Ryan O’Neal, Oscar Nominee and Peyton Place Star, Dead at 82
Ryan O’Neal, who rose to fame as the star of ABC’s primetime soap Peyton Place, died on Friday at the age of 82. The news was announced by O’Neal’s son Patrick, who shared some emotional thoughts about his father’s passing in a series of Instagram posts.
“This is the toughest thing I’ve ever had to say, but here we go — my dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us,” O’Neal writes. “This is very difficult for my wife Summer and I, but I will share some feelings to give you an idea of how great a man he is. … My father Ryan O’Neal has always been my hero. I looked up to him and he was always bigger than life.”
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Update: According to a Los Angeles County death certificate obtained by The Blast on Friday, Dec. 22, O’Neal’s official cause of death was congestive heart failure; he suffered from cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle.
Prior to getting his big break as Peyton Place‘s Rodney Harrington, a role he played from 1964 to 1969, O’Neal appeared in a number of high-profile TV shows, including The Untouchables, Leave It to Beaver and My Three Sons. His career reached new heights when he starred in the 1970 film Love Story, for which he was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. He went on to star in a number of major movies, including 1974’s Paper Moon, for which he received his second Globe nomination.
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O’Neal’s more recent credits include appearances on major primetime dramas like Bones, Bull, 90210 and Desperate Housewives.
How will you remember O’Neal? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the late actor’s legacy below.
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