Oscar-nominated actor Ryan O’Neal, known for his roles in “Love Story” and “Peyton Place,” has died at the age of 82.
O’Neal’s death was confirmed on Instagram by his son Patrick O’Neal, The New York Times reported.
“So this is the toughest thing I’ve ever had to say but here we go. My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us,” Patrick O’Neal said.
O’Neal became a movie star instantly in the film “Love Story” in 1970, which was the highest-grossing movie that year, according to the Times. He received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role.
He also starred in the movies “What’s Up, Doc?” “Paper Moon” and “Barry Lyndon” in the 1970s, Deadline reported. He played opposite Barbra Streisand in “What’s Up, Doc?” People magazine reported.
For five years, he played Rodney Harrington on the prime-time soap opera “Peyton Place,” according to the Times.
In his 70s, O’Neal continued to act on television in the 2010s with appearances on “Bones” and “Desperate Housewives,” according to the AP.
O’Neal was born on April 20, 1941, in Los Angeles to novelist-screenwriter Charles “Blackie” O’Neal and actress Patricia Callaghan, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
O’Neal had been divorced twice and was involved with Farrah Fawcett for around 30 years. The two had a son together named Redmond who was born in 1985, the AP reported. Fawcett and O’Neal separated in 1997 but got back together years later. He stayed with her as she battled cancer. She died in 2009 at the age of 62.
O’Neal had two children with his first wife, Joanna Moore. Both were actors named Griffin O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal, the AP reported.
His second wife was Leigh Taylor-Young, who co-starred with him in “Paper Moon” in 1973. She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for that role. O’Neal and Taylor-Young had a son together, Patrick O’Neal, the AP reported.
No cause of death has been released, according to the Times. It is also unclear where he died.
Ryan O’Neal was diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and prostate cancer in 2012, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
