Ryan O'Neal

American film and television actor, a boyishly handsome, red-haired leading man who first worked as a boxer and a movie stuntman. He gained attention as the sexy star of the ABC television series Peyton Place (1964-1969). O'Neal charmed audiences in such films as Erich Segal's tear-jerker Love Story (1970) with Ali McGraw (for which he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar), What's Up, Doc? (1972) and Paper Moon (1973) in which he co-starred with his 10-year-old daughter, Tatum (who won a special Oscar for her performance). From 2005 to 2017, he had a recurring role in the Fox television series Bones as Max, the father of the show's protagonist.

Ryan was the older son of a scriptwriter and an actress. His brother Kevin became a TV performer. The family travelled a great deal and as a kid, he lived in Mexico, the British West Indies, England and Germany. He recalls his youth as happy years, fun-loving, lazy, carefree, along with having an easy chip on his shoulder. He once spent 51 days in jail for assault and battery at a New York party in 1960. While in Germany, he began work as a stunt man and extra for seven months, after which he returned to Hollywood determined to be an actor. His big acting break was in a TV series, Empire, which premiered on 25 September 1962. It folded after 32 episodes but led to the outstandingly popular Peyton Place.

As he progressed into the $3 million a film class, O'Neal invested in real estate to expand his fortune to an estimated $30 million.

He was married to actress Joanna Moore from 1963 to 1967; their daughter Tatum was born in November 1963 and their son Griffin was born in October 1965. After O'Neal and Moore split in 1967, he was married to Peyton Place co-star Leigh Taylor-Young for five years; they had one son, Patrick. In the fall of 1979, Farrah Fawcett moved into his beach front Malibu home, competing with Tatum for his attention. He was noted for his quick temper, and their relationship was volatile at times.