Ryan O’Neal, ‘Love Story’ and ‘Paper Moon’ Actor, Dies at 82
Ryan O’Neal, the actor best known for his roles in 1970’s Love Story and 1973’s Paper Moon, has died. He was 82.
O’Neal’s death was confirmed in an Instagram post from his son, sports broadcaster Patrick O’Neal. He wrote, in part, “My father Ryan O’Neal has always been my hero. I looked up to him and he was always bigger than life. When I was born in 1967, my dad was already a TV star on ‘Peyton Place.’ That’s where he met my mom, Leigh Taylor-Young, and about 9 months later (give or take a date night or two), I was born.”
Patrick added, “He is a Hollywood legend. Full stop. The growth spurt of the first name Ryan can be traced back to my dad. That’s a fact. He was Rodney Harrington on ‘Peyton Place’ 3 days a week (he starred in 500 shows over 5 years) and then, of course, the name Ryan peaked after ‘Love Story’ (the film that saved Paramount Studios and earned my dad a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame).”
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A cause of death was not disclosed. However, The Hollywood Reporter notes O’Neal was diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and prostate cancer in 2012.
O’Neal has over 60 TV and film credits to his name. His career spanned from 1960 to 2017. His final acting credit while he was alive was as Max Keenan, the father of Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan, on the TV series Bones.
O’Neal’s breakout performance came as Rodney Harrington on the ’60s TV series Peyton Place. His film career in the 1970s was filled with hits. In addition to the aforementioned Love Story and Paper Moon, O’Neal also starred in 1972’s What’s Up, Doc?, 1975’s Barry Lyndon, 1977’s A Bridge Too Far, 1978’s The Driver and 1979’s The Main Event.
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