Ryan O'Neal life and biography

Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal, Jr., better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon (1973), Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), and Love Story (1970), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations as Best Actor.

O'Neal appeared in guest roles on series that included The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Bachelor Father, Leave It to Beaver, Westinghouse Playhouse and Wagon Train. In 1961, he and Leonard Nimoy guest starred in the episode "Doctor's Orders" on the syndicated western series Two Faces West. In 1962–1963, O'Neal was a regular on NBC's Empire, another western.
He played 21-year-old rancher's son Tal Garrett. On October 3, 1962, a week after the premiere of Empire, O'Neal guest starred in the premiere episode of the ABC's Our Man Higgins, starring Stanley Holloway. O'Neal gained enormous popularity from 1964–1966 on the hit prime time ABC soap opera Peyton Place (with fellow newcomer Mia Farrow).

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).

His film career faded by the end of the 1970s. He starred as a character loosely based on director Bogdanovich in Irreconcilable Differences (1984). He returned to TV in the short-lived CBS series Good Sports (1991, with companion Farrah Fawcett), and as a recurring character on Fox's Bones (2007–).

In 2011, Ryan and his daughter, Tatum, attempted to restore their broken father/daughter relationship after 25 years. Their reunion and reconciliation process was captured in the Oprah Winfrey Network series, Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals.

O'Neal was in a long-term (off and on again) relationship with the late actress Farrah Fawcett until her death. In June 2009, O'Neal said he asked Fawcett again to marry him. O'Neal reported that this time she said yes, and stated that the wedding would happen "as soon as she can say yes". No ceremony took place before Fawcett's death on June 25, 2009.

He was previously married to actresses Joanna Cook Moore and Leigh Taylor-Young; both marriages ended in divorce. He has four children: Tatum O'Neal and Griffin O'Neal (with Moore), Patrick O'Neal (with Taylor-Young) and Redmond James O'Neal (born January 30, 1985, Los Angeles; with Fawcett).

Ryan's youngest son, Redmond, continued his legal problems and was arrested for firearms and drug charges during a traffic stop in Santa Monica on August 2, 2011.
For several years, Ryan was estranged with his elder three children, Patrick, Griffin, and Tatum. However, in 2011, Tatum reconciled her relationship with her father through a book and a television show. On August 4, Patrick O'Neal appeared with his father and Tatum for Redmond's court appearance for the firearms and drug charges arrest Redmond pleaded not-guilty to the charges.

In 2001 he was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). As of 2006, it is in remission. After struggling with leukemia, O'Neal was frequently seen at Fawcett's side when she had cancer. He opened up to People magazine saying, "It's a love story. I just don't know how to play this one. I won't know this world without her. Cancer is an insidious enemy."

On February 4, 2007, O'Neal was arrested for allegedly assaulting his son, Griffin, in Malibu, California, but the charges were dismissed.

Ryan and Redmond O'Neal were arrested on September 17, 2008, after authorities said they found methamphetamine at the actor's Malibu home during a probation check on Redmond. The elder O'Neal was ordered to participate in a drug awareness program, with Redmond to receive drug rehabilitation on an outpatient basis. Redmond was later incarcerated on separate charges, and briefly allowed to leave jail twice, once to visit his dying mother and later to speak at her funeral.

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