# Ryan O'Neal R.I.P **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316 "2023-12-08T22:57:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/1 "2023-12-08T22:57:52Z")
Ryan O’Neal dead at 82. Great likable actor. Less likable in real life, from what I’ve heard. I did enjoy his performances though. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/2 "2023-12-08T23:02:02Z")
I liked him. The last few things I saw him in he didn’t look too good. RIP ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/3 "2023-12-08T23:05:56Z")
I had to look him up. Most of his most famous work was before my time. I really only know **A Bridge Too Far** , and he was somebody’s father on _Bones_. I never saw **Barry Lyndon** or **Love Story**. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/4 "2023-12-08T23:06:06Z")
Yeah, fun to watch, but the protagonist in a lot of terrible real-life stories. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/5 "2023-12-08T23:17:07Z")
I only just in the past few years got to see those movies on ( on TCM ). First I ever saw of him was in the film **Paper Moon** when it first came out. Another unlikely moment was he did appear in a ‘Leave it to Beaver’ episode as Wally’s girlfriend’s older sister’s husband. Couldn’t believe how young he looked, even knowing it was from around '61 or '62. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/6 "2023-12-08T23:28:26Z")
“What’s Up, Doc” is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, and he was good in it. I have “Barry Lyndon” on DVD, not because of him but of Kubrick, and many said that this movie is good in spite of him, but I didn’t find him so bad that I didn’t like the whole movie. I know nothing about his private life, though. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/7 "2023-12-08T23:57:27Z")
Ryan was cast on Dancing with Stars a few years ago. He had to drop out before the premiere. He said his body couldn’t take the hours of rehearsals. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/8 "2023-12-09T01:01:21Z")
All I could think of when he kissed his girlfriend goodbye in _ **Barry Lyndon** _ was “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” The woman sitting next to me laughed and said “Right actor, wrong movie.” I recently saw _ **Paper Moon** _ for the first time in ages. It really is a charming movie! RIP. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/9 "2023-12-09T01:31:37Z")
His personal troubles aside, he appeared in one, two or more movies per year for about 20 years, some good, some not. A pretty good run for a not particularly gifted actor. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/10 "2023-12-09T03:36:26Z")
A remake of Bringing Up Baby. His version of the character was pretty low key, but his co-star more than made up for it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/11 "2023-12-09T04:27:40Z")
_So Fine_ 1981 ran regularly on Cinemax when I was in college. It was better after 4 beers. Jeans with transparent butt panels. Not exactly fine cinema. I guess the gig paid Ryan’s bills. His early movies were good. _Paper Moon_ is a classic con game movie. I see he did a _Wagon Train_ and _Virginian_ before the popular _Payton Place_ role. I’m curious if Ryan played a Western cowboy or a Eastern City Slicker with a suit. The Virginian often featured city slickers for comic relief. I can easily see a young Ryan cast in that part. RIP . ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/12 "2023-12-09T06:15:11Z")
Never much cared for his acting but I thought he was pretty good in **What’s Up Doc?** and simply terrific in **Paper Moon**. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/13 "2023-12-09T13:26:54Z")
On the new last night they had a tribute from Barbra Streisand, which was preceded by a clip from their second movie, **The Main Event** , which I’ll bet isn’t all that well-known today. Why not a clip from the better-known (and funnier) **What’s up, Doc?** (which they didn’t even mention). Come to think of it, they didn’t mention **Barry Lyndon** , either. At the time, people were a bit upset about O’Neal, who’d mainly appeared in comedies, taking center stage in a Kubrick historical drama, about the way they were annoyed with Michael Keaton playing Batman, or Jack Black playing Carl Denham in _King Kong_. I have to admit, I’ve never seen _Paper Moon_. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/14 "2023-12-09T14:16:59Z")
Reunited with Farrah. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/15 "2023-12-09T14:44:57Z")
Man, I’m beginning to think that everybody I’ve ever known or heard of is eventually going to die sooner or later. > [@terentii](#): > > All I could think of when he kissed his girlfriend goodbye in _ **Barry Lyndon** _ was “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” The woman sitting next to me laughed and said “Right actor, wrong movie.” I never understood that catchphrase. Every love relationship I’ve ever been in has necessitated me saying “I’m sorry” on occasion, if I expected the relationship to continue for very much longer. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/16 "2023-12-09T16:44:40Z")
**The Bodyguard** was originally supposed to star him and Diana Ross. They were involved at the time. I’unno. I can’t get past the fact that he beat his kids, and that before he was famous, he was _notorious_ for picking fights and sending his targets to the hospital. I wouldn’t have been a fan of **Love Story** to begin with, but when I was in college and someone wanted to watch “Just to check it out!” that was all I could think of: what a thug he really was. Gah, I can think of a number of actors who would have been better for that role. The then-unknown Anthony Geary comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/17 "2023-12-09T18:15:57Z")
When producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff went to United Artists to ask for funding for the movie Rocky, they suggested casting several name actors in the title role. Ryan O’Neal was one of them. Can you imagine pretty-boy O’Neal as Rocky? Fortunately, Stallone had already made a deal with Winkler and Chartoff that he would star in the film in exchange for working for scale, and for not getting a writer’s fee. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/18 "2023-12-09T19:40:28Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > I can’t get past the fact that he beat his kids, and that before he was famous, he was _notorious_ for picking fights and sending his targets to the hospital. At the funeral for the great love of his life Farrah Fawcett, he was so out of it that he actually hit on an attractive 46 year old woman. She rebuffed him with “Daddy, it’s ME. Tatum!” Tried to pick up on his own daughter at his wife’s funeral. Class act. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/19 "2023-12-09T19:45:44Z")
Per [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_O'Neal), son Griffin says that Ryan gave him cocaine when he was eleven. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316/20 "2023-12-09T19:57:34Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Tried to pick up on his own daughter at his wife’s funeral. Well, long-term partner, anyway. They were together for the better part of 30 years, but never married. Either way, still “classy.” 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-oneal-r-i-p/994316.md?page=2)