his career as a stuntman in TV series, O'Neal got small parts as an actor in TV series such as "General Electric Theater", "The Untouchables", "The Virginian", "My Three Sons". In 1962 he became a co-star in the western "Empire" set in New Mexico.

In 1964, O'Neal landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the soap opera “Peyton Place,” making him a popular face on the small screen.

Success came in 1970 with “Love Story,” a romantic film that tells the love story between Oliver Barrett IV (O’Neal) and Jennifer Cavalleri (Ali MacGraw). The film was a resounding success internationally and O’Neal was nominated for an Oscar for best leading actor.

In 1973, O'Neal starred in “Paper Moon,” a Western film in which he played Moses Pray, a con man who pretends to be the father of an orphaned girl (Tatum O'Neal, the actor's daughter). The film was another big hit, and Tatum O'Neal won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1975, O'Neal was chosen by Stanley Kubrick to play the title role in “Barry Lyndon,” an epic film set in XNUMXth-century England. The film was a critical success, but did not achieve the commercial success hoped for.

In the following years O'Neal continued to work as an actor, but was unable to replicate the success of “Love Story”. He starred in several films, including “Ma papà ti manda sola?” (1972) with Barbra Streisand, “A Bridge Too Far” (1977) with Richard Attenborough and “The Unexpected Driver” (1978) with Walter Hill.

In his personal life, O'Neal had troubled relationships with three of his four sons, Tatum, Griffin, and Redmond. He also had drug and alcohol problems.

In the 80s O'Neal began a relationship with the actress Farrah Fawcett, which lasts for over thirty years. The two break up several times, but always get back together. In 1985 they have a son, Redmond.

Fawcett died of cancer in 2009. O'Neal was devastated by the loss of his partner and his personal life became even more difficult.

In recent years, O'Neal continued to work as an actor, but his health began to decline. In 2001, he was diagnosed with leukemia, from which he recovered. In 2012, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

A tormented cinema icon

Ryan O'Neal was an icon of 70s cinema. His face, with blond hair and blue eyes, became familiar to the general public thanks to films such as “Love Story”, “Paper Moon” and “Barry Lyndon”.

O'Neal was a talented actor, but his personal life was often troubled. His problems with drugs and alcohol, his troubled relationship with his children, and the death of his partner Farrah Fawcett all contributed to overshadowing his career.

Despite all this, O'Neal was an important figure in American cinema. His films are still considered classics today and his performance in “Love Story” is one of the most iconic in the history of world cinema.

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