Ryan O'Neal (1941-2023): farewell to a Hollywood icon

Once upon a time in Hollywood... Ryan O'Neal. The world adored him in 'Love Story' (1970), a romantic drama in which he starred alongside Ali McGraw.

Ryan O'Neal had been immersed in the film industry since birth. The son of a screenwriter and an actress, it made sense for him to dedicate himself to acting.

In the image, we see him with his son Griffin in 1965, when he had already gained fame with the series 'Peyton Place'.

Tatum O'Neal, born in his first marriage to Joanna Moore, was his best-known daughter. As a child, she already dedicated herself to acting with her father.

A milestone of his career was 'What's Up, Doc?' (1972), a fabulous comedy directed by Peter Bogdanovich in which he starred alongside Barbra Streisand.

In 'Paper Moon' he was directed again by Peter Bogdanovich. His daughter Tatum co-starred in a comedy full of tender moments. It was another great success that established him as an iconic star of the 70s.

In the Hollywood of the 70s, Ryan O'Neal was an essential star. He filmed the classic 'Barry Lyndon' (1975) under the command of Stanley Kubrick and was compared with other stars such as Jack Nicholson (in the image).

Ryan O'Neal was nominated for several awards, such as the Oscar and Golden Globe for 'Love Story' (1970), and a Golden Globe for his performance in 'Paper Moon' (1973).

The actor had relationships with Ursula Andress, Jacqueline Bisset, Diana Ross, and Angelica Huston, among others. Farrah Fawcett, another icon of the 70s, was one of the women to whom he was close.

In the 80s the actor's brilliance (partly) faded. He would later reveal in his memoirs that the excesses in parties and substance use eventually took their toll on his personal and professional lives.

Ryan O'Neal described himself as an unqualified father, too oblivious to the day-to-day life of his children. In addition, Tatum O'Neal wrote that her father could be abusive during the times of his greatest excesses with toxic substances.

In 2008, the actor was arrested by the police as he was taking methamphetamines at his Malibu home with his youngest son Redmond.

Ryan O'Neal suffered from leukemia in 2001 and was battling the disease until 2006. He was also diagnosed with prostate cancer.

His last work was in the renowned series 'Bones,' where he played Max Keenan. A complicated character, Keenan had to hide his identity as a criminal by using another name, Matthew Brennan. His character also turned out to be the real father of Temperance Brennan, played by Emily Deschanel.

In recent years, the actor managed to achieve, even partially, a kind of family redemption. O'Neal died at age 82 in Los Angeles, on December 8th, surrounded by his loved ones, as revealed in a statement by his son Patrick.

His daughter told People: "I feel great sorrow with my father's passing. He meant the world to me. I loved him very much and know he loved me too. I'll miss him forever and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms."

His son Patrick said in his statement that "a Hollywood legend" had gone. Many will agree with him.