Ryan O’Neal dies at 82: The Paper Moon and Love Story actor who was with Farrah Fawcett for decades looked frail in a wheelchair in final images taken one month before his shock passing

Hollywood actor Ryan O’Neal has died at the age of 82.

His son Patrick shared the sad news on social media Friday afternoon. “So this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to say, but here we go,” he began.

“My father passed away peacefully today and his loving team was by his side, supporting him and loving him the same way he would have loved us.”

A deputy was last seen helping O’Neill into his car from a wheelchair in Brentwood, California on November 6, 2023.

Ryan was driven along the sidewalk and two caretakers helped him into the front seat of the car and pulled him out from under his arm.

O’Neal was best known for his 1970s films, including Paper Moon, in which he co-starred with his daughter Tatum O’Neal.

He also worked with some of the top female stars of his time, such as Barbra Streisand in What’s Up, Doc, and The Main Event and Marisa Berenson on Barry Lyndon.

In 1970, Ryan was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for the blockbuster film Love Story starring Ali MacGraw.

Ryan was also known for his high-profile, decades-long relationship with Charlie’s Angels actress Farrah Fawcett; they will never marry.

They were partners from 1979 to 1997 after he stole the bubbly blonde beauty from her husband, Lee Majors from The Six Million Dollar Man.

Together they had a 38-year-old son named Redmond, who had problems with the law and even served time in prison.

O’Neal was jailed in 2009 after he was found in possession of heroin during a routine security check at the Pitchess Detention Center in California. He was behind bars when his mother died of cancer in June 2009.

O’Neal also dated Ursula Andress, Bianca Jagger, Jacqueline Bisset, Streisand, Joan Collins and Diana Ross.

Ryan is survived by four children and five grandchildren.

His son posted a long note with a photo of a sunset on the beach.

“This is very difficult for me and my wife Summer, but I will share some feelings to give you an idea of ​​what a great man he is.

“My father Ryan O’Neal has always been my hero. I looked up to him and he was always larger than life. When I was born in 1967, my father was already a TV star on Peyton Place.

“He met my mother Lee Taylor-Young here and about 9 months later (give or take a date or two nights) I was born.

“My father became an international film star with Love Story in the early 1970s, a decade he absolutely crushed with films like What’s Up, Doc?, Paper Moon, Barry Lyndon, ” A Bridge Too Far,” “The Main Event,” and The Driver.

“He’s a Hollywood legend. Full stop. The growth spurt of the name Ryan can be traced back to my father. It is a fact.

“He was Rodney Harrington on Peyton Place 3 days a week (he did 500 shows in 5 years) and then of course the Ryan name peaked with Love Story (the movie that saved Paramount Studios and made my dad a star on Hollywood Alley). glory).’

Ryan began acting in the 1960s and had his breakout role on Peyton Place, playing Rodney Harrington.

Soon after, Hollywood cast him in movie roles because he had the looks and charisma to act in movies.

In 1970, he played an Olympic athlete at the Games.

He was then recommended for the lead role in the romantic drama Love Story (1970), which few people believed in because it was a slow and sad story.

But his chemistry with Ali was so strong that fans went crazy over the sob story.

“I hope young people enjoy it,” O’Neal said before the film’s release. “I don’t want to go back to television.”

He was next in the TV movie Love, Hate, Love (1971), then Western Wild Rovers (1971) with William Holden.

His next hit was the comedy What’s Up, Doc? (1972) opposite Streisand. He played the tough, uptight man to her foolish, outspoken tramp. In real life they also had an affair.

Later O’Neal played a jewel thief in The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1972), opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Warren Oates.

He then reunited with Bogdanovich in Paper Moon (1973), in which he co-starred with his daughter Tatum O’Neal.

His performance in the film earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and exhibitors voted him the second most popular star of 1973 in the country.

O’Neill spent more than a year making Barry Lyndon (1975) for Kubrick, but the costume drama was not well received.

Next was the Nickelodeon comedy (1976) with Burt Reynolds and Tatum O’Neal. It was a bomb.

O’Neal followed this up with the big ensemble film A Bridge Too Far (1977), in which he played General James Gavin. It was another setback for the box office king.

The next action movie was The Driver (1978), but it didn’t have wheels.

His reputation as a major movie star who could sell movie tickets began to deteriorate.